Divas and Scholars: Performing Italian Opera
by Philip Gossett
This title of this book tells the reader exactly what to expect. It is part musicological discussion—opera research, scholarship, and performing editions—and part current backstage…well, I won’t say gossip, but…backstage insider information.
One thing I take away from this book is a better understanding of why it’s so difficult to establish definitive, “authentic” versions of 19th century Italian opera (and others). Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, and Verdi revised their operas pretty much every time they were associated with a performance. Music was adapted to the language and tastes of the audience (all of them did French and Italian operas), including the types of spectacle the audience expected (ballet in France) and the current trend in vocal ornamentation. Sometimes music was rewritten to accommodate a diva or divo. Sometimes, especially in Rossini, entire arias, choruses, or duets were given a new text, and subsequently, new orchestrations to reflect that text. All of these variants render the expression, “what the composer intended” moot at best. At the very least, the lesson learned here is that a lot more qualification may be needed before the “composers intent” can be stated with authority (if at all).
Anja Kampe really is Senta these days (and Seglinde now and then.) BBC Radio 3 broadcast her 2009 Holländer from the ROH last week. And the Bayrische Staatsoper featured her in their video webcast last month. 
Because I finally figured a way to embed sound files in my blog posts...
You know how you hear a piece maybe one time—maybe it was a long
time ago—and you never really think about it again? Then all of a sudden it's
everywhere you look (listen). I finally downloaded Christian Gerhaher's
recording of Beethoven's An die ferne Geliebte (To the Distant Beloved) (mostly
for the Berg and Schoenberg selections) and rediscovered the joys of this song
cycle.
I love love love love love love opera.
Live Webcast:
