Reading Critics Reading
Opera and Ballet Criticism in France from the Revolution to 1848
Published on 14. June 2001
Book
Hardback
282 pages
978-0-19-816697-9 (ISBN)
Description
This book is among the first to examine French opera and ballet criticism during the first half of the nineteenth century both as a historical and a literary phenomenon. It thus provides a new and badly needed perspective for scholars and other commentators who have often been willing to treat the journalistic responses to such musical genres chiefly as a simple source of factual information. The essays, taken from a conference in Oxford in 1996, explore the kinds of problem encountered and the types of methodology that might be employed in trying to interpret these critical responses; they throw light on such aspects as the cultural attitudes underlying the writers' rhetoric, the aesthetic stances and ideological agendas at play, and how modes of production influenced content.
Reviews / Votes
... important collection of essays ... the collection offers a rich, nuanced picture of French music and culture 'from the Revolution to 1848'... the essays are strong scholarly contributions that realize the major goal of enriching and 'complicating' the historical picture - and they do so with thoughtfulness and imagination. * Nineteenth-Century Music Review * ... this volume offers informative insights not only into critical writings of the nineteenth century but also into the variety of methodological approaches reception studies may take. In both domains, its contribution is welcome. * Music and Letters * ... although this volume may be read entirely and easily as an enjoyable pastime, more often it engages with notions of spectatorship, interpretation, and agenda that can seem as vibrant in the contributed articles as in their historical focuses. * Music and Letters * ... interesting insights. * Opera Now * This book's view from multiple perspectives must enrich future historical narratives of the most vital musical scene in Europe. * BBC Music Magazine *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
11 music examples
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 163 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
552 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-816697-9 (9780198166979)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Content
CONTRIBUTORS; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; INTRODUCTION; I: READING CRITICS; II: READING GRAND OPERA; III: READING BALLET; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX