These essays by respected scholars examine representative operatic production from diverse national schools and periods, documenting the history of operatic staging using the words of composers and their contemporaries from diaries, letters, and writings of the day. Historical performance practice and other purely musical matters are considered as well as the elements of stagecraft, including scenery, costumes, and lighting. Together these essays form a comprehensive history of the staging techniques of opera production over the centuries, from Purcell to Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, and Puccini. Eyewitness accounts will create a new awareness of the defining effects of the original theaters upon familiar operas. Producers, directors, set designers, conductors, and singers will find a wealth of practical and inspiring information.
About the author (1998)
Mark A. Radice is a Professor of Music History and Literature at the Ithaca College School of Music. He is also the curator of the Karel Husa Archive and Gallery for Contemporary Music at Ithaca College. He has published numerous articles on a wide range of historical music subjects in journals that include “Music Review” and “Musical Quarterly.” In addition, he has published two books, “Opera in Context: Essays on Historical Staging from the Late Renaissance to the Time of Puccini” and “Irvine’s Writing about Music,” Third Edition. He is currently editing a collection of essays devoted to the life and works of the contemporary composer Karel Husa.
Bibliographic information
Title | Opera in Context: Essays on Historical Staging from the Late Renaissance to the Time of Puccini Amadeus Series |
Editor | Mark A. Radice |
Edition | illustrated |
Publisher | Hal Leonard Corporation, 1998 |
ISBN | 1574670328, 9781574670325 |
Length | 410 pages |