To the Devil With Opera

Michael Kreps, now retired following a career with international business groups, is Chairman of his local Talking Newspaper charity and has worked with other charity organisations. His life long interest in opera led in 1998 to the first edition of this book; "To The Devil With Opera" has now been revised and expanded to produc this second edition. Religion, Myth, and Sex: there are few operas that don't incorporate at least two of these three basic themes in the storyline, and one of them is usually sex. Characters enter, and events occur about whom or which there are often fascinating yet little-known stories, which are brought out here to enhance the interest and fascination of the operas themselves. Diversions along the way include Abelard's seduction of Heloise, the (partial) rehabilitation of Lucrezia Borgia, and the origin of that favourite stripper's routine, the Dance of the Seven Veils. Greek and Nordic myths, biblical events and characters, and most powerfully of all, sex 'n' seduction, shape the stories, many of which also demonstrate the poor deals that most of the female characters suffer. The human princess Semele finds herself the target of the goddess Juno's fierce jealsousy, and pays the penalty for it; rape is as common as seduction as a fate for women in opera; so if you get offered the choice of having a man's or a woman's role in opera, take the man's ---- there's a better chance of surviving.