Opera Offstage: Passion and Politics Behind the Great Opera

by Milton E. Brener

Fleeing angry creditors in 1839, young Richard Wagner escapes from Latvia and stows away on a ship bound for Paris, pregnant wife and faithful dog in tow. The ship takes refuge from the stormy seas on a small Norwegian island, where echoes of the crew's shouts against the sheer granite cliffs strike a chord in Wagner, later resounding in the theme of the seamen's song in the 'Flying Dutchman'. This is just one of the intriguing tales behind the creation of 27 of our greatest operas which are brought to light in Opera Offstage. Why was the real author of Aida lost to Egyptian myth? Who was the inspiration for 'Carmen''s fiery heroine? Was there really a plot behine the hostile reception to 'Madame Butterfly'? All these mysteries, and many more, are solved in this collection of real-life stories. Passionate, whimsical, and often tragic as the operas themselves, they form a magnificent tribute to the great composers who are the glory of opera. 'Opera Offstage' offers new fans both an entertaining introduction to the classics and a fresh look at some of the old favorites for longlong aficionados. About the author Formerly a reviewer for Opera News and Opera Canada, Milton Brener lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1996

Reviews

[Shane Hill]

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

[Caroline Lipson]

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]

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.