"An Introduction to the Dramatic Works of Giacomo Meyerbeer: Operas, Ballets, Cantatas, Plays "

"An Introduction to the Dramatic Works of Giacomo Meyerbeer: Operas, Ballets, Cantatas, Plays "
ISBN-10
1351576631
ISBN-13
9781351576635
Category
Music
Pages
270
Language
English
Published
2017-07-05
Publisher
Routledge
Author
Robert Ignatius Letellier

Description

Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864) was a great musical dramatist in his own right. The fame of his operas rests on his radical treatment of form, his development of scenic complexes and greater plasticity of structure and melody, his dynamic use of the orchestra, and close attention to all aspects of presentation and production, all of which set new standards in Romantic opera and dramaturgy. This book carries forward the process of rediscovery and reassessment of Meyerbeer?s art ?including not just his famous French operas, but also his German and Italian ones?placing them in the context of his entire dramatic oeuvre, including his ballets, oratorios, cantatas and incidental music. From Meyerbeer?s first stage presentation in 1810 to his great posthumous accolade in 1865, some 24 works mark the unfolding of this life lived for dramatic music. The reputation of the famous four grand operas may well live on in the public consciousness, but the other works remain largely unknown. This book provides an approachable introduction to them. The works have been divided into their generic types for quick reference and helpful association, and placed within the context of the composer?s life and artistic development. Each section unfolds a brief history of the work?s origins, an account of the plot, a critical survey of some of its musical characteristics, and a record of its performance history. Robert Letellier examines each work from a dramaturgical view point, including the essential?often challenging?philosophical and historical elements in the scenarios, and how these concepts were translated musically onto the stage. A series of portraits and stage iconography assist in bringing the works to life.

Similar books

  • An Introduction to the Dramatic Works of Giacomo Meyerbeer: Operas, Ballets, Cantatas, Plays
    By Robert Ignatius Letellier

    This book provides an approachable introduction to them. The works have been divided into their generic types for quick reference and helpful association, and placed within the context of the composer‘s life and artistic development.

  • Book Review Index 2009: Cumulation
    By Dana Ferguson

    Book Review Index provides quick access to reviews of books, periodicals, books on tape and electronic media representing a wide range of popular, academic and professional interests. The up-to-date coverage,...

  • The Operas of Giacomo Meyerbeer
    By Robert Ignatius Letellier

    But these operas are far more than imitations: they show an apprehension of convention and genre that is nothing less than a dismantling of accepted formulas, and a highly original reconstruction of them."--Jacket.

  • An Introduction to His Piano Works
    By Willard A. Palmer, Bela Bartok

    This volume contains 31 pieces from The First Term at the Piano, For Children, 10 Easy Pieces and 7 Sketches. The informative foreword includes Bartók's specific instructions on wrist and finer action, articulations and syncopation.

  • The Bible in Music
    By Robert Ignatius Letellier

    ... Giulio) Il Sant'Eustachio (Mazzocchi) S. Giovanni Battista (Stradella, Alessandro) S. Giovanni Crisostomo (Stradella, ... Charles) Sainte Cécile (Lefebvre, Charles Edmond) Saint Cecilia (Benedict, Julius) Sainte-Cécile (Monfort, ...

  • The English Novel, 1660-1700: An Annotated Bibliography
    By Robert Ignatius Letellier

    With the exception of Bunyan and Aphra Behn, most of the novelists of this period have received relatively little attention. Thus, this book will be a valuable guide for scholars conducting research in this growing area of interest.

  • The English Novel, 1700-1740: An Annotated Bibliography
    By Robert Ignatius Letellier

    Morality came to the picaresque novel in great doses , and set a pattern that was to last into the 19c . 764 PIPER , Wiliam Bowman . Common courtesy in eighteenth - century English literature . Newark and London : Assoc .

  • Meyerbeer Studies: A Series of Lectures, Essays, and Articles on the Life and Work of Giacomo Meyerbeer
    By Robert Ignatius Letellier

    Now he is unknown to the ordinary opera lover. These essays represent something of an odyssey to seek out and know the shadowy figure behind so much divided opinion and long neglect.

  • Giacomo Meyerbeer: A Reader
    By Robert Ignatius Letellier

    Finally, it surveys the critical rediscovery that was initiated by the bicentenary of his birth in 1991, a process that is still developing apace.The Reader also presents a series of portraits of the composer, and some images from his ...