Fisher Burton. A History of Opera. Milestones and Metamorphoses

Miami: Opera Journeys Publishing, 2005. — 426 p.The history of modern opera is as rich and varied as the thousands of operas composed during the last 400 years.This text is intended to explore those significant moments in opera history when innovations and transformations altered the course of opera history. Essentially, the text answers the following questions: Who was the innovator? What was the milestone or contribution? How did the innovation affect existing opera traditions and conventions? The text includes a commentary and analysis of specific operas that demonstrate the innovation, plus a Story Narrative with Music Examples of the specific opera.