
The Performed Bible
The Story of Ruth in Opera and Oratorio
Helen Leneman(Author)
Sheffield Phoenix Press
Published on 4. April 2007
Book
Hardback
276 pages
978-1-905048-56-4 (ISBN)
Description
The Bible and Western culture is a burgeoning area of interest in recent scholarship, but comparatively little has been written on the Bible and music. Leneman's is a groundbreaking work, making some pioneering forays across an important interdisciplinary divide.
The Performed Bible is an in-depth study of the librettos and music of 12 operas and oratorios on the story of Ruth from the last two centuries, establishing the potential of music, as a kind of midrash, for transforming a Bible text, its narrative and its characterization. The book includes detailed analyses of musical segments, the author being a cantor and professional musician in whose Jewish tradition biblical texts are chanted, not read.
This fresh and insightful work will no doubt prove attractive to biblical scholars, to musicians and to music lovers generally.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Sheffield
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
ill
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
581 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-905048-56-4 (9781905048564)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Helen Leneman is a biblical scholar as well as a singer and pianist. She has written numerous books about the Bible in music. She now resides in London, where she and her partner moved to be close to their daughter and her family.