New Orleans and the Creation of Transatlantic Opera, 1819-1859

New Orleans and the Creation of Transatlantic Opera,1819–1859 explores the operatic life of New Orleans in the first half of the nineteenth century, highlighting the city's role in creating transatlantic opera and its impact on contemporary perceptions of global interconnection. The book examines the process of bringing opera to the city, the management of the Théâtre dOrléans, and the performers who came to New Orleans.

Format: Hardback
Length: 336 pages
Publication date: 06 December 2022
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

New Orleans and the Creation of Transatlantic Opera,1819–1859 delves into the vibrant operatic scene of New Orleans during the first half of the nineteenth century, unveiling the intricate transatlantic connections that propelled it. By examining a diverse range of individuals, their extensive networks of human connections, and the materials they transported, this book reconstructs the intricate process of bringing opera to New Orleans and the ways in which the city's operatic life shaped contemporary perceptions of global interconnectedness. The early chapters delve into the meticulous process of bringing opera to the stage, providing a comprehensive analysis of the management of New Orleans's Francophone theater, the Théâtre dOrléans, as well as the performers who graced the city and the reception they received. However, the significance of opera extended beyond the confines of the theater, as subsequent chapters explore how it permeated everyday life in New Orleans through popular sheet music, novels, magazines, and visual culture, as well as the lively dancing in its numerous ballrooms. Similarly, New Orleans played a crucial role in shaping transatlantic opera, while opera, in turn, contributed to the city's development and identity.

New Orleans and the Creation of Transatlantic Opera,1819–1859 explores the thriving operatic life of New Orleans in the first half of the nineteenth century, drawing out the transatlantic connections that animated it. By focusing on a variety of individuals, their extended webs of human contacts, and the materials that they moved along with them, this book pieces together what it took to bring opera to New Orleans and the ways in which the city's operatic life shaped contemporary perceptions of global interconnection.

The early chapters explore the process of bringing opera to the stage, taking a detailed look at the management of New Orleans's Francophone theater, the Théâtre dOrléans, as well as the performers who came to the city and the reception they received.

But operas significance was not confined to the theater, and later chapters of the book examine how opera permeated everyday life in New Orleans, through popular sheet music, novels, magazines, and visual culture, and dancing in its many ballrooms.

Just as New Orleans helped to create transatlantic opera, opera in turn helped to create the city of New Orleans.

Dimension: 229 x 152 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226823089