An Introduction to Opera

This course will look at the development of the operatic art-form from its first origins to its culmination in the works of Wagner and Verdi in the 19th century.

Its aim will be not only to introduce opera, but also to put the operatic works in historical context. In each lecture a particular era or movement will be examined and combined with an historical overview, a detailed look at the work of selected composers and a focus on three particular operas. The course provides a taster of the operatic genre both helping the newcomer to start exploring one of the world's great art-forms, whilst offering new historical insights for the more established opera lover. To encourage listeners to explore further, lectures will conclude with a short recorded operatic extract, and suggested listening lists will be provided for those who wish to explore further at home.

They do it differently in France
19th century French opera

In the fourth lecture, you will see how the combination of the Revolution and the rise of the middle class lead to the decline of the plot based on mythological subjects and the very distinct tradition of French Grand Opera, centred on the Paris Opera (referred to by Verdi as la grande boutique). Foreign invasions from composers such as Rossini, Meyerbeer, Donizetti and Verdi all led to profitable cross-fertilisation and the development of a strongly native French operatic tradition. You will look in detail at Gounod and Faust, Bizet and Carmen, Massenet and Werther.

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