Opera and ideas
Subtitle: from Mozart to Strauss
By: Paul A. Robinson.
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Harper & Row
Published: 1985
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 279
Subjects: Opera -- Europe.; Operas -- History and criticism.; Song cycles -- History and criticism.; Europe -- Intellectual life.
Description: In this thoughtful study, historian and opera lover Robinson relates music to the history of ideas by analyzing several major operas: The Marriage of Figaro, The Barber of Seville, Les Troyens, Don Carlo, Die Meistersinger, and Der Rosenkavalier. He also considers two Schubert song cycles. Robinson's thesis is that composers' attitudes toward society, philosophy, and politics have influenced the musical/dramatic structure of many operas.
Notes: Includes index.