Opera A History in Documents

In this unique anthology of primary source material, Piero Weiss presentsa wide-ranging, vivid, and carefully researched tour of operatic history. Thechronologically organized selections include 115 passages--private letters,portions of libretti, literary criticism, satire, and poetry--from opera's lateRenaissance infancy through modern times. This first-hand testimony allowsstudents to experience the history of opera as eyewitnesses, offering animmediacy and validity unmatched by standard histories. Readers will betransported to a Medici wedding in sixteenth century Florence, to the HaymarketTheatre for a performance of Handel's Rinaldo, to Mozart at work on DieEntfuhrung aus dem Serail, and to Bertoldt Brecht's writing desk, among manyother landmarks in opera's history. Weiss expertly guides students, providinghighly accessible introductions to each section that both contextualize theexcerpts and position them within the broader historical narrative. In addition,he offers original translations of more than half of the material in the book,many of which appear here in English for the first time. Stage settings,costumes, portraits, contemporary playbills, and other illustrations enliven thetext and help to recreate the feel of the era under discussion. Opera: A Historyin Documents is an intrinsically lively text that will enrich college courses onopera and delight any music-loving reader.