Eine kurze Geschichte der Oper

This wonderful book, which can be used like a hiking guide, takes its readers on a tour through the landscape of opera. Each of the 35 images focuses on a composer and/or an exemplary work. The author weaves these together narratively into a topographical network, and taken together, they trace the paths that opera has taken since Monteverdi. Image by image, the reader explores the terrain over which opera has expanded to this day. The author succeeds in presenting the vast amount of material in a captivating narrative style. His obvious delight in writing entices the reader to read and, beyond that, to listen and watch at the same time.

Heinz-Klaus Jungheinrich draws a connection that captivates the reader from the outset. The operas that are omnipresent in the repertoire of German municipal theaters are presented in contexts that are largely astonishing. Even operas that rarely appear on the program are skillfully embedded in the overall narrative, far removed from any anecdotal triviality and written in such a colorful way that it is difficult to put the book down. Jungheinrich's comprehensive knowledge, his ability to differentiate between things, get to the heart of the matter, and deliver punchlines, as well as his love of storytelling, are impressive." (Ernst August Klötzke, Faust Kultur, July 1, 2022)

Hans-Klaus Jungheinrich (1938–2018) was born in Bad Schwalbach, grew up in Frankfurt am Main, and studied music (conducting, piano, composition) in Darmstadt and Salzburg. From 1960, he worked as a music journalist and radio author. From 1968 to 2003, he was arts editor and music critic at the Frankfurter Rundschau and a freelance author. He published a series of books, most recently one on Smetana.

With an afterword by Wolfgang Molkow

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