Music and the Metropolis: Paris and Grand Opera

Course Summary

During the revolutionary years of early 19^th Century Europe, a new form of opera emerged. By the 1840s, this distinctive form of music theatre, known today as ‘Grand Opera,’ dominated the musical life of Paris. Composers such as Auber, Rossini and Meyerbeer thrilled audiences, challenged designers and performers, and encouraged the next generation of composers, including Verdi, Berlioz and Wagner, to produce heroic, large-scale spectacles in the grand manner. 

Delivered by: Dr Richard Stone

Richard has long been intrigued by history and fascinated by human creativity. An extended period of tertiary study produced a Degree in Art History and Music along with Diplomas in Art and Design and in Education, followed by a satisfying 30-year career as a teacher and lecturer in independent schools. Throughout his teaching career, Richard also practised as a painter and photographer and satisfied an urge to travel by developing a program of European study tours. Since the mid-90s, Richard has accompanied more than 20 groups of secondary students and adults to various destinations in search of cultural enlightenment. Richard has been teaching at the CAE since 2016, sharing his enthusiasm for history, literature and the arts through a range of talks.