operas that have been performed, arranged by date of premiere. For each work
the first and important performances outside the home country are given, with
exact dates, language of each libretto and names of translators, plus miscella-
neous observations. Opera titles appear in their original languages, with En-
glish translations for less common tongues. Indexes by title, composer, and
librettist; also a general index with entries for individual countries and for top-
ics. Performance histories are more complete for 17th- and 18th-century
works. Kaufmangives an important critical commentary on this undertaking,
noting various types of errors to watch for. A continuation of Loewenberg, by
Harold Rosenthal, was announced for 1983 but has not appeared.- Kaufman, Thomas G. Verdi and His Major Contemporaries: A Selected
Chronology of Performances with Casts. Garland Reference Library of the
Humanities, 1,016. New York: Garland, 1990. xxiv, 590p. ISBN 0-8240-
4106-2. ML128 .O4 K4.
The publisher has given two added titles: on the title page we find “Annals of
Italian Opera,” while the verso announces “Annals of Opera Vol.1.” Since no
further volume has appeared, the exact nature of the series remains undefined.
This is an invaluable book in itself, with tabular performance histories for all
of Verdi’s operas through the 1980s and for the operas of 17 other composers.
For works with relatively few performances, all productions are cited; for pop-
ular works there is a selection. (Kaufman estimates that “a repertory opera
such as Il trovatoreor Aidaprobably had 10,000 to 25,000 performances.”)
Arrangement is by country, then city. Cast information is given as available. A
long bibliography of sources consulted, some 400 books and periodicals, pre-
sents many theatrical histories; it would have been more useful with complete
bibliographic information. The only index is to opera titles. Linda Fairtile has
enhanced the access to this book with composer and librettist indexes in Verdi
Newsletter20 (1992): 16–21.
See also the chronologies in Oxford Illustrated History(#77) and Jellinek (#80).
Iconographies
Opera lends itself admirably to pictorial treatment, or iconography. Many such treat-
ments are cited in this guide under specific approaches that they represent (particular
composers, designers, opera houses, and so forth). There is one general iconography
of interest:
- Wolff, Hellmuth Christian.Oper, Szene und Darstellung von 1600 bis 1900.
Musikgeschichte in Bildern, 4/1. Leipzig, VEB Deutscher Verlag für Musik, - 212p. ML89 .M9 v.4,1.
Part of a major series of iconographical works. Consists of more than 200 doc-
umented illustrations of productions, costumes, and all kinds of performers.
Many sketches for stage design, including some published for the first time.
Bibliography of about 150 entries; name and topic index.
See also the sections on iconography in IOM0113–0136, and Duckles2.40–2.61.
24 Opera