Grand opera : the story of the Met

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Title:

Grand opera : the story of the Met

Author:

Affron, Charles, author.

Affron, Mirella Jona, 1937- author.

Contents:

A matter of boxes, 1883-1884 : bel canto -- Cultural capital, 1884-1903 : the German seasons and French opera -- Opera wars, 1903-1908 : Parsifal, Salome, and the Manhattan Opera Company -- Modernity, 1908-1929 : Puccini -- Hard times, 1929-1940 : Wagner -- Strains of war, 1940-1950 : the conductor's opera -- Stage business, 1950-1966 : Verdi -- In transit, 1966-1975 : American opera -- Maestro Assoluto, 1975-1990 : twentieth-century European opera and the Baroque -- Patronage and Perestroika, 1990-2006 : American opera (redux) and Slavic opera -- In the age of new media, 2006-2013.

Physical Description:

xviii, 449 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Corporate Subject:

Metropolitan Opera (New York, N.Y.) -- History.

Author(s):

Affron, Mirella Jona, 1937-

Publisher:

University of California Press,

Publication Date:

2014

ISBN:

9780520250338

Publication Information:

2014

Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2014]

Call Number:

792.5 AFFRON

Holds: Copies:

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Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607002903204	Adult Nonfiction	792.5 AFFRON	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

The Metropolitan has stood among the grandest of opera companies since its birth in 1883. Tracing the offstage/onstage workings of this famed New York institution, Charles Affron and Mirella Jona Affron tell how the Met became and remains a powerful actor on the global cultural scene. In this first new history of the company in thirty years, each of the chronologically sequenced chapters surveys a composer or a slice of the repertoire and brings to life dominant personalities and memorable performances of the time. From the opening night Faust to the recent controversial production of Wagner's "Ring," Grand Opera is a remarkable account of management and audience response to the push and pull of tradition and reinvention. Spanning the decades between the Gilded Age and the age of new media, this story of the Met concludes by tipping its hat to the hugely successful "Live in HD" simulcasts and other twenty-first-century innovations. Grand Opera 's appeal extends far beyond the large circle of opera enthusiasts. Drawing on unpublished documents from the Metropolitan Opera Archives, reviews, recordings, and much more, this richly detailed book looks at the Met in the broad context of national and international issues and events.

Author Notes

Charles Affron is a professor of French at New York University. He is the author of "Sets in Motion", "Cinema & Sentiment", "Divine Garbo", & "Star Acting: Gish, Garbo, Davis". He lives in New York City.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (1)

Library Journal Review

Between its first season in 1883 and the spring season of 2013, the Metropolitan Opera presented 290 different operas in some 28,000 performances. With nearly as many characters and plot twists as the productions seen on its stage, this title is full of the intrigues, tyrants, divas, and tenors that make up the history of the Met. Each chapter shines a spotlight on a particular area of the repertoire, such as French opera, the works of Puccini, American opera, etc. The Affrons (Best Years; Sets in Motion) include 20 tables of data listing the details of every Met production up to spring 2013, such as the opera's title, composer, director, and designer; dates of Met premieres and the most recent Met production; and the total number of productions and performances there. The final chapter considers the impact of new media, in particular the Met's "Live in HD" simulcasts. VERDICT Drawn from the institution's archives and a wealth of other sources, this comprehensive work is a welcome addition to the annals of opera history. Opera fans will feast on the facts and famous figures that fill these pages.-Carolyn M. Mulac, Chicago (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

List of Illustrations	p. ix
Preface	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xvii
1 A Matter of Boxes, 1883-1884: Bel Canto	p. 1
2 Cultural Capital, 1884-1903: The German Seasons and French Opera	p. 24
3 Opera Wars, 1903-1908: Parsifal, Salome, and the Manhattan Opera Company	p. 53
4 Modernity, 1908-1929: Puccini	p. 76
5 Hard Times, 1919-1940: Wagner	p. 112
6 Strains of War, 1940-1950: The Conductor's Opera	p. 156
7 Stage Business, 1950-1966: Verdi	p. 182
8 In Transit, 1966-1975: American Opera	p. 227
9 Maestro Assoluto, 1975-1990: Twentieth-Century European Opera and the Baroque	p. 269
10 Patronage and Perestroika, 1990-2006: American Opera (Redux) and Slavic Opera	p. 309
11 In the Age of New Media, 2006-2013	p. 349
Notes	p. 393
Index of Names, Titles, and Foreign-Language Musical Terms	p. 427

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Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (1)

Library Journal Review

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