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.

Professor Fulcher argues that French grand opera was a subtly used tool of the state.

Biography of André Chénier, a French poet of Greek and Franco-Levantine origin, associated with the events of the French Revolution.

Why do so many operas end in suicide, murder, and death? Why do many characters in large-scale operas exhibit neurotic behaviors worthy of psychoanalysis? Why are the legendary grands operas - much celebrated in their time - so seldom performed today?