This book is the first structured and complete research work undertaken on opera theatres across the entire Middle East and North Africa. Until now, no single s

“The best single volume ever written on the subject, such is its range, authority, and readability.”—Times Literary Supplement Why has opera transfixed an

Without scenery, costumes, and stage action, an opera would be little more than a concert. But in the audience, we know little (and think less) about the enormo

The study of the business of opera has taken on new importance in the present harsh economic climate for the arts. This book presents research that sheds new li

"The fourth edition incorporates new scholarship that traces the most important developments in the evolution of musical drama. After surveying anticipations of