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Synopsis
Important study of early history of Opera - distinguished author well known through teaching and articles "The Birth of Opera" deals with the predecessors and early speciments of opera from Poliziano's "Orfeo" (c. 1480) to Monteverdi's "Arianna" (1608). It pays considerable attention to the role played by such poets as Poliziano, Tasso, Guarini, Rinuccini, and Chiabrera and the conventions that gradually developed for shaping the dramatic plot with regard to operatic structure, in particular the problem of the finale, which required a happy ending, and the inevitable foil preceding it, the expressive solo singing of a lament, which was often accompanied by an echo. The accent is on the early operas of Peri and Monteverdi and their predecessors, the intermedi, but frequent references to later operas by Cavalli, Gluck, Mozart, Verdi, and Stravinsky relate the origins of the genre to its essence through the centuries. In particuar, the enduring fascination with the Orpheus myth, from ancient Greece to Haydn and Stravinsky, is explored in greater detail than in most histories of early opera. List of tables; list of music examples; list of abbreviations.
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Review
"Stimulating....Highly recommended."--The Musical Times"Less a straightforward account of opera's origins than a discussion of certain practices whose recurrences demonstrate the continuity of dramatic music production from c. 1480 to the early 17th century. These practices...provide a fascinating way to approach the importance of convention in early opera....Scholars having a basic knowledge of opera's origins will find it to be one of those special studies that offers genuine enlightenment."--Choice"Written...as a fascinating succession of musicological frescoes whose subjects range back and forth between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries....Anyone interested in early opera will find Sternfeld's book not only highly informative but pleasurable reading as well."--Penn Sounds
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The Birth of Opera
Published by
Oxford University Press, 1993
ISBN 10: 0198161301
ISBN 13: 9780198161301
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Condition: good. A copy that has been read, remains in good condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. The spine and cover show signs of wear. Pages can include notes and highlighting and show signs of wear, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. 100% GUARANTEE! Shipped with delivery confirmation, if you're not satisfied with purchase please return item! Ships via media mail. Seller Inventory # OTV.0198161301.G
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The Birth of Opera
Published by
Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1993
ISBN 10: 0198161301
ISBN 13: 9780198161301
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Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. First Edition. Large 8vo. 266 pp. Near Fine in Near Fine dust jacket. Subtlest shelfwear to boards. Slight shelfwear and rubbing to jacket. Seller Inventory # v00073
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The Birth of Opera
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The Birth of Opera
Published by
Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1993
ISBN 10: 0198161301
ISBN 13: 9780198161301
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: Salsus Books (P.B.F.A.), Kidderminster, United Kingdom
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. 280pp hardback, black boards gilt in wrapper. Seller Inventory # 073960
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The Birth of Opera
Seller: killarneybooks, Inagh, CLARE, Ireland
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. Hardcover, xiv + 266, NOT ex-library. Book is clean and bright with unmarked text, free of inscriptions and stamps, firmly bound. Gentle handling wear only; a bit of rubbing to the boards' edges. Shelfworn dust jacket with rubbed tips of corners and creases to the edges, reinforced with stickers on the inside. -- This is a distinguished musicological study that traces the evolution of opera from its late 15th-century dramatic predecessors to its establishment as a distinct genre in the early 1600s. The work is noted for its interdisciplinary approach, connecting musical developments with the literary and cultural conventions of Renaissance Italy. The book moves beyond a simple chronological history to explain why opera adopted its specific formal ingredients. Literary Foundations: Sternfeld emphasizes the critical role of poets like Poliziano, Tasso, Guarini, and Rinuccini in shaping operatic structure. The Orpheus Myth: A central focus is the enduring appeal of the Orpheus legend, which Sternfeld explores from its roots in ancient Greece through its 17th-century realisations by Peri and Monteverdi, and even into modern versions by Stravinsky. Formal Conventions: The author examines how the genre solved dramatic problems, such as the requirement for a "happy ending" (the finale) and its necessary foil, the expressive solo lament. Evolution of the Intermedi: The text explores the intermedi - elaborate musical interludes performed between acts of plays - as the primary structural ancestors of early opera. Written by a leading musicologist and Reader in the History of Music at the University of Oxford, the book is considered a standard reference for scholars of early modern music. Scholarly Impact: According to Choice, scholars with a foundational knowledge of opera's origins will find this to be a study that offers "genuine enlightenment" regarding the importance of convention. Critical Evaluation: Reviewers in journals like Renaissance Quarterly and Music and Letters have noted that the work is a testament to Sternfeld's deep scholarship. It is praised for bridging the gap between the birth of the genre and its enduring essence, frequently relating early 17th-century innovations to later works by Gluck, Mozart, and Verdi. Seller Inventory # 012949