| Series |
Eastman studies in music ; v. 96
Eastman studies in music ; v. 96. ^A494093
|
| Contents |
Introduction: genres of opera, styles of dance -- Handel's operas of the 1710s -- The Royal Academy operas -- Handel and the London theater, 1729-35 -- Theatrical dance and opera in London, 1735-55 -- The French connection -- Pastoral versus heroic: Handel's operas with dance -- Epilogue: opera dance in a changing marketplace. |
| Abstract |
Handel set himself apart from his contemporaries by employing choreographed instrumental music to complement and reinforce the emotional impact of his operas. Of his fifty-three operas, no fewer than fourteen--including ten written for the London stage--feature dances. This book explores the relationship between music, drama, and dance in these London works, dispelling the notion that dance was a largely peripheral element in Italian-language operas prior to those of Gluck. Taking a chronological approach, the author examines operas written throughout various periods in Handel's life, beginning with his early London operas, including his time at the Royal Music Academy and the "Sallé" operas of the 1730s, and concluding with his unstaged dramatic opera Alceste (1750). In considering the various influences on Handel (particularly the London stage), the author blends analysis of information from eighteenth-century treatises with that found in more modern studies, offering an informed and imaginative understanding of the role dance played in the work of this major figure--one who remained responsive throughout his career to the vital and innovative theatrical environment in which he worked. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 234-254) and index. |
| LCCN | 2012046475 |
| ISBN | 9781580464208 (hardcover : alkaline paper) |
| ISBN | 1580464203 (hardcover : alkaline paper) |
| Standard identifier# |
40022034028 |
