Grand Opera Outside Paris

Nineteenth-century French grand opera was a musical and cultural phenomenon with a widespread transnational presence in Europe. Primary attention has been on the Parisian context for which most of the works were originally written. By contrast, this volume takes account of a larger geographical and historical context, bringing into focus the Europe-wide impact of the genre. The book presents case studies including analyses of grand opera in small-town Germany and Switzerland, adaptations, and Portuguese and Russian grand operas after the French model. Its overarching aim is to reveal how grand operas became part of musical, cultural and political life in various European settings.