A Mad Love: An Introduction to Opera

A Mad Love: An Introduction to Opera

<div><b>A lively introduction to opera, from the Renaissance to the twenty-first century</b></div><div><br></div><div>There are few art forms as visceral and emotional as opera--and few that are as daunting for newcomers. <i>A Mad Love</i> offers a spirited and indispensable tour of opera's eclectic past and present, beginning with Monteverdi's <i>L'Orfeo</i> in 1607, generally considered the first successful opera, through classics like <i>Carmen</i> and<i> La Boheme</i>, and spanning to <i>Brokeback Mountain</i> and <i>The Death of Klinghoffer</i> in recent years. Musician and critic Vivien Schweitzer acquaints readers with the genre's most important composers and some of its most influential performers, recounts its long-standing debates, and explains its essential terminology. </div><div><br></div><div>Today, opera is everywhere, from the historic houses of major opera companies to movie theaters and public parks to offbeat performance spaces and our earbuds. <i>A Mad Love</i> is an essential book for anyone who wants to appreciate this living, evolving art form in all its richness.</div><div><br></div>