Inventing opera as art in nineteenth-century Manchester

Abstract

There can be little doubt that in recent times opera has gained an increasing social visibility. This can be illustrated in a number of different ways; for example, by the fairly extensive use of opera in advertising and on film soundtracks. At a more general level, one could point to opera stars performing with pop stars, opera stars hosting variety shows and opera stars performing at major sporting events. Are these (and other) changes something new or are they in fact a return to the cultural relations of opera as they existed before the nineteenth century? This article, based on original empirical research, presents a critical analysis of the invention of opera as art in nineteenth-century Manchester.