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Verdi and the French Aesthetic: Verse, Stanza, and Melody in Nineteenth-Century Opera Reissue Edition
Author(s): Andreas Giger (Author)
- Publisher: Cambridge University Press
- Publication Date: July 14, 2011
- Edition: Reissue
- Language: English
- Print length: 306 pages
- ISBN-10: 0521349540
- ISBN-13: 9780521349543
Book Description
Focusing on Verdi’s French operas, Giger shows how the composer acquired an ever better understanding of the various approaches to French versification while gradually bringing his works in line with French melodic aesthetic. In his first French opera, Jérusalem, Verdi treated the text in an overly cautious manner, trying to avoid prosodic mistakes; in Les Vêpres siciliennes he began to apply more freedom, scanning the verses against some prosodic accents to convey the lightheartedness of a melody; and in Don Carlos he finally drew on the entire palette of prosodic interpretations. Most of Verdi’s melodic accomplishments in the French operas carried over into the subsequent Italian ones, setting the stage for what later would be called operatic verismo. Drawing attention to the significance of the libretto for the development of nineteenth-century French and Italian opera, this text illustrates Verdi’s gradual mastery of the challenges he faced, and their historical significance.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Giger’s challenging book with its dense analysis of accent, rhythm, stanza and melody makes a fine study for anyone dedicated to Verdi’s French operas. Recommended for the brave who will persevere.”
–The Opera Journal
–The Opera Journal
Book Description
A study of nineteenth-century French and Italian opera, focusing on the work of Verdi.
