Opera (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Opera is a monthly British
magazine
devoted to covering all things related to opera
.
Based in London
, the magazine was founded in 1950 by George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood
. It was launched at the house of Richard Buckle
, under the imprint 'Ballet Publications Ltd'. The magazine contains reviews and articles about current opera productions internationally, as well as articles on opera recordings, opera singers, opera companies, opera directors, and opera books. The magazine also contains major features and analysis on individual operas and people associated with opera.
An occasional series of supplements have been published: Thirty all-time great recordings (August 2002), Great Opera Houses of the World (July 2003), In character: Great singers in great roles 1 (August 2004) and 2 (September 2006), Great First Nights (September 2005), Opera stage on screen (September 2007); along with four volumes of reprints of profiles of singers (grouped by voice type, 2002-2004) and directors (January 2006 and January 2007).
A separate annual 'Festivals' issue comes out every year around April, with listings of opera or operetta festivals (or music festivals including operas) in the UK and all around the world for the coming season, preceded by longer articles on particular festival projects or personalities.
In recent years, the last page has been a lighter feature, such as 'I can't live without... golf
' by Barbara Bonney
(August 1999), ‘My First Opera – Don Giovanni
’ by Osmo Vänskä
(February 2004), and Roger Parker
on why he would like to come back as Pasha Selim
(December 2007).
Opera employs a network of international correspondents around the world who write for the magazine. Contributors to the magazine, both past and present, include William Ashbrook
, Martin Bernheimer
, Julian Budden
, Rodolfo Celletti
, Alan Blyth
, Elizabeth Forbes, and J.B. Steane
among many others.
After Lord Harewood, Harold Rosenthal
served as editor from 1953-1986, Rodney Milnes
from 1986 and John Allison has held that position since 2000, with Milnes as chair of the Editorial Board.
The magazine is printed in A5 size
, with colour photos, and each edition consists of around 130 pages. Page numbering is consecutive for a complete year (eg September 2009 goes from p1033-1168).
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
devoted to covering all things related to opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
.
Based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the magazine was founded in 1950 by George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood
George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood
George Henry Hubert Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood, KBE AM , styled The Hon. George Lascelles before 1929 and Viscount Lascelles between 1929 and 1947, was the elder son of the 6th Earl of Harewood , and Princess Mary, Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and...
. It was launched at the house of Richard Buckle
Richard Buckle
Christopher Richard Sandford Buckle, better known as Richard Buckle, was a lifelong devotee of ballet, and a well-known ballet critic. He founded the magazine Ballet in 1939, and revived it after the war...
, under the imprint 'Ballet Publications Ltd'. The magazine contains reviews and articles about current opera productions internationally, as well as articles on opera recordings, opera singers, opera companies, opera directors, and opera books. The magazine also contains major features and analysis on individual operas and people associated with opera.
An occasional series of supplements have been published: Thirty all-time great recordings (August 2002), Great Opera Houses of the World (July 2003), In character: Great singers in great roles 1 (August 2004) and 2 (September 2006), Great First Nights (September 2005), Opera stage on screen (September 2007); along with four volumes of reprints of profiles of singers (grouped by voice type, 2002-2004) and directors (January 2006 and January 2007).
A separate annual 'Festivals' issue comes out every year around April, with listings of opera or operetta festivals (or music festivals including operas) in the UK and all around the world for the coming season, preceded by longer articles on particular festival projects or personalities.
In recent years, the last page has been a lighter feature, such as 'I can't live without... golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
' by Barbara Bonney
Barbara Bonney
-Early life:Bonney was born in Montclair, New Jersey. As a child she studied piano and cello. When Bonney was 13 her family moved to Maine, where she became part of the Portland Youth Orchestra as a cellist...
(August 1999), ‘My First Opera – Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
’ by Osmo Vänskä
Osmo Vänskä
Osmo Antero Vänskä is a Finnish conductor, clarinetist and composer.He started his musical career as an orchestral clarinetist with the Turku Philharmonic . He then became the principal clarinet of the Helsinki Philharmonic from 1977 to 1982...
(February 2004), and Roger Parker
Roger Parker
Roger Parker is an English musicologist, and is currently Thurston Dart Professor of Music at King's College London....
on why he would like to come back as Pasha Selim
Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Die Entführung aus dem Serail is an opera Singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner with adaptations by Gottlieb Stephanie...
(December 2007).
Opera employs a network of international correspondents around the world who write for the magazine. Contributors to the magazine, both past and present, include William Ashbrook
William Ashbrook
William Ashbrook was an American musicologist, writer, journalist, and academic.Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ashbrook earned a BA in English literature from the University of Pennsylvania in 1946 and a MA in the same field from Harvard University in 1947...
, Martin Bernheimer
Martin Bernheimer
Martin Bernheimer is an American music critic. He studied at Brown University and the Hochschule für Musik in Munich, along with the famous musicologist Gustave Reese at New York University....
, Julian Budden
Julian Budden
Julian Medforth Budden, BA, BMus was a British opera scholar, radio producer and broadcaster. He is particularly known for his three volumes on the operas of Giuseppe Verdi , a single volume biography in 1982 and a single volume work on Giacomo Puccini and his operas in 2002...
, Rodolfo Celletti
Rodolfo Celletti
Rodolfo Celletti was an Italian musicologist, critic, voice teacher, and novelist. Considered one of the leading scholars of the operatic voice and the history of operatic performance, he published many books and articles on the subject as well as several novels.-Biography:Rodolfo Celletti was...
, Alan Blyth
Alan Blyth
Geoffrey Alan Blyth was an English music critic, author, and musicologist who was particularly known for his writings within the field of opera. He graduated from the Rugby School before attending the University of Oxford where he studied with Jack Westrup...
, Elizabeth Forbes, and J.B. Steane
J.B. Steane
John Barry Steane was an English music critic, musicologist, literary scholar and teacher, with a particular interest in singing and the human voice...
among many others.
After Lord Harewood, Harold Rosenthal
Harold Rosenthal
Harold David Rosenthal OBE was an English music critic, writer, lecturer, and broadcaster about opera. Originally a schoolmaster, he became drawn to music, particularly opera, and began working on musical publications...
served as editor from 1953-1986, Rodney Milnes
Rodney Milnes
Rodney Milnes Blumer is an English music critic, musicologist, writer, translator and broadcaster, with a particular interest in opera.He attended Rugby School and Oxford University before working in publishing....
from 1986 and John Allison has held that position since 2000, with Milnes as chair of the Editorial Board.
The magazine is printed in A5 size
ISO 216
ISO 216 specifies international standard paper sizes used in most countries in the world today. It defines the "A" and "B" series of paper sizes, including A4, the most commonly available size...
, with colour photos, and each edition consists of around 130 pages. Page numbering is consecutive for a complete year (eg September 2009 goes from p1033-1168).