Italian Opera Houses and Festivals [Paperback]

For the general reader, this guide presents histories of 58 Italian opera houses and festivals, organized by region and then city. Lynn describes significant events, premieres, the construction of theaters, architecture, and season information. Also included is a guide to visiting, along with recommended hotels and opera-related places such as birthplaces and museums. Houses in northern, central, southern Italy, and the islands are covered. The indexes are divided between people and theaters. Lynn is a writer and critic specializing in opera....as well as being the traveling companion the author envisaged, it also deserves a place in a home library as a valuable reference book to dip into and consult at leisure.This is a chatty, informative, compelling book which reflects the author's enthusiasm for opera houses. It is an essential item to pack when heading off to Italy or to keep on your bedside table at home if all you want to do is dream of where you might go to watch opera....comprehensive in its coverage of architectural and decorative detail, not only of the theatres in their present state, but in their previous (often destroyed by fire) incarnations...useful for its background detail for anyone planning to visit one of Italy's opera houses.I think that this idea, to make known the history and culture of our Italian opera houses, is very great and interesting, especially for people who have not had the opportunity to visit them and consequently did not see historic performances in their turn.This work recreates the social, political, architectural, and performance histories of each Italian opera house by including eyewitness accounts from Italian newspapers, journals, and books of the time. It covers more than 50 Italian opera houses and festivals, organized by their city of origin and geographic region. Each chapter is a journey back in time, beginning with the first theaters and performances in the city and concluding with an architectural description of thl³$