Opera has been around ever since the late 16th century, and it is
still going strong in the sense that operas are performed around
the world at present, and known by infinitely more persons than
just those who attend performances. On the other hand, it has
enjoyed periods in the past when more operas were produced to
greater acclaim. Those periods inevitably have pride of place in
this Historical Dictionary of Opera, as do exceptional singers, and
others who combine to fashion the opera, whether or not they appear
on stage. But this volume looks even further afield, considering
the cities which were and still are opera centers, literary works
which were turned into librettos, and types of pieces and genres.
While some of the former can be found on the web or in other
sources, most of the latter cannot and it is impossible to have the
whole picture without them. Indeed, this book has an amazingly
broad scope. The dictionary section, with about 340 entries, covers
the topics mentioned above but obviously focuses most on composers,
not just the likes of Mozart, Verdi and Wagner, but others who are
scarcely remembered but made notable contributions. Of course,
there are the divas, but others singers as well, and some of the
most familiar operas, Don Giovanni, Tosca and more. Technical terms
also abound, and reference to different genres, from antimasque to
zarzuela. Since opera has been around so long, the chronology is
rather lengthy, since it has a lot of ground to cover, and the
introduction sets the scene for the rest. This book should not be
an end but rather a beginning, so it has a substantial bibliography
for readers seeking more specific or specialized works. It is an
excellent access point for readers interested in opera.
General
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