Description:
Masque and Opera in England, 1656-1688 presents a comprehensive study of the development of court masque and through-composed opera in England from the mid-1650s to the Revolution of 1688-89. In addressing the problem of generic categorization within a highly fragmentary corpus for which a limited amount of documentation survives, Walkling argues that our understanding of the distinctions between masque and opera must be premised upon a thorough knowledge of theatrical context and performance circumstances. This interdisciplinary study draws on extensive archival and literary evidence, close textual readings, tabular analysis and meticulous collation of bibliographical and musical sources.
Review Quotes:
"All in all, this study represents an outstanding contribution to cultural research, and should be on the shelves of every specialist music library." --Robert Manning, The Consort Early Music Journal, vol.74, Summer 2018
"Everything about this book emanates its author's encyclopaedic knowledge of and profound commitment to his material. Walkling peruses a plethora of sources, from royal orders, briefs, letters, petitions, registers and Warrant Books to prefaces, newspaper reports and the occasional (auto)biography" -- Katherina Lindekens, Oxford University Press