The Musical Language of Italian Opera, 1813-1859

This book explores operatic music by five Italian composers and one non-Italian composer from Rossini's first international successes to Italian unification, arguing that it can be heard as passionate vocality and as carefully crafted music worth theoretical attention. It uses ideas from several centuries to show how recurring principles define a distinctively Italian practice that left its mark on the German repertoire.

Format: Hardback
Length: 544 pages
Publication date: 22 December 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Opera is a multifaceted art form that demands attention to various elements, including aesthetics, libretti, staging, singers, compositional history, and performance history. However, at its core, opera revolves around the music itself. In this book, we explore the operatic music of five Italian composers: Rossini, Bellini, Mercadante, Donizetti, and Verdi, as well as one non-Italian composer, Meyerbeer, during the period from Rossini's initial international successes to Italian unification. Through detailed analyses of form, rhythm, melody, and harmony, we uncover concepts of musical structure that differ from those typically discussed by music theorists. This questioning of the notion of a common practice challenges our understanding of operatic music.

Author William Rothstein employs an eclectic analytical approach, drawing ideas from several centuries, ranging from the sixteenth to the twenty-first. He argues that operatic music can be heard not only as passionate vocality but also in terms of musical forms, pitch structures, and rhythmic patterns. Rothstein's analysis demonstrates how certain recurring principles define a distinctively Italian practice, one that left its mark on the German repertoire more familiar to music theorists.

While no single theory encompasses everything, Rothstein's study provides valuable insights into the intricacies of operatic music and its role in the broader musical landscape. It highlights the importance of considering both the vocal and musical aspects of opera and emphasizes the craftsmanship and theoretical significance of this art form.

Weight: 994g
Dimension: 242 x 162 x 42 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197609682