Mozart-Da Ponte Operas: The Cultural and Musical Background to Le Nozze Di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosi Fan Tutte

ISBN-13: 9780198162216 / Angielski / Miękka / 1990 / 304 str.

Andrew Steptoe

Opis

Mozart's collaborations with the librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte led to the composition of three of the great masterpieces of opera. This book, designed to guide the reader to a deeper understanding and appreciation of these enigmatic works, charts the musical, cultural, and social context in which they were written--the tastes and expectations of the contemporary opera audience, Mozart's intentions and aspirations in a period of rapid intellectual and political change, Da Ponte's views of opera, and the practical logistics of opera production at the time. Together, these strands provide illuminating insights into Mozart's creative process and the functions of eighteenth-century opera.

Recenzje

He writes well, and the opening chapters on cultural context provide interesting and perinent material.

Spis treści

The social context: Vienna and her ruler; Musicians, opera, and audience in Mozart's time; Mozart and Vienna; Mozart and his personal circle; Da Ponte and the Buffa plot; Cosi fan tutte and contemporary morality; Mozart and Opera Buffa; Drama and musical form in Le nozze di Figaro; Don Giovanni: musical form and dramatic cohesion; Cosi fan tutte; Epilogue; Appendix: casts of characters, plot synopses, and musical outlines for the three operas