The Cambridge Companion to Grand Opera

by David Charlton (Editor)

This 2003 Companion is a fascinating and accessible exploration of the world of grand opera. Through this volume a team of scholars and writers on opera examine those important Romantic operas which embraced the Shakespearean sweep of tragedy, history, love in time of conflict, and the struggle for national self-determination. Rival nations, rival religions and violent resolutions are common elements, with various social or political groups represented in the form of operatic choruses. The book traces the origins and development of a style created during an increasingly technical age, which exploited the world-renowned skills of Parisian stage-designers, artists, and dancers as well as singers. It analyses in detail the grand operas by Rossini, Auber, Meyerbeer and Halévy, discusses grand opera in Russia and Germany, and also in the Czech lands, Italy, Britain and the Americas. The volume also includes an essay by the renowned opera director David Pountney.

Genres: Music

522 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 4, 2003

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This set of essays defines grand opera as a sub-genre that flourished in France in the middle of the 19th century. These works usually had five acts, included dance, and featured a plot that involved the characters' personal lives getting swept up in big historical events. Typical grand operas include most of Meyerbeer and Auber's works, plus Rossini's William Tell. Each chapter takes on an aspect of grand opera, a specific slice of the repertoire, or grand opera's influence and legacy outside of France and on later composers.
One of the things I liked best about this book is the way the specificity of its definition of grand opera allowed it to cover a wide range of topics. I especially enjoyed the first section, which delved into how grand opera was put together and produced and the ways it interacted with the state and literature. I also enjoyed the exploration of grand opera outside of France. I would have liked a chapter or two that examined the state of grand opera in the late 20th century and how more recent operas have interacted with its legacy.