London Opera Observed 1711–1844, Volume II

The material in this five-volume reset edition examines opera not simply as a genre of performance, but as a wider topic of comment and debate. The collection includes only complete, published material organised chronologically so as to accurately retain the contexts in which the original readers encountered them — placing an emphasis on rare texts that have not been reproduced in modern editions. Headnotes and footnotes establish the publication information and provide an introduction to the piece, its author, and the events surrounding it or which caused its publication. The approach is one of presentation, not interpretation, occupying a position that is neutral rather than polemical.