Often hailed as the creator of modern opera, Claudio Monteverdi was the first great opera composer, his genius likened to that of Mozart, Wagner, and Verdi. Clearly and vividly written in nontechnical language.
Opera's First Master enable opera lovers to experience Monteverdi's masterpieces in a new way, while providing fresh insights into how Monteverdian opera 'works' as theatre.
Opera's First Master is also a compelling document of music history, as author Mark Ringer's traces Monteverdi's development as a composer, places his operatic works within the musical and theatrical framework of his era, and details the complex forces that led to the emergence of opera in late sixteenth-century Florence.
Music experts and novices alike will savor this dramatic portrait of the master and his music.