The Operatic State: Cultural Policy and the Opera House

Since its beginnings in the ducal palaces of 16th century Italy, opera has served not only as the patrician art form par excellence but just as importantly as an arena of civic performance. The Operatic State examines the cultural, financial, and political investments that have gone into the maintenance of opera and opera houses across Italy, France, Russia, the United States, Australia and the UK, and which have led to opera's nearly immutable form throughout wars, revolutions, and vast social changes throughout the world. Bereson argues that by legitimising the power of the state through universally recognised ceremonial ritual, opera enjoys a privileged status across three continents, often to the detriment of popular and indigenous art forms.


Contents:
Acknowledgements. 1. Introducing the Powerbrokers 2. O Roma O Morte The Origin of European Opera - the Italian Roots 3. Of Kings and Barricades From the Heart of Versailles to the Place de la Bastille 5. The Disunited Kingdom London's Operatic Battles 5. Playthings of the Austro-Hungarian and Prussian Empires 6. The Jewel in the Crown Opera in St Petersburg and Moscow Before, During, and After the Russian Revolution. Why Opera Was Retained by the Bolsheviks 7. Magnificence of the Met: The Commercial Fable High Society, Corporations, and the State 8. The Chip in the Harbour The Queen's Blessing, the Symbol of the New World: Democracy Rears its Unwanted Head 9. Other Operas - Other Worlds Nineteenth Century New World Opera Conclusion


Hardcover 240 pages (March 21, 2002)

Publisher: Routledge,an imprint of Taylor & Francis Books Ltd