| Review |
From Lully to Poulenc and beyond, via Rameau, Bizet, Gounod, Massenet and Debussy, with excursions to Belle epoque operetta, French verismo and contemporary avant-garde composers like Saariaho, this book illuminates the story of the most continuously vital operatic tradition in the world. French opera is second only to Italian opera in the length, breadth and diversity of its history. Yet most people if asked to come up with titles, could mention only a handful--Carmen, Faust, Pelleas et Melisande, Samson et Dalila--a small list for an operatic tradition that began in the seventeenth century and is still very much alive. This book provides a full, single-volume account of opera in France from its origins to the present day. The author looks at the leading composers, from Lully to Messiaen and beyond; at the development of French operatic form and style; at performance, performers and audience; and at the impact of French opera beyond France's borders. |
