Contextualizing Melodrama in the Czech Lands: In Concert and on Stage (Ashgate Interdisciplinary Studies in Opera)
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- Synopsis
- The mention of the term "melodrama" is likely to evoke a response from laymen and musicians alike that betrays an acquaintance only with the popular form of the genre and its greatly heightened drama, exaggerated often to the point of the ridiculous. Few are aware that there exists a type of melodrama that contains in its smaller forms the beauty of the sung ballad and, in the larger-scale works, the appeal of the spoken play. This category of melodrama is one that surfaced in many cultures but was perhaps never so enthusiastically cultivated as in the Czech lands. The melodrama varied greatly at the hands of its Czech advocates. While the works of Zdeněk Fibich and his contemporary Josef Bohuslav Foerster, a composer best known for his songs, remained closely bound to the text, those of conductor/composer Otakar Ostrčil reveal a stance that privileged the music and, given their creator’s orchestral experience, are more reminiscent of the symphonic poem. Fibich in his staged works and Josef Suk (composer/violinist and Dvořák’s son-in-law), in his incidental music reflect variously late nineteenth-century Romanticism, the influence of Wagner, and early manifestations of Impressionism. In its more recent guise, the principles of the staged melodrama reside quite comfortably in the film score. Judith A. Mabary’s important volume will be of interest not only to musicologists, but those working in Central and East European studies, voice studies, European theatre, and those studying music and nationalism.
- Copyright:
- 2020
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Publisher Quality
- Book Size:
- 244 Pages
- ISBN-13:
- 9781000168914
- Related ISBNs:
- 9780367479220, 9780367539641, 9781003037293, 9780367537883
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Date of Addition:
- 10/13/20
- Copyrighted By:
- Judith A. Mabary, The right of Judith A. Mabary to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- History, Nonfiction, Music
- Submitted By:
- Bookshare Staff
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.