Both dramatic and musical theater are part of the tradition that has made Austria - especially Vienna - and the old Habsburg lands synonymous with high culture in Central Europe. Many works, often controversial originally but now considered as classics, are still performed regularly in Vienna, Prague, Budapest, or Krakow. This volume not only offers an excellent overview of the theatrical history of the region, it is also an innovative, cross-disciplinary attempt to analyse the inner workings and dynamics of theater through a discussion of the interplay between society, the audience, and performing artists. Michael Cherlin is Professor of Music Theory, University of Minnesota. Halina Filipowicz is Professor of Slavic Literatures, University of Wisconsin, Madison. Richard L. Rudolph is Professor Emeritus, University of Minnesota.

Both dramatic and musical theater are part of the tradition that has made Austria - especially Vienna - and the old Habsburg lands synonymous with high culture in Central Europe. Many works, often controversial originally but now considered as classics, are still performed regularly in Vienna, Prague, Budapest, or Krakow. This volume not only offers an excellent overview of the theatrical history of the region, it is also an innovative, cross-disciplinary attempt to analyse the inner workings and dynamics of theater through a discussion of the interplay between society, the audience, and performing artists.

Although Austria-Hungary was one of the largest and most important states in Europe until 1914, the rich literature on economic history has almost completely neglected this area. Professor Rudolph's book serves two main purposes. It is an extensive descriptive and analytical study of the process of industrialization in the Austrian half of the monarchy. It also carefully examines the role of banks in the industrialization of the area. The fundamental question at the heart of the study is the extent to which the banks actually did facilitate or hinder the process of industrialization. The book should be of major import to students of economic history, economic development, and east and central European history.