History of Western musical theatre

Author: Mu Yu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: To provide readers who love musicals with a platform to gain a detailed understanding of stage music, this book traces the linear history of Western musicals, constructs a three-dimensional image of the development of Western musicals, and reveals the changes in their social roles from different perspectives. The combination of horizontal and vertical analysis enables readers to understand the cultural roles, social functions, and spiritual essence of musicals on the stage of Western culture and in artistic transformations. The book is divided into eight chapters, discussing the birth, foundation, development, maturity, transformation, commercial competition between Western and European musicals, the construction and deconstruction of the myth of European musicals, and the direction of Western musicals at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. It is worth mentioning that the introduction at the beginning of the book comprehensively and systematically summarizes and organizes the basic concepts, historical context, and essential characteristics of Western musicals; the appendix at the end of the book also collects many related knowledge and terms about musicals. Thus, it greatly enhances the book's function as a "guide" to the history of Western musicals.