Effects of Opera Music from Brain to Body, Lorenzo Lorusso et al., 140 pages, 109.99 euros (hardcover) or 98 euros (e-book).
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Because of the instrumental and vocal accompaniment, opera is considered the most comprehensive theater form.
Much has been written about opera, but until now little was known about the influence of melodrama on singers, musicians and listeners. Using functional neuroimagingtechniques, Italian neurologists, reinforced with a neurosurgeon, obtained better insight into the neuronal circuits and processes active during an opera performance. This is partly important because over the past twenty years melodrama has increasingly been used as a therapy for various neurological disorders such as depression, cognitive impairment, and even coma. In their book Effects of Opera Music from Brain to Body, published by Springer at the end of last year, the researchers also describe the effects of opera on the singers and musicians themselves. The surprising opening part offers a nice overview of operas in which doctors and diseases play a role. It was written by a medical historian involved in the project.
