Opera and ideas

In this thoughtful study, historian and opera lover Robinson relates music to the history of ideas by analyzing several major operas: The Marriage of Figaro, The Barber of Seville, Les Troyens, Don Carlo, Die Meistersinger, and Der Rosenkavalier. He also considers two Schubert song cycles. Robinson's thesis is that composers' attitudes toward society, philosophy, and politics have influenced the musical/dramatic structure of many operas.