Handel's Operas, 1726-1741
Winton Dean
Handel ranks with Monteverdi, Mozart and Verdi among the supreme masters of opera, yet between 1754 (when Handel was still living) and 1920 not one of his operas was performed anywhere. Their revival in the modern theatre has been among the most remarkable phenomena in the history of the art. But they are still too little understood, or studied, and until recently no reliable modern editions existed.
This long-awaited book is the sequel to Handel's Operas 1704-1726, published in 1987. It is the first study in depth of Handel's last twenty-two operas, including major masterpieces such as Orlando, Ariodante and Alcina and the brilliant lighter works Partenope, Serse and Imeneo. Each chapter contains a full synopsis and study of the libretto, a detailed assessment of the opera's musical and (often misunderstood) dramatic qualities, a performance history, and comparison of the different versions.
Much new material has been incorporated. In addition four general chapters throw a vivid light on the historical background. Two Epilogues touch on Handel's dramatic vision, the revival of his operas in the twentieth century, and their performance today. There are a number of valuable Appendices. Together with its predecessor, the book provides the first complete overview of these works.
WINTON DEAN is the most distinguished British authority on the life and work of Handel; he has also written extensively on opera in general.
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DETAILS
17 b/w illustrations
608 pages
Size: 23.4 x 15.6 cm
13 digit ISBN: 9781843832683
Binding: Hardback
First published: 14/Dec/2006
Last printed: 25/Sep/2008
Price: 95.00 USD / 49.95 GBP
Imprint: Boydell Press
BIC class: ATGS
STATUS: Available
Details updated on 05/01/2009
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Reviews
No one writes better on Handel. No one has so sure a hotline to the whole range of his characters, in their strengths and weaknesses (and for Dean, the heart of the operas is character)...We are fortunate to have Dean's erudite and enthusiastic advocacy of these splendid works. Handel's Operas provides essential reading for scholars, a warning for directors, information for opera-goers...and a source of great pleasure for anyone interested in 18th century culture. A delight. MUSICAL TIMES [Patricia Howard]
Dean's book is clearly outstanding, and is essential reading for anyone who wants to discover almost everything there is to know about these fascinating works. SUNDAY TIMES [Hugh Canning]
The writing is throughout an object lesson to those who with half (or less) of Dean's scholarly knowledge would blind us with obtuse and convoluted language. It is this above all that will surely ensure Handel's Operas a place on the shelves of the general enthusiast...The completion of a near-lifetime of scholarship, it is a cause for profound gratitude and the heartiest of congratulations. GOLDBERG [Brian Robins]
No music library or ardent Handelian should be without it. But one can't help feeling that the general reader too, dipping into...Handel's Operas, now has access to an unparalleled account of Handel's uniquely creative years on the stage. BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE [5 Stars]
It is not fanciful to insist that without Winton Dean's invaluable devotion to Handel scholarship many of his subsequent colleagues would have remained fumbling in the dark for decades. GRAMOPHONE [David Vickers]
An important book - a minor miracle. OPERA
There are riches in this book...Again and again Dean's descriptions leap off the page with a vividness that compels attention. The reader is gripped not only by the elegance and wit of his style but also by the sense that this writer...is truly a man of the theatre. EARLY MUSIC TODAY
Monumental, encyclopedic, indispensable, not-to-be-superseded...essential reading. EARLY MUSIC
Can be unhesitatingly recommended as the definitive study of the subject. CLASSICAL NET REVIEW
Dean's accomplishment is extraordinary , and his work is of monumental significance. NOTES
Dean's comments...are illuminating and often powerfully evocative...This book and its predecessor are a remarkable achievement. MUSIC & LETTERS
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