The Urbanization of Opera: Music Theater in Paris in the Nineteenth Century

by Anselm Gerhard, Anselm Gerhard

Anselm Gerhard explores the origins of grand opéra, arguing that its aesthetic innovations (both musical and theatrical) reflected not bourgeois tastes, but changes in daily life and psychological outlook produced by the rapid urbanization of Paris. These larger urban and social concerns—crucial to our understanding of nineteenth-century opera—are brought to bear in fascinating discussions of eight operas composed by Rossini, Auber, Meyerbeer, Verdi, and Louise Bertin.

"An invaluable look at this fascinating genre."—George W. Loomis, Opera News

526 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 1998

Reviews

[James]

Very dense and detailed work but highly informative and worthwhile even for a novice to the subject, even though it was very slow going for me to read.

I very much appreciated Gerhard's voice through this. It's rare in academic texts that prejudice in the source material is named but Gerhard not only clearly names antisemitism, misogyny, etc but situates the impact these had on the history he's writing. It was very refreshing.