This third volume examines the rise of opera in Italy around 1600 and its spread in Central Europe from 1614 to circa 1780, emphasizing the European dimension of Italian opera. Opera served as a medium for representation, with artists acting as mediators of ideas within a network of cultural relations. Patrons sought unique artistic achievements to enhance their family's prestige amid dynastic competition. A system of ethical-political values promoted universal themes and symbolic meanings. In courtly settings, operas were staged for significant events like marriages and coronations, leading to repeated subjects and a reliance on a limited number of mythological and historical plots. This established a canon of opera subjects, featuring archetypal figures such as heroes, rulers, lovers, and specific characters like sorceresses and tyrants. The formal standardization of the three-act opera seria emerged to facilitate the circulation of works across Europe. The volume includes eighteen papers focusing on court opera and commercial practices, exploring various styles, including parody. It highlights connections between Italian centers and royal courts in Poland, Hanover, and Bavaria, detailing the travels of artists from Venice to major cities. A significant focus is on 1683, when allied Christian forces defeated the Turks at Vienna, a pivotal event reflected in opera.
