Download or read book The Urbanization of Opera written by Anselm Gerhard and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1998-08-15 with total page 540 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do so many operas end in suicide, murder, and death? Why do many characters in large-scale operas exhibit neurotic behaviors worthy of psychoanalysis? Why are the legendary grands operas - much celebrated in their time - so seldom performed today?