Czech Opera

Czech Opera
by John Tyrrell
(National Traditions of Opera, edited by John Warrack)
Cambridge University Press, 1988
xvi, 352pp
ISBN 0 521 23531 6
Czech edition (Brno, 1991-2, translated by Mirek Čejka)

Czech Opera is a study of operas composed in Czech and of the specific circumstances which shaped them. These include the historical and political background to the period, the theatres in which Czech plays and operas were first performed, and the composers and performers who worked in them. The role of the librettists is given particular prominence and is complemented by a detailed chapter on the subject matter of the librettos shedding light on the historical and mythic background of the genre. Special attention is given to two further factors which helped to establish a Czech style in opera: the role of folksong, and the metrical implications of the Czech language for musical settings. There is a full bibliography and a list, with details of premières, publications and recordings, of the many operas examined in the book.