Article: A night at the opera.

From its beginnings in the seventeenth century, opera has always been an intensely social and spectacular art, often with highly elaborate and demanding staging requirements. Here we examine the history of opera theatres designed to house both the art and the social spectacle.

Historically, the British view of opera and opera houses has not always been as splendidly enlightened as that of George Christie who conceived the new Glyndebourne. `Opera', pronounced Dr Johnson darkly, `is an exotick and irrational entertainment'.[1] The notoriously unmusical Dr Johnson was speaking of the Italian opera of his day, which, with its male sopranos and altos, its glorification of ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!