Handel's Operas, 1704-1726

by Winton Dean, John Merrill Knapp, John Merill Knapp

Book Overview

This first of the classic two-volume survey of Handel's operas was first published in 1987 and reissued in a revised paperback edition in 1995. Now it is brought back into print in a year which has seen numerous productions and recordings of the operas and which marks the 250th anniversary of Handel's death. Their revival in the modern theatre - not a single opera was staged or performed anywhere between 1754 and 1920 - has been among the most remarkable...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1843835258
• ISBN13: 9781843835257
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Boydell Press
• Length: 793 Pages
• Weight: 4.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.5" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

In Depth and Easy To Read

This is a remarkable book. I have been an avid Handel fan since before it was fashionable and I can't tell you how many times I have referred to this book. It contains incredible history and facts, as well as insights into the libretto (including plot structure), relationships of arias to other compositions (= Handel's famous "borrowing"), instrumentation, etc. A real wealth of knowledge. I have been waiting since 1995 for Volume II where Handel's best (and conversely, most pathetic) works would be analyzed. Sadly, I understand that Mr. Dean has since passed away and thus, I doubt that I will ever see the work completed. If any of you out there are musicologists and/or music historians, please consider filling in this disappointing gap!

A Great Book about Handel's Operas

The interest in Handel's stage music has risen considerably in the last few decades, and one really needs a book like this for an in-depth reference about the genesis and analysis of his operas. Here one can find a bit about Handel's life as well, but the main focus is on the musico-dramatic structure of his works. I found the author's analysis of Handel's usage of da-capo conventions to create living characters particularly illuminating. The only warning to the potential buyers: this volume talks only about the operas written until 1724, so it does not include analyses of such major works as Alcina, Serse or Ariodante. We still have to wait for the next volume.