
Opera as Art
Philosophical Sketches
Paul Thom(Author)
Lexington Books (Publisher)
Published on 21. September 2022
Book
Hardback
218 pages
978-1-6669-1423-8 (ISBN)
Description
In Opera as Art: Philosophical Sketches, Paul Thom argues for opera as an art, standing alongside other artforms that employ visual and sonic media to embody the great themes of human life. Thom contends that in great operatic art, the narrative and expressive content collaborate with the work's aesthetic qualities towards achieving this aim. This argument can be extended to modern operatic productions. At their best, these stagings are works of art in themselves, whether they give faithful renditions of the operas they stage and whether their aims go beyond interpretation to commentary and critique. This book is a philosophical introduction to the key practices that comprise the world of opera: the making of the work; its interpretation by directors, critics, and spectators; and the making of an operatic production. Opera has always existed in a context of philosophical ideas, and this book is written for opera-lovers who would like to learn something about that philosophical context.
Reviews / Votes
This valuable and very readable book offers a compelling philosophical account of opera as artwork and supports it with detailed case studies of major operas from Monteverdi's Orfeo to Berg's Wozzeck. Each opera is studied in relation to a selected modern production, and the author's evaluations of these are fascinating. -- Michael Ewans, University of Newcastle AustraliaMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
2 b/w illustrations;
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
511 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-6669-1423-8 (9781666914238)
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
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
04/2024
1st Edition
Lexington Books
€33.49
Available for download
Person
Paul Thom is a philosopher-musician and adjunct professor in the School of Philosophical Inquiry at the University of Sydney and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.
Content
Chapter One. Speech, Harmony, Rhythm
Chapter Two. Representing the Marvellous
Chapter Three. A Gallery of Affects
Chapter Four. A World of Terror and Laughter
Chapter Five. The Power of the Crescendo
Chapter Six. The Aesthetic Attitude
Chapter Seven. Sublime Diversions
Chapter Eight. A Grand Comic Opera
Chapter Nine. Shock and Sentiment
Chapter Ten. The Limits of Expressibility
Chapter Eleven. The Limits of Tonality
Chapter Twelve. The Uncanny
Chapter Two. Representing the Marvellous
Chapter Three. A Gallery of Affects
Chapter Four. A World of Terror and Laughter
Chapter Five. The Power of the Crescendo
Chapter Six. The Aesthetic Attitude
Chapter Seven. Sublime Diversions
Chapter Eight. A Grand Comic Opera
Chapter Nine. Shock and Sentiment
Chapter Ten. The Limits of Expressibility
Chapter Eleven. The Limits of Tonality
Chapter Twelve. The Uncanny