Curtain, Gong, Steam

“Exemplary in the way it allies meticulous historical evidence with operatic interpretation, this is one of the most exciting books on nineteenth-century opera to appear in decades, and one that will become a touchstone for further work in this field.”—Carolyn Abbate, Paul and Catherine Buttenwieser University Professor, Harvard University

“At last Gundula Kreuzer has given operatic technologies a voice of their own. Wagner’s secret machines and hidden wires are themselves the actors, telling of their Baroque origins and their reincarnation as part of twenty-first-century immersive media, particularly in new productions of the Ring. A fabulously well-researched contribution to Wagner scholarship and a landmark in theater and opera studies.”—John Deathridge, Emeritus King Edward Professor of Music, King’s College London

“Kreuzer’s book combines the sustained sweep of a well-researched study with the conceptual boldness of an essay; it is both learned and brilliantly argued. By drawing on diverse theoretical sources with roots in the work of Benjamin and Heidegger as well as on the current historically informed discourse about technology, the detailed case studies set an exemplary standard for the critical analysis of opera staging.”—Stephen Hinton, Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities, Stanford University

“Kreuzer’s innovative and exciting approach yields many fresh insights into canonic works while also throwing revealing light on rather obscure corners of operatic history. This original book will be read with profit and pleasure not only by musicologists, but also by historians of theater, technology, and science, as well as anybody interested in the connections between art, culture, and society.”—Emanuele Senici, Professor of Music, University of Rome "La Sapienca"