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This study examines Louis-Ferdinand Hérold, whose famous works like the opera Zampa and the ballet La Fille mal gardée shaped the Romantic opéra-comique and ballet in 1820s Paris. Hérold sought greater Romantic depth without forfeiting a Gallic lightness of manner.
This study examines the life and work of Louis-Ferdinand Hérold (1791-1833), famous for the operas Marie (1826), Zampa (1831) and Le Pré aux clercs (1832), as well as for the ballets La Somnambule (1827) and La Fille mal gardée (1828). In these works, Hérold contributed to the flowering of the Romantic opéra-comique and the early Romantic ballet in Paris from the late 1820s. Hérold increased the importance of the orchestra and sought for greater depth of Romantic feeling without forfeiting a Gallic lightness of manner. Le Pré aux clercs became one of the most performed of all French operas. The composer’s biography and artistic achievements are considered. These are examined with contributions from the vibrant musical criticism of the contemporary Parisian press and the iconography associated with him.
This anthology of Ukrainian carols is a prism through which Ukraine’s history, culture, and vibrant spirit are revealed. It includes the original “Carol of the Bells,” music scores, translations, and the gripping narratives of choral activism that helped a nation survive.
Sonic Mediations is a collection of essays that invites readers to rethink mediation by examining the relationships between the body, sound, and technology. It addresses key questions about performance, perception, and the role of the listener.
Once a titan of opera, Giacomo Meyerbeer’s legacy was all but erased. Based on newly recovered private papers, this definitive biography reveals the man behind the myth, charting his downfall and modern rediscovery.
The first major book to apply the timely notion of “glocality” to music, it offers a distinctive theoretical perspective and advanced insights into how music is impacted by the interaction of global forces with local conditions.
This collection of essays provides valuable insights into the richness of sources dealing with music and musical performance scattered over 3000 years and covering a wide range of geographies, from Syria to Iberia, through Greece and Rome.
Ludwig Minkus is one of music’s biggest mysteries. An influential composer for Imperial Russia’s ballet, he was scorned by critics. Now his works Don Quixote and La Bayadère are taking the world by surprise. This study discovers the man behind the powerful music.
Pauline Viardot was a seminal 19th-century opera singer, composer, and teacher whose friends included Chopin, Liszt, and Wagner. Loved by Ivan Turgenev, she was a fascinating woman at the heart of her age. This volume covers her later years.
Esteemed composer Jennifer Higdon writes fascinating and profound choral music. This book explores her works, citing the extensive relationship of the music to the texts. It presents compositional characteristics, analysis, and insights directly from the composer.
The role of scents in opera and its influence on perfumery has long been neglected. In the first book-length study on the topic, Professor Mary May Robertson explores the previously undiscussed connection between the two, revealing their ultimate marriage in Operatic Perfumes.
Once regarded as a great figure of music, with an impact as great as Rossini’s, Daniel-François-Esprit Auber is now neglected. The time has come to reassess his life and work, especially his collaboration with master librettist Eugène Scribe, and hear his elegant music again.
This study examines symbolism throughout the history of opera, from its mythological roots to contemporary works. It analyzes how allegory, metaphor, and imagery impart the enduring mystic and meaning of this rich genre, while reflecting on its future.
Adolphe Adam is known for ‘O Holy Night’, but his legacy is much more. His ballet Giselle is the quintessence of Romanticism, while his opera Le Postillon de Lonjumeau is still played worldwide. This study considers the composer’s life, examining his 42 operas and 14 ballets.
Once the leader of the French school, composer Fromental Halévy is now a shadowy figure chiefly remembered for his grand tragic opera La Juive, a work exploring freedom, faith, and tolerance. This study illuminates his life and operas, examining each one’s origin and music.
An aspect of dying in opera rarely observed is Sudden Unexpected Death. This book explores 50 operas where deaths occur without obvious natural cause, often forming the epiphany of the story. It charts the influence of philosophy and medical science on these tragic denouements.
This study explores Meyerbeer’s dramatic and vocal genius through his German Singspiels and Parisian triumphs. His later works fuse captivating beauty with extreme virtuosity, reaching new heights of technical and dramaturgical refinement.
This study examines François-Adrien Boieldieu, composer of the masterpiece La Dame blanche. Collaborating with dramatist Eugène Scribe, he stimulated the flowering of the Romantic opéra-comique. Based on Sir Walter Scott, his work influenced composers across Europe, even Wagner.
Adolphe Adam is known for ‘O Holy Night’, but his legacy is much more. His ballet Giselle is the quintessence of Romanticism, while his opera Le Postillon de Lonjumeau is still played worldwide. This study considers the composer’s life, examining his 42 operas and 14 ballets.
Once the leader of the French school, composer Fromental Halévy is now a shadowy figure chiefly remembered for his grand tragic opera La Juive, a work exploring freedom, faith, and tolerance. This study illuminates his life and operas, examining each one’s origin and music.
This study examines François-Adrien Boieldieu, composer of the masterpiece La Dame blanche. Collaborating with dramatist Eugène Scribe, he stimulated the flowering of the Romantic opéra-comique. Based on Sir Walter Scott, his work influenced composers across Europe, even Wagner.
Once the leader of the French school of opera, admired by Wagner and Berlioz, Fromental Halévy is now remembered only for La Juive. This study throws light on this shadowy figure, examining his life, his many popular but forgotten operas, and their place in history.
While famous for ‘O Holy Night’, composer Adolphe-Charles Adam’s greatest achievement was ballet. His Giselle is the quintessence of Romanticism. This book examines his 14 works for the dance, charting the efflorescence of the Romantic ballet in Paris from 1830-1860.
