Opera for Everybody by Susie Gilbert

Opera for Everybody by Susie Gilbert

Susie Gilbert traces the development of ENO from its earliest origins in the darkest Victorian slums of the Cut, where it was conceived as a vehicle of social reform, through two world wars, and via Sadler's Wells to its great glory days at the Coliseum and beyond. Setting the company's artistic achievements within the wider context of social and political attitudes to the arts and the ever-changing theatrical style, Gilbert provides a vivid cultural history of this unique institution's 150 years. Inspired by the idealism of Lilian Baylis, the company has been based on the belief that opera in the vernacular can not only reach out to even the least privileged members of society but also create a potent and immediate communication with its audience. With full access to ENO's archive, Gilbert has unearthed a rich range of material and held numerous interviews with a fascinating array of personalities, to weave an absorbing tale of life both in front and behind the scenes of ENO as it developed over the years.

Susie Gilbert has worked for many years as an archival researcher and editor on numerous books of twentieth century history, including the official biography of Winston Churchill. Her previous book, A Tale of Four Houses, published in 2003, traced the history of Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera since 1945.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780571224937
ISBN 10	0571224938
Title	Opera for Everybody
Author	Susie Gilbert
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Faber & Faber
Year published	2009-10-01
Number of pages	720
Prizes	Short-listed for Theatre Book Prize 2009
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable