From the Score to the Stage: An Illustrated History of Continental Opera Production and Staging
As lavish as a grand opera production, this oversize volume looks at the continuing evolution of opera production and staging. Drawing on an array of primary sources found in libraries and archives in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.S., along with a wealth of secondary sources from the literature of opera production and related subjects, Baker’s research and experience as a stagehand, dramaturge, stage director, educator, and curator combine to form a unique perspective. From opera’s origins, in the court celebrations of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, to developments and innovations in opera staging, scenery, direction, librettos, costumes, theaters, and lighting in the past three centuries, the story of this complex (and sometimes contentious) art form is recounted clearly and crisply. The contributions of a wide variety of prominent figures in the world of opera—from composers to theater architects and stage designers—are set in the context of their times, accompanied by scores of period drawings, design sketches, and production photographs.With 2013 the year of the Verdi and Wagner bicentenaries, the discussions of their contributions will be of particular interest. The last two chapters, covering the periods from 1900 to 1945 and 1945 to 1976, respectively, offer insightful reflections on the intersection of theater architecture and technology. Collections serving music scholars and serious opera fans will want to add this title to their repertoires. --Carolyn Mulac