Shakespeare and Music

What happens when the greatest playwright in the English language meets the composers who couldn't resist him? This scholarly volume traces the centuries-long dialogue between Shakespeare's texts and the music they have inspired, from Handel's operas to Berlioz's symphonic dramas. Wilson reveals a fascinating paradox: while Shakespeare's words have stirred countless composers to creative frenzy, remarkably few contemporaneous musical settings of his lyrics survive. The book explores how later musicians have attempted to capture the Bard's magic in notation, examining both triumphant successes and telling failures. Rich with historical context and close analysis, it reveals how Shakespeare became a musical obsession across centuries and cultures. For anyone curious about how art forms talk to each other across time, this book maps one of the most fertile conversations in Western culture.