On the RAM website I came across this series of lectures that sounds interesting, the first two have happened already but there are still four to come. The lectures seem to be based on a book by the lecturer, has anybody read it?
Opera in mid-century
The Gilded Stage: A Social History of Opera - A series of six lectures by Daniel Snowman
Most opera histories concentrate on composers and works. In this ground-breaking lecture series, Daniel Snowman invites us to look at opera from the perspective of the `demand' rather than the `supply', the consumption rather than the production. This magnificent Grand Tour of the mind explores the world of opera houses, impresarios, monarchs, money makers, artists and the changing nature of audiences, and includes stopovers in Renaissance Italy, Louis XIV's Versailles, Handel's London, Mozart's Vienna, Verdi's Italy and Wagner's Germany and Gilded Age America. In the 20th century, opera survived two world wars to become a truly global art form. Yet, with the core repertoire seeming to slip into an ever-receding past and the world struggling with economic recession, the question must be addressed: does opera have a future?
Further lectures in this series take place on 25 January, 22 February and 22 March 2011.
Tuesday 23 November
6.00pm
David Josefowitz Recital Hall
Tickets £10 (inc. refreshments) or £50 for all six lectures.
More details and booking:
http://tickets.ram.ac.uk/peo/show.asp
(there seems to be a problem with the site at the moment, but click on the date 23 November and the event list for the day will come up and from that you can go to the details)
Miriam
