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Sing Sorrow Classics, History, and Heroines in Opera
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Marianne McDonald
ISBN: 0-313-31567-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-313-31567-1
360 pages
Praeger Publishers
Publication: 9/30/2001
List Price: $119.95 (UK Sterling Price: £82.95)
Availability: In Stock
Media Type: Hardcover
Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
Subjects:
Description: Opera has often used classical literature as a means of expressing the most vital concerns of the period in which the operas were written. Sing Sorrow explores the classical roots of many noted operas, illustrating the ways in which the operas reflected the political concerns of their time through these ancient narratives. In particular, though female opera characters are often regarded as victims, they are actually quite heroic, frequently shaping their own destinies.

Each chapter provides background and historical context, examines the relationship between the opera and the original work of literature, and suggests what the music contributes to the interpretation. Through the lens of the classics, Sing Sorrow approaches opera from a unique aesthetic and cultural standpoint, giving a new perspective to both opera and its literary and dramatic ancestors.
Table of Contents:
  • Prelude
    The Birth of Opera and Transmission of Classics
    Monteverdi's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria: Heroism at Home
    Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas: Witches and Weddings
    Mozart's Idomeneo, re di Creta: The King of the Day
    Berlioz's Les Troyens: Making the Romans Romantic
    Strauss's Elektra: A Father's Daughter
    Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex: The King in a Trap
    The Gospel at Colonus: Black Pearls and Greek Diamonds
    Theodorakis and Euripides' Medea: The Wife and Mother from Hell
    Coda
    Selected Bibliography on Music
    Index
About the Author: MARIANNE MCDONALD is Professor of Theatre and Classics at the University of California, San Diego, and a member of the Royal Irish Academy. She was a Fulbright professor in 1999 and in addition to her post at UCSD, is adjunct professor at Trinity College Dublin and a fellow at the National University of Ireland. With over 140 publications, she is the author of Terms for Happiness in Euripides, Euripides in Cinema, Ancient Sun/Modern Light, and Star Myths.
LCC Class: 782
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