The Tenth Muse: How Maria Antonia Advanced the Pastoral Opera

Her Highness' music and life are set within the larger sweep of history, showing us a woman whose music gave voice not only to herself, but to other musicians.

If you could travel back in time, which era would you like to explore?

Take a captivating trip to the opulent courts of 18th-century Munich and Dresden, where Maria Antonia Walpurgis Symphorosa was known to be a visionary and extraordinary patron of the arts during her lifetime as "The Tenth Muse" for her accomplishments in multiple areas of the arts. April Lynn James brings this nearly-forgotten figure to life in the first book-length biography in English about the Princess who would become Electress of Saxony. Maria Antonia and her first opera, Il trionfo della fedeltà, were celebrated inside and outside the courts of Europe. The pastoral opera was popular with the female nobility, but Maria Antonia took the genre to new heights, finding it an ideal venue in which to explore themes of love, fidelity and female self-presentation.

In this book, you will learn:

• Women wrote operas.
• Maria Antonia made important contributions to the music of her time as both creator and patron.
• Who Maria Antonia was?
• Why did she compose her own music?
• The importance of amateur musicians in society.

Filled with anecdotes, musical illustrations, and quotes from letters by and about Her Highness, this biography is a masterful account of a figure who went beyond the expectations for a woman of her station to become a role model for many. Engagingly written, the story of this fascinating figure brings history to life, taking the reader on a journey to discover Maria Antonia as a composer, poet, woman, and politician. A must-have for your library!