The Gilded Stage

I am in the midst of reading a fascinating book entitled The Gilded Stage, A Social History of Opera by Daniel Snowman. This is a Christmas gift from one of my voice students and I simply love it!.

It traces the world of opera from Monteverdi and before to the present. I am at the moment entranced by the world of Beethoven and Napoléon. The author, as the title suggests, not only covers operas from various musical and historical eras, but comments on what was going on in the world socially and politically at the same time. Beethoven, whose hero was Napoléon at one point in his life, later denounced the Emperor and changed the symphony he was planning to dedicate to Bonaparte to the Eroica or Heroic Symphony. He also changed the dedication from Napoleon to Prince Lobkowicz.

Interestingly enough, the present Prince Lobkowicz (if they still have princes in the Czech Republic) is a former voice student of mine, William Lobkowicz. He studied voice with me at Harvard, has a beautiful baritone voice, and we did a number of concerts together. Will visited me in Sandisfield this summer with his lovely wife Sandra. They have lived in Prague for the past twenty years reclaiming and refurbishing a number of castles that were taken from the family in World War I, in World War II again, and yet again by the Russians during the Cold War. Will told me that they are currently constructing a large library to hold seven hundred years of Lobkowicz documents.

Beethoven also dedicated the Missa Solemnis and his fifth and sixth symphonies to the earlier Prince Lobkowicz, who was one of his greatest patrons. William is carrying on the family tradition of supporting music by presenting a number of concerts in the Lobkowicz Palace next to the Royal Palace in Prague.

It just tickles me how history can suddenly catch your breath! Bringing the past right into your living room.

William is doing a marvelous job pulling together the Lobkowicz collection which includes musical scores, priceless works of art, and many, many historical documents. Good work! Will! I hope that you are still singing!!