Opera Classics Library A HISTORY of OPERA: Milestones and Metamorphoses -- About the Editor -- Title Page -- Opera Journeys publications -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Contents -- a Prelude -- Chapter One The Birth of Modern Opera: The First 150 Years - 1600 to 1750 -- Opera: What is it? -- The Genesis of Opera: a theory -- Opera's Precursors in Ancient Greece -- Musical Precursors of Opera -- Camerata: Early 17th century Florence -- The Myth of Orpheus -- Monteverdi: the first great opera composer -- Monteverdi's arioso -- Venetian School and Neapolitan Schools -- Metastasio: First Guidelines in the 18th century -- Chapter Two Handel and Baroque Opera -- Julius Caesar in Egypt -- Principal Characters in Julius Caesar -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- Act I: Outside Alexandria near a tributary of the Nile spanned by a bridge -- : A cedar grove with Mount Parnassus in the background -- :Act III: On the shore near Alexandria -- Chapter Three Gluck: Returning to Ideals -- Orfeo ed Euridice -- Principal Characters in Orfeo ed Euridice -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- : The tomb of Euridice in a valley in Thessaly -- The entrance to Tartaris. The river Styx flows in the distance -- : A wild region between the Elysian Fields and the human world -- Chapter Four French Baroque Opera: Lully and Rameau -- Chapter Five Mozart and the Classical Era -- The Marriage of Figaro -- Principal Characters in The Marriage of Figaro -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- Overture -- : A room in the Chateau assigned to Figaro and Susanna -- : The Countess's apartment -- Act III: A hall in Count Almaviva's chateau -- Act IV: The garden of the chateau -- Chapter Six Carl Maria von Weber: German Romanticism -- Der Freischutz -- Principal Characters in Der Freischutz.

Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- Overture -- Act I: An open area of the Bohemian forest before a tavern -- Act II - Scene 1: It is evening. A room in Cuno's ancient hunting lodge -- Act II - Scene 2: The Wolf's Glen at night -- Act III - Scene 1: In the forest -- Act III - Scene 2: Agathe's room. It is the day of her wedding -- Act III - Scene 3: A clearing in the wood, with Prince Ottakar's tent on one side -- Chapter Seven Rossini and Opera Buffa -- The Barber of Seville -- Principal Characters in The Barber of Seville -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- Overture -- Act I - Scene 1: A square in Seville just before dawn -- Act I - Scene 2: A room in the house of Dr. Bartolo -- Act II: The library in Dr. Bartolo's house -- Chapter Eight Romanticism in Italian Opera: Early 19th century -- Lucia di Lammermoor -- Principal Characters in Lucia di Lammermoor -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- Act I - Scene 1: "The Departure" The ground of the Ravenswood Castle -- Act I - Scene 2: A park at Lammermoor Castle with a fountain -- Act II - Scene 1: "The Marriage Contract" Lord Henry Ashton's apartments in Lammermoor Castle -- Act II - Scene 2: The Great Hall in Lammermoor Castle -- Act III - Scene 1: A dilapidated hall in the Ravenswood Castle -- Act III - Scene 2: The Great Hall at the Lammermoor Castle -- Act III - Scene 3: The Tombs at Ravenswood -- Chapter Nine French Grand Opera: 19th Century -- Chapter Ten Verdi: Towering Romantic Passions -- Rigoletto -- Principal Characters in Rigoletto -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- Prelude -- Act I - Scene 1: A salon in the Duke of Mantua's palace -- Act I - Scene 2: A dark and deserted street -- Act II: A drawing room in the Duke's palace.

Act III: Sparafucile's Inn on the deserted banks of the Mincio River -- Chapter Eleven The French Lyrique -- Faust -- Principal Characters in Faust -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- Act I - Scene 1: Faust's Study -- Act I - Scene 2: A public Square in the town -- Act II: The garden before Marguerite's house -- Act III - Scene 1: A church -- Act III - Scene 2: A square outside the Church -- Act IV - Scene 1: In the Harz Mountains -- Act IV - Scene 2: A prison -- Chapter Twelve Operetta -- Die Fledermaus -- Principal Characters in Die Fledermaus -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- Overture -- Act I: A room in Gabriel von Eisensteins's house that overlooks a garden -- Act II: The ballroom of Prince Orlofsky's mansion -- Act III: The city jail, early that morning -- Chapter Thirteen Wagner and Modern Music Drama -- Tristan and Isolde -- Principal Characters in Tristan and Isolde -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- The Prelude -- Act I: At sea, on the deck of Tristan's ship, during the crossing from Ireland. -- Act II: King Marke's castle in Cornwall -- Act III: Tristan's castle in Kareol, Brittany -- Chapter Fourteen Verdi and Italian Music Drama -- Otello -- Principal Chaaracters in Otello -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Historical background: 15th century Venice -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- Act I: The eastern Mediterranean island of Cypress toward the end of the fifteenth century -- Act II: A hall in the castle with a view of a garden terrace -- Act III: The great hall of the castle -- Act IV: Desdemona's bedroom -- Chapter Fifteen Opera and National Culture -- Boris Godunov -- Principal Characters in Boris Godunov -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- Prologue - Scene 1: Outside the Monastery of Novodievich near Moscow.

