Women Opera Composers: Biographies from the 1500s to the 21st Century - Paperback

by Mary F. McVicker (Author)

The history of women in the opera is a grand story. Women were singers and patrons, of course, but from opera's beginnings in Renaissance Italy, they were also opera composers and librettists. At first it was exclusively for the nobility. In the 19th century, with the emergence of the middle class and the rise of nationalism, there were more public theaters and opera seemed to be everywhere. This meant more opportunities for composers, though men predominated. This book focuses on the women, from the 16th century to today, who had successful careers in opera, many of them well known in their time.

Author Biography

Mary F. McVicker, with degrees in law and finance, writes full-time in Oak Park, Illinois. She is the author of four previous books.