Opera: A History in Documents

by Piero Weiss

Richly textured, extravagantly colorful, and filled with larger-than-life characters, the history of opera is as mesmerizing and commanding as opera itself. And no art form benefits more from being seen from the inside out--through eye-witness accounts of singers, composers, librettists,
critics, historians, patrons, satirists, impresarios, designers, performers, and others--than opera.
Now, in A History in Documents , Piero Weiss presents a sweeping, vivid, and carefully researched tour of operatic history. The chronologically organized primary sources include 115 passages--private letters, portions of libretti, literary criticism, satire, and poetry--from opera's late
Renaissance infancy through modern times. This first-hand testimony allows readers to experience the history of opera as eyewitnesses, offering an immediacy and validity unmatched by standard histories. Opera lovers will be transported to a Medici wedding in sixteenth century Florence, to the
Haymarket Theatre for a performance of Handel's Rinaldo , to Mozart at work on Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail , and to Bertolt Brecht's writing desk, among many other landmarks in opera's history. Weiss expertly guides readers, providing highly accessible introductions to each section that both
contextualize the excerpts and position them within the broader historical narrative. In addition, Weiss offers original translations of more than half of the material in the book, many of them appearing in English for the first time. Stage settings, costumes, portraits, contemporary playbills, and
other illustrations enliven the text and help to recreate the feel of the era under discussion.
Perfect for opera aficionados, A History in Documents offers a uniquely exciting entrée into the origins and development of one of our most enduring art forms.

Genres: History, Music, Academic, Nonfiction

352 pages, Hardcover

First published February 7, 2002

Reviews

[Rob Brethouwer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.613 stars. A history presented through essays, letters, reviews, and general analysis. An excellent linear view of opera.

[AskHistorians]

This is an anthology of over 100 primary source documents on opera, all transcribed and translated into English so it's easy as pie to use, along with a paragraph or two of historical context and introduction for each entry to help you understand the document. Great resource for both casual-to-advanced opera history buffs or students looking to write a paper who need primary sources that are easy to use and cite all in one place.

[Cordelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some really interesting documents in here which can provide additional layers of understanding for favorite operas.