Tosca's Prism: Three Moments of Western Cultural History

Boston: Northeastern University Press, 2004. Hardbound. VG/VG with only slight shelf wear to dj. Black cloth with gold spine lettering; bw dj with yellow lettering and bw photo illustration; 326 pp. with numerous bw illustrations, numbered by chapter. Giacomo Puccini's Tosca, which premiered in Rome in 1900, is one of the most popular operas in the repertory. Based on Victorien Sardou's play La Tosca, the enduring tale of love, lust, jealousy, and politics takes place in the specific setting and time of the Eternal City in June 1800, and it draws on the historical events following the fall of the Roman republic. In this extraordinary collection, distinguished musicologists, historians, theater professionals, and luminaries of the operatic stage reflect on European history -1800, 1900, 2000 - through the refracting prism of Puccini's Tosca, providing multidemensinoal images of each period from a wide range of perspectives. Although not marked, this particular book is from the library of one of the contributors, William Weaver. (Inventory #: 114130)