Ariane & Bluebeard: From Fairy Tale to Comic Book Opera [Mīkstie vāki]

Maurice Maeterlinck described his libretto Ariane et Barbe-bleue as "a sort of legendary opera, or fairy [ opera], in three acts." In 1907, Paul Dukas finished setting Maeterlinck's libretto to music, and the opera's Paris premiere was lauded as a landmark in operatic history.

Ariane & Bluebeard: From Fairy Tale to Comic Book Opera offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary look at this historic opera, including its structure, reception, and cultural implications. This lively collection juxtaposes chapters from experts in music, literature, the visual arts, gender studies, and religion and philosophy with vibrant illustrations by comic artist P. Craig Russell and interviews with performers and artists.

Featuring material from newly discovered documents and the first English translation of several important sources, Ariane & Bluebeard allows readers to imagine the opera in its various incarnations: as symbolist show, comic book, children's fairy tale, and more.

— Matthew Brown developed this project through his founding of TableTopOpera, a group of scholars and performers committed to performing multimedia projects promoting classical music to general audiences. TableTop's production, a reductionist fantasy based on Ariane et Barbe-bleue, played an adaptation of Paul Dukas's original score while panels of P. Craig Russell's popular graphic novel Ariane and Bluebeard, Op. 26 streaked across the auditorium screen. Brown wrote the score and the show was called "a miracle of collaborative creation" thanks to "all editing decisions made in regard not only to Brown's profound knowledge of the epoch and Russell's passion for the opera but of the demanding virtuosos who would be playing it, for the multimedia skills it would require – and for a strong commitment to the integrity of the original score." Th. Emil Homerin produced the show. This book, based off the performance project, already is being marketed through TableTopOpera. Contributors to the volume include an opera singer and instructor from the Metropolitan Opera's production of Bluebeard's Castle, the celebrated comic and graphic artist P. Craig Russell, and scholars in classics, religion, history, women and gender studies, and rare books. — Although the premier of Ariane et Barbe-bleue is frequently lauded as a landmark in operatic history, there is at present no book devoted solely to its history, structure, reception, and cultural implications. — This book will stand out on our music list and contribute to our reputation for publishing books on multimedia topics by touching on such diverse subjects as opera, comic books, and animated movies. Further, it contributes to our list of significant works on women and gender studies. — Our target audience includes students, scholars, and readers interested in musicology, particularly Paul Dukas, French music, and multimedia opera. Other related interests include histories of print, multimedia, and comic works, philosophical discussion of Plato and mysticism, and French symbolist literature.