The Chronicle of Opera by Michael Raeburn

The Chronicle of Opera (Illustrated Year-by-Year History in Dust Jacket)

A richly illustrated year-by-year history of opera, from its Greek-drama origins to the twentieth century

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: The Chronicle of Opera
• Author: Michael Raeburn
• Publisher: Thames and Hudson, London
• Publication Date: 1998
• ISBN-13: 9780500018675
• ISBN-10: 0500018677
• Edition Details: First published in hardcover in the United States of America in 1998 by Thames and Hudson Inc., New York.
• Binding: Publisher's blue cloth hardcover with gilt dolphin device to the front board, in a pictorial dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Large, heavy illustrated format (folio or large quarto), 256 pages. Illustrated throughout with 320 illustrations, 100 in colour.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
• Exterior / Boards: The blue cloth boards are clean, with the gilt dolphin publisher's device bright to the front. Corners and spine appear sharp, with no visible damage.
• Interior: The pages are clean and bright, with no foxing, marks or staining. The binding is tight and the text block feels sound.
• The Dust Jacket: Present. The pictorial, glossy jacket is clean and bright, with a few faint surface scuffs to the front and light shelf wear at the edges. The spine is intact. It is protected in a durable archival-type plastic cover.

Synopsis & Historical Value

The Chronicle of Opera by Michael Raeburn, published by Thames and Hudson in 1998, is a large illustrated history of the art form told year by year. It follows opera from its beginnings as a re-creation of Greek drama, through Gluck, Mozart and the Romantic era, into the twentieth century.

The narrative is built around premieres, performers and anecdotes, with feature panels on key works and moments. Period images, posters, and costume and set designs run throughout, and the book includes biographies, details of opera houses, a timeline and a discography for reference.

A handsome, generously illustrated volume for the opera lover, the music-history reader and the collector of illustrated performing-arts books.

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