From the fall of 1947 through the summer of 1951 composer Igor Stravinsky and poet W. H. Auden collaborated on the opera The Rake's Progress. At the time, their self-consciously conventional work seemed to appeal only to conservative audiences. Few perceived that Stravinsky and Auden were confronting the central crisis of the Modern age, for their story of a hapless eighteenth-century Everyman dramatizes the very limits of human will, a theme Auden insists underlies all opera. In The Last Opera, Chandler Carter weaves together three interlocking stories. The central and most detailed story explores the libretto and music of The Rake's Progress. The second positions the opera as a focal point in Stravinsky's artistic journey and those who helped him realize it-his librettists, Auden and Chester Kallman; his protege Robert Craft; and his compatriot, fellow composer, and close friend Nicolas Nabokov. By exploring the ominous cultural landscape in which these fascinating individuals lived and worked, the book captures a pivotal twenty-five-year span (from approximately 1945 to 1970) during which modernists like Stravinsky and Auden confronted a tectonic disruption to their artistic worldview. Ultimately, Carter reveals how these stories fit into a larger third narrative, the 400-year history of opera. This richly and lovingly contextualized study of The Rake's Progress sheds new light on why, despite the hundreds of musical dramas and theater pieces that have been written since its premier in 1951, this work is still considered the "the last opera."

Up-to-date, authoritative, and accessible, this is the best Mozart opera guide available This wise and friendly guide to Mozart's operas encompasses the full range of his most popular works-Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi, Magic Flute, Seraglio, Clemenza di Tito-as well as lesser known works like Mitridate and Il re Pastore. Music historian Mary Hunter provides a lively introduction to each opera for any listener who has enjoyed a performance, either on the stage or in a video recording, and who wishes to understand the opera more fully. The Companion includes a synopsis and commentary on each work, as well as background information on the three main genres in which Mozart wrote: opera seria, opera buffa, and Singspiel. An essay on the "anatomy" of a Mozart opera points out the musical conventions with which the composer worked and suggests nontechnical ways to think about his musical choices. The book also places modern productions of the operas in historical context and explores how modern directors, producers, and conductors present Mozart's works today. Filled with factual information and interesting issues to ponder while watching a performance, this guide will appeal to newcomers and seasoned opera aficionados alike.

Children of many generations have been greatly impressed by the story of Yona in the belly of the whale and imagined the deep darkness of the "big fish" and the miraculous landing on safe shore. But the Book of Yona also contains a different story. The Christian, the Judaic and the Islamic narrative all show: this prophet must have been a rather stubborn man: He knew how to tell right from wrong and he was ready to bet not only his own life but the life and welfare of others on this truth. This chamber opera explores what such a strong sense of justice could have meant to his own family and the neighbors in his village. How did it affect his traveling companions on the boat when he run away from God's command and headed for Tarshish, the farthest place he could imagine? What did the people of Jerusalem, whom he warned first as a messenger of God, make of Yona? How did the people of Nineveh, who were rescued from destruction by his prophesies, see this man? While all the above people are mentioned in the traditional legends, they appear in Yona as individual characters. The story is narrated from the perspective of Yona's fictitious daughter Shachar (morning, dawn). The scenes of the opera are all set in Yona's house. The time is right after the funeral of the prophet, while his daughter is sitting the seven days of Shiva for her father.