W. A. Mozart: Idomeneo (Cambridge Opera Handbooks) - Softcover

Rushton, Julian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521437415 ISBN 13: 9780521437417

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1993

Synopsis

Idomeneo, by common consent Mozart's greatest opera seria, is a rich synthesis of the dramatic potentialities of Italian opera seria, French tragédie lyrique, and recent German opera. It was composed for the finest orchestra in Germany and some excellent singers. Mozart's relish of the challenge and his problems with some performers and the bureaucracy are uniquely documented in his letters home and these form the basis of a vivid account of the genesis of the opera. A detailed synopsis relates the musical and dramatic action of the opera. Further chapters trace the historical development of its subject matter 'from myth to libretto' and chart the opera's performance history, including a description of Richard Strauss's 1931 reworking. Later chapters consider the opera's general structure and the musical forms, and analyse passages of particular interest.

About this title

Book Description:

Mozart's greatest opera seria was composed for the finest orchestra in Germany as well as excellent singers. Based on the composer's own accounts in his letters, this comprehensive guide charts the genesis of the opera and includes a detailed synopsis of its plot.

About the Author:

Julian Rushton is Emeritus Professor of Music at the University of Leeds (UK) and Chairman of the Editorial Committee of Musica Britannica.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0521437415
• ISBN 13: 9780521437417
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 200