Bd. 2: Musical examples.

Bd. 2: Musical examples.

This study of Vivaldi's late operas grew out of an interest not so much in Vivaldi but in Baroque opera in general. On examining the position of research into this genre a few years ago, it appeared that most of the important composers in this field had been investigated to some degree, with the exception of Vivaldi. As Mario Rinaldi has shown in his survey of Vivaldi research, the vocal works were neglected until the last few years, and despite the impetus provided by the tercentenary of his birth in 1978, the balance has not yet been restored. Considering the popularity of his instrumental works, it seemed rather unfair that his theatrical music should be virtually ignored (an interesting comparison can be made here with Haydn), and so the present work aims to throw some light onto this side of his activities. For practical reasons it was impossible to take into account all the surviving operatic fragments scattered throughout the libraries of Europe. However, as all the most important manuscripts are housed in Turin, these formed the basis of this study, with the addition of six arias from Ercole su'l Termodonte in a manuscript in the Bibliothèque du Conservatoire National de Musique, Paris. Further restrictions, however, were still necessary, and so, as many of the later works use librettos by leading figures such as Zeno and Metastasio, these mature operas, dating from 1727 onwards, seemed the most obvious on which to concentrate. One opera, Griselda, has been singled out for particular attention on account of the available information concerning the adaptation of Zeno's libretto, and Vivaldi's score of this work has recently been reproduced in the Garland Series of facsimiles of Italian opera. Most of the work that has been done on the operas so far has tended to approach them from the point of view of the concertos, constantly drawing parallels between the two styles. There are, obviously, many connections, but, for the most part, this investigation has tried to view them as dramatic works in their own right--the way in which Vivaldi, as a man of the theatre, would surely have regarded them. --from Preface.

The Vivaldi Compendium represents the latest in Vivaldi research, drawing on the author's close involvement with Vivaldi and Venetian music over four decades.

From the New York Times review of the Dallas Opera's performance of Orlando furioso and the international symposium on Baroque opera: ". . . it was a serious, thoughtful, consistent and imaginative realization of a beautiful, long-neglected work, one that fully deserved all the loving attention it received. As such, the production and its attendant symposium made a positive contribution to the cause of Baroque opera . . . . " Baroque opera experienced a revival in the late twentieth century. Its popularity, however, has given rise to a number of perplexing and exciting questions regarding literary sources, librettos, theater design, set design, stage movement, and costumes—even the editing of the operas. In 1980, the Dallas Opera produced the American premier of Vivaldi's Orlando furioso, which met with much acclaim. Concurrently an international symposium on the subject of Baroque opera was held at Southern Methodist University. Authorities from around the world met to discuss the operatic works of Vivaldi, Handel, and other Baroque composers as well as the characteristics of the genre. Michael Collins and Elise Kirk, deputy chair and chair of the symposium, edited the papers to produce this groundbreaking study, which will be of great interest to music scholars and opera lovers throughout the world. Contributors to Opera and Vivaldi include Shirley Wynne, John Walter Hill, Andrew Porter, Eleanor Selfridge-Field, Howard Mayer Brown, William Holmes, Ellen Rosand, and the editors.

When first published in 1947, A Short History of Opera immediately achieved international status as a classic in the field. Now, more than five decades later, this thoroughly revised and expanded fourth edition informs and entertains opera lovers just as its predecessors have. The fourth edition incorporates new scholarship that traces the most important developments in the evolution of musical drama. After surveying anticipations of the operatic form in the lyric theater of the Greeks, medieval dramatic music, and other forerunners, the book reveals the genre's beginnings in the seventeenth century and follows its progress to the present day. A Short History of Opera examines not only the standard performance repertoire, but also works considered important for the genre's development. Its expanded scope investigates opera from Eastern European countries and Finland. The section on twentieth-century opera has been reorganized around national operatic traditions including a chapter devoted solely to opera in the United States, which incorporates material on the American musical and ties between classical opera and popular musical theater. A separate section on Chinese opera is also included. With an extensive multilanguage bibliography, more than one hundred musical examples, and stage illustrations, this authoritative one-volume survey will be invaluable to students and serious opera buffs. New fans will also find it highly accessible and informative. Extremely thorough in its coverage, A Short History of Opera is now more than ever the book to turn to for anyone who wants to know about the history of this art form.