Stravinsky's opera-oratorio Oedipus rex is widely acknowledged as one of the most original music-theatre works of the twentieth century. This clear and concise guide is the first ever to be written on this work and it describes the music and its staging in close detail. It offers the first proper explanation of the plot and its relation to its literary sources and provides a fully documented discussion of the origins of Oedipus rex in Stravinsky's own work and thinking. By placing the work in its social context Stephen Walsh paints a vivid picture of Parisian artistic politics in the twenties from which emerges one of the richest and most suggestive works of art of modern times.

"There is much in this book that is considerable, and the author opens up areas that almost demand further research. In preparing Oedipus Rex for performance, one should use this book, with score in hand, as a starting point or reference source. The extensive notes and bibliography make the handbook a valuable tool." Choral Journal