“This book is a significant contribution to our understanding of opera and New Orleans during the antebellum period. Bentley, who focuses on both the Théâtre d’Orléans and the evolving culture in the city, delves deeply into a wealth of untapped primary materials but also situates her study solidly in secondary scholarship from a variety of disciplines. Eminently readable, this microhistory is a tour de force effort.”

Katherine Preston, College of William & Mary

“Bentley’s book presents a milestone in transnational opera studies, placing New Orleans firmly on the global operatic map. Impressively erudite, rooted in the sophisticated analysis of huge amounts of complex archives, and eloquently written, New Orleans and the Creation of Transatlantic Opera, 1819–1859 profoundly challenges ways of thinking about transatlantic music history. With opera in the Mississippi metropolis dating back to the late eighteenth century, New Orleans became an influential hub for introducing opera to cities such as New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston, while also staying in close contact with the Old World.”

Axel Körner, University of Leipzig and University College London

“Written by a consummate historical storyteller, Bentley’s book offers an object lesson in how to research the operatic culture of a single city while also mapping the trajectories of its cultural traffic and capturing its sense of permanent flux. Bentley’s focus is on the connecting webs that sustained French stage music in New Orleans during the early postcolonial period and on the ways opera, sometimes mediated via literature and dance music, reached disparate and often multiracial audiences. This sensitive and multivalent history sets a new standard in transnational musicology.”

Katharine Ellis, University of Cambridge