Prologue - Scene 2: Courtyard of the Kremlin - The Coronation of Boris -- Act I - Scene 1: A cell in the Monastery of Chudov -- Act I - Scene 2: An inn near the Lithuanian border -- Act II: The Tsar's apartments in the Kremlin -- Act III - Scene 1: Poland - Marina Mnischek's apartment in the Palace of Sandomir -- Act III - Scene 2: A moonlit evening in the garden of the Mnischek palace -- Act IV - Scene 1: The year 1605 - A square in fron of the Cathedral of St. Basil the blessed in Moscow -- Act IV - Scene 2: April 13, 1605 - The Granovitaya Hall in the Kremlin -- Act IV - Scene 3: A clearing in the forest near Kromy -- Chapter Sixteen Verismo: Truth and Realism -- Mascagni and Verismo -- Cavalleria Rusticana -- Principal Characters in Cavalleria Rusticana -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- Prelude -- A Sicilian village on Easter Sunday -- Chapter Seventeen Puccini and Italian Post-Romanticism -- La Boheme -- Principal Characters in La Boheme -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- Act I: Christmas Eve - A garret overlooking the snow-covered roofs of Paris -- Act II: The Latin Quarter and the Cafe Momus -- Act III: The Barriere d'Enfer, the snowy outskirts of Paris -- Act IV: The bohemians' garret, several weeks later -- Chapter Eighteen Debussy and Impressionism -- Pelleas et Melisande -- Principal Characters in Pelleas et Melisande -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- Prelude -- Act I - Scene 1: A stream in a forest -- Act I - Scene 2: A hall in the castle -- Act I - Scene 3: Outside the castle -- Act II - Scene 1: A spring in the castle park -- Act II - Scene 2: A room in the castle -- Act II - Scene 3: Outside the cave -- Act III - Scene 1: One of the towers of the castle -- Act III - Scene 3: The castle vaults -- Act III - Scene 3: Outside the castle.

Act IV - Scene 1: A room in the castle -- Act IV - Scene 2: By a well in the park -- Act IV - Scene 3: The same well in the park -- Act V: A bedroom in the castle -- Chapter Nineteen Richard Strauss: Expressionism -- Salome -- Principal Characters in Salome -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- Night. A terrace outside Herod's palace -- Chapter Twenty Berg: Atonal Expressionism -- Wozzeck -- Principal Characters in Wozzeck -- Brief Story Synopsis -- Story Narrative with Music Examples -- Act I - Scene 1: The Captain's room -- Act I - Scene 2: Outside the town. Late afternoon in an open field. -- Act I - Scene 3: Marie's room. Evening. -- Act I - Scene 4: The Doctor's study. A sunny afternoon. -- Act I - Scene 5: The street before Marie's house. Evening twilight. -- Act II - Scene 1: Marie's house. It is morning. -- Act II - Scene 2: The street. During the day. -- Act II - Scene 3: The street before Marie's house on a dreary day. -- Act II - Scene 4: Late evening at a tavern garden -- Act II - Scene 5: Soldiers' dormitory. It is night. -- Act III - Scene 1: Marie's room. It is night. -- Act III - Scene 2: A path in the forest by a pond. Twilight. -- Act III - Scene 3: Inside a dimly lit tavern. -- Act III - Scene 4: The forest path. Moonlit. -- Act III - Scene 5: A street before Marie's house. Children are playing. -- Chapter Twenty-One Opera: From the 20th Century -- Atonalism and Serialism -- The American Experience -- Post Modernism: Minimalism -- Transformations in the 1980s -- The Future -- Recommended Research Resources -- Dictionary of Opera and Musical Terms -- Index.