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Ombra is the term which applies to an operatic scene involving the appearance of an oracle or demon, witches, or ghosts. Such scenes can be traced back to the early days of opera and were commonplace in the seventeenth century in Italy and France. Operas based on the legends of Orpheus, Iphigenia, and Alcestis provide numerous examples of ombra and extend well into the eighteenth century. Clive McClelland's Ombra: Supernatural Music in the Eighteenth Century is an in-depth examination of ombra...

Die Werke Niccolo Piccinnis, eines der produktivsten Opernkomponisten des 18. Jahrhunderts, fuhren heutzutage ein Schattendasein. Die meisten seiner Opern befinden sich in zum Teil schwer zuganglichen Bibliotheken. Die grundliche Quellenuntersuchung seiner 1770 komponierten und wohl in Mannheim uraufgefuhrten Oper "Catone in Utica" ergibt wertvolle neue Erkenntnisse zur Arbeitsweise Piccinnis sowie zur Entstehungs- und Auffuhrungsgeschichte dieses Werkes. Die Arbeit stellt einen Beitrag zur Gatt...

Today, more than a century after its first performance, Richard Wagner's The Ring of Nibelung endures as one of the most significant artistic creations in the history of opera. This monumental work not only altered previously accepted concepts of music and drama but also inspired creative and intellectual efforts far beyond the field of opera. Previous studies of the Ring have appealed only to those already acquainted in some way with the Wagnerian art. For the uninitiated, Wagner and his landm...

Intended for scholars in the fields of philosophy, history of science and music, this book examines the legacy of the historical coincidence of the emergence of science and opera in the early modern period. But instead of regarding them as finished products or examining their genesis, or `common ground', or `parallel' ideas, opera and science are explored by a phenomenology of the formulations of consciousness (Gurwitsch) as compossible tasks to be accomplished in common (Schutz) which sh...

Whatever the period, high passion and exotic spectacle are characteristically fused in opera to create stirring and memorable theatrical experiences. Leslie Orrey surveys the whole history of opera from its evolution at the end of the 16th century, assessing the impact of changes in the styles, conditions and architecture of the theater, as well as the increasing influence of the producer. This revised edition has been edited by Rodney Milnes, Editor of Opera Magazine. 253 illus., 32 in color.

French opera is second only to Italian opera in the length, breadth, and diversity of its history. Yet most people, if asked to come up with titles, could mention only a handful of titles—Carmen, Faust, Pelleas et Melisande, Samson et Dalila—a small list for an operatic tradition that began in the seventeenth century and is still very much alive. This book provides a full, single-volume account of opera in France from its origins to the present day. Vincent Giroud looks at the leading composer...

On 632 pages, Ioan Holender, former director of the Vienna State Opera, recollects all 118 premieres of his term, which lasted from 1991 to 2010, relating his impressions in a very personal and intimate way. During numerous meetings with editor Lois Lammerhuber, Ioan Holender described the turbulent and moving, sometimes dramatic and sometimes joyful, course of these productions. The stories reflect Ioan Holender's deep passion for opera and its protagonists. Axel Zeininger's photographs provide...

Taking the reader through the tangled web of opera's opulent history, this book traces its roots back to Ancient Greek music dramas, through the medieval Christian and secular musical plays, to the Renaissance and to the prolific 17th century. It continues with detailed accounts of the 18th century - when opera became a household word - the High Baroque, the French and German heroic and romantic comedies, the great Italian period and the contemporary works of, amongst others, Glass and Birtwistl...