Anselm Gerhard argues that such questions can only be answered by recognizing that daily life in rapidly urbanized mid-nineteenth-century Paris introduced not just new social forces, but also new modes of perception and expectations of art. Attempting to provide a realistic portrayal of life in a metropolis, librettists and composers of grand opera developed new forms and conventions, as well as new staging and performance practices -- for instance, the tableau, in which the chorus typically plays the role of a destructive mob. These larger urban and social concerns -- crucial to our understanding of nineteenth-century opera -- are brought to bear in fascinating discussions of eight operas composed by Rossini, Auber, Meyerbeer, Verdi, and Louise Bertin.

This unique look at nineteenth-century European culture through the opera glass will appeal to both opera fans and scholars.