Chapters of Opera Being historical and critical observations and records concerning the lyric drama in New York from its earliest days down to the present time

Chapters of Opera by Henry Edward Krehbiel is an insider’s chronicle of New York’s lyric drama that traces the Metropolitan Opera and the city’s operatic life through its formative quarter-century. Drawing on Krehbiel’s long tenure as musical editor of the New York Tribune, the book blends lively critical observation with meticulous historical record: managerial revolutions, the rise and fall of German influence under figures like Leopold Damrosch, the shaping hand of directors such as Maurice Grau, and the shifting tastes and fashions that defined turn-of-the-century American opera. Rich with anecdotes, aesthetic debates, and assessments of performances, the narrative illuminates how institutions, artistic policy, and public appetite together forged a uniquely American operatic culture. Readers encounter vivid portraits of productions, the politics of programming, and the broader cultural currents that affected performance and reception without ever sacrificing clear, contextual analysis. Ideal for listeners who love music history, classical and opera enthusiasts, cultural historians, and anyone intrigued by the business and artistry behind great theater, this audiobook offers an authoritative, engaging survey of opera’s rise in New York and the forces that shaped it.