Opera Offstage: Passion and Politics Behind the Great Operas

by Milton E. Brener, Arthur G. Cosenza (Foreword)

Opera's drama and passion is nothing compared to the off-stage romances, politics, and eccentricities which conspired to create the 27 "golden age" works which Brener's careful and thorough scholarship contextualizes and enlivens. The reader finds out that Carmen was inspired by Celeste Venard, a Parisian prostitute, writer, and altogether fascinating woman. In 1839 Wagner fled Latvia, and the ship's crew's shouts against the Norwegian cliffs appear later in the The Flying Dutchman . In much the same way that the movie Amadeus made Mozart sexy for a new generation, this study rehumanizes opera. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published February 1, 1996

Reviews

[Shane Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book about the stories behind the scenes of the greatest composers and their most famous Operas!!

[Caroline Lipson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does a phenomenal job of explaining opera plots to the non-musician. Tying in aspects of history and politics, this book gives context to an otherwise very complex story of these various popular operas. A perfect mix of musicianship content with mainstream explanations.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although a tone-deaf non-musician, I nonetheless enjoy and appreciate all kinds of music. Opera has enthralled me in recent years, and we in St. Louis are fortunate to have three grand opera troupes plus The Met Live in HD at a local movie theatre. I gravitate toward every one of them, so of course I snatch any opera book I find. This one was great fun, as it lets the reader peek backstage and beyond.