ABSTRACT
The two volumes of Opera, Emotion, and the Antipodes present episodes in the story of opera as it has been produced and received in Australia since the nineteenth century when both Western and Asian forms were introduced to its colonies. While opera and emotions are the twin lenses through which our authors engage in contemplating issues relating to Australian history and identity, and all chapters engage with both, some chapters concentrate most particularly on aspects of opera, while others revolve more closely around ideas of emotion. In the final chapters of Volume II, ethnographers and performance practice scholars focus upon the emotions of audiences and performers of Australian opera productions, with an emphasis on emotional practice. A selective discussion of opera companies that visited or formed in Melbourne during Tate's lifetime highlights the emotions that were both portrayed and engendered by their most notable singers.
