David Charlton is Professor Emeritus, Music History, at Royal Holloway, University of London. He is a regular contributor to conferences and has sat on the Council of the Royal Musical Association and the Comité International Hector Berlioz. He has published widely on the history of opera and his books include Grétry and the Growth of Opéra-Comique (1986), E. T. A. Hoffmann's Musical Writings (1989), French Opera, 1730-1830 (2000) and The Cambridge Companion to Grand Opera (as editor, 2003).
Part I. Princely Theatre: 1. Palaces and patronage: Le Devin and the 1754 Alceste
2. Acting: from convention to discipline
3. The Opéra: cycles versus changes
4. The reality of pastoral, 1742-52
5. Le Devin du Village: a contextual enquiry
Part II. Opinion: 6. Opera as a subject of debate
7. The Querelle: 'two ridiculous theses'
8. Visions of reform
Part III. Italian Opera for Paris: 9. Travelling opera
10. 'A real kick in the backside': Bambini's performances and their effect
11. Creative consequences
Part IV. Towards European Integration: 12. New generations, new tastes
13. In three acts: from Zaïde to Les Paladins
14. In three acts: the replacement of Rameau.
