History of the Opera from its Origin in Italy to the present Time. H. Sutherland Edwards

History of the Opera from its Origin in Italy to the present Time - H. Sutherland Edwards


Скачать книгу
tion>

       H. Sutherland Edwards

      History of the Opera from its Origin in Italy to the present Time

      With Anecdotes of the Most Celebrated Composers and Vocalists of Europe

      Published by Good Press, 2019

       [email protected]

      EAN 4064066140625

       HISTORY OF THE OPERA.

       CHAPTER I. PREFACE, PRELUDE, PROLOGUE, INTRODUCTION, OVERTURE, ETC.—THE ORIGIN OF THE OPERA IN ITALY, AND ITS INTRODUCTION INTO GERMANY.—ITS HISTORY IN EUROPE; DIVISION OF THE SUBJECT.

       CHAPTER II. INTRODUCTION OF THE OPERA INTO FRANCE AND ENGLAND.

       CHAPTER III. ON THE NATURE OF THE OPERA, AND ITS MERITS AS COMPARED WITH OTHER FORMS OF THE DRAMA.

       CHAPTER IV. INTRODUCTION AND PROGRESS OF THE BALLET.

       CHAPTER V. INTRODUCTION OF ITALIAN OPERA INTO ENGLAND.

       CHAPTER VI. THE ITALIAN OPERA UNDER HANDEL.

       CHAPTER VII. GENERAL VIEW OF THE OPERA IN EUROPE IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY UNTIL THE APPEARANCE OF GLUCK.

       CHAPTER VIII. FRENCH OPERA FROM LULLI TO THE DEATH OF RAMEAU.

       CHAPTER IX. ROUSSEAU AS A CRITIC AND AS A COMPOSER OF MUSIC.

       CHAPTER X. GLUCK AND PICCINNI IN PARIS.

       HISTORY OF T H E O P E R A,

       CONTENTS.

       HISTORY OF THE OPERA.

       CHAPTER XI.

       CHAPTER XII. OPERA IN FRANCE, AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF GLUCK.

       CHAPTER XIII. THE FRENCH OPERA BEFORE AND AFTER THE REVOLUTION.

       CHAPTER XIV.

       CHAPTER XV. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS AT THE LONDON OPERA, HALF A CENTURY SINCE.

       CHAPTER XVI ROSSINI AND HIS PERIOD.

       CHAPTER XVII. OPERA IN FRANCE UNDER THE CONSULATE, EMPIRE, AND RESTORATION.

       CHAPTER XVIII. DONIZETTI AND BELLINI.

       CHAPTER XIX. ROSSINI—SPOHR—BEETHOVEN—WEBER AND HOFFMANN.

       INDEX, HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.

       Table of Contents

       PREFACE, PRELUDE, PROLOGUE, INTRODUCTION, OVERTURE, ETC.—THE ORIGIN OF THE OPERA IN ITALY, AND ITS INTRODUCTION INTO GERMANY.—ITS HISTORY IN EUROPE; DIVISION OF THE SUBJECT.

       Table of Contents

      IT has often been said, and notably, by J. J. Rousseau, and after him, with characteristic exaggeration, by R. Wagner, that "Opera" does not mean so much a musical work, as a musical, poetical, and spectacular work all at once; that "Opera" in fact, is "the work," par excellence, to the production of which all the arts are necessary.[1] The very titles of the earliest operas prove this notion to be incorrect. The earliest Italian plays of a mixed character, not being constructed according to the ancient rules of tragedy and comedy, were called by the general name of "Opera," the nature of the "work" being more particularly indicated by some such epithet or epithets as regia, comica, tragica, scenica, sacra, esemplare, regia ed esemplare, &c.; and in the case of a lyrical drama, the words per musica, scenica per musica, regia ed esemplare per musica, were added, or the production was styled opera musicale alone. In time the mixed plays (which were imitated from the Spanish) fell into disrepute in Italy, while the title of "Opera" was still applied to lyrical dramas, but not without "musicale," or "in musica" after it. This was sufficiently vague, but people soon found it troublesome, or thought it useless, to say opera musicale, when opera by itself conveyed, if it did not express, their meaning, and thus dramatic works in music came to be called "Operas." Algarotte's work on the Opera (translated into French, and entitled Essai sur l'Opéra) is called in the original Saggio sopra l'Opera in musica. "Opera in music" would in the present day sound like a pleonasm, but it is as well to consider the true meaning of words, when we find them not merely perverted, but in their perverted sense made the foundation of ridiculous theories.

      THE FIRST OPERA

      The Opera proceeds from the sacred musical plays of the 15th century as the modern drama proceeds from the mediæval mysteries. Ménestrier, however, the Jesuit father, assigns to it a far greater antiquity, and considers the Song of Solomon to be the earliest Opera on record, founding his opinion on these words of St. Jérôme, translated from Origen:—Epithalamium, libellus, id est nuptiale carmen, in modum mihi videtur dramatis a Solomone conscriptus quem cecinit instar nubentis sponsæ.[2]

      Others see the first specimens of opera in the Greek plays; but the earliest musical dramas of modern Italy, from which the Opera of the present day is descended directly, and in an unbroken line, are "mysteries" differing only from the dramatic mysteries in so far that the dialogue in them was sung instead of being spoken. "The Conversion of St. Paul" was played in music, at Rome, in 1440. The first profane subject treated operatically, was the descent of Orpheus into hell; the music of this Orfeo, which was produced also at Rome, in 1480, was by Angelo Poliziano, the libretto by


Скачать книгу