New book on Stormy Music in the Eighteenth Century by Clive McClelland

Dr Clive McClelland’s new book Tempesta: Stormy Music in the Eighteenth Century is the complementary volume to his earlier book on ombra, music associated with ghosts, witches and demons.

This new book explores the different features of the style tempesta, the more violent counterpart to ombra.

Tempesta is a term coined by Clive McClelland that is applied to music that exhibits agitated or violent characteristics in order to evoke terror and chaos. In the book McClelland examines how tempesta formed the ingredients of a particular style used in late 18th century operas on supernatural subjects, and how this ‘stormy’ music contributed to the continued popularity of opera.

The book is published by Lexington Books and will be available from 1 December 2017.