Opera Meets New Media

Opera Meets New Media Synopsis

A gloriously illustrated book which sheds new light on the Puccini era and the roots of the modern music industry.

After Mozart and Verdi, Giacomo Puccini is the third most performed opera composer in the world today. On the centenary of his death, Bertelsmann and the Archivio Storico Ricordi present Opera Meets New Media, a richly illustrated volume published to accompany the multimedia exhibition of the same name at the Scala Museum in Milan, Italy. Puccini celebrated his greatest successes at a time of disruptive media innovations.

The age of mechanical reproduction brought with it the development of new entertainment technology, above all film and sound recordings, which soon became mainstream. These technological advancements represented a revolution for society and musical culture in the early twentieth century, fundamentally challenging the traditional business model of opera. How could music publishers rise to this challenge?

Puccini and his publisher Ricordi provide a fascinating case study on the subject. In this book, edited by Gabriele Dotto, ten experts shed light on different aspects of the topic. The book showcases historical records, costumes, choreography, gramophones, photographs, posters, postcards, sheet music, and set designs and will be a delight to any opera fan.