The story of opera — Context and Discussion

R I. WHAT IS OPERA? PAGE What is Opera?—Derivation of term—A musical work—An artificial product—Its justification—Emotional effect of music—Hybrid opera—Modern taste demands one medium of expression—A definition—Music an accessory to opera, but an important one 1

CHAPTER II. DIFFERENT SCHOOLS CORRESPONDING WITH THE GROWTH OF MUSICAL ART.

The centuries see little change in the elements of the drama—Growth of opera concurrent with the progress of the art of music—Points of difference between early operas (Monteverde, etc.) and those of Scarlatti and later writers—Birth of the aria—England and France of the same date—Opera buffa—Musical empiricism—Gluck—His followers—Varying subjects treated—Italian opera—Abuses by the singers—Wagner and modern opera 7

CHAPTER III. THE REFORMERS OF OPERA: MONTEVERDE, GLUCK, AND WAGNER.

Reforms, and the reasons thereof—Monteverde’s influence—Musical innovations—The stage discards music of the ecclesiastical order—The beauty of Scarlatti’s arias—Their weakness—Gluck—Gluck’s explanation of his reforms—Triumph of his methods—Another retrogression— Rossini—Wagner—The leit-motif—Influence on subsequent composers—Will further reforms become necessary, and what shape will they take? 18

CHAPTER IV. THE BEGINNINGS OF OPERA.

Early commencement of opera—The Bardi enthusiasts—What they achieved—Peri and Caccini—A logical commencement—Its imperfections 32

CHAPTER V. EARLY ITALIAN, FRENCH, GERMAN, AND ENGLISH OPERA.

Monteverde—Scarlatti—Cambert—Lully—Keiser—Purcell—Handel in London—Handel’s rival, Buononcini—Handel’s operas now obsolete by reason of their lack of dramatic truth 39

CHAPTER VI. THE OPERAS OF GLUCK AND THE GREAT COMPOSERS.

Gluck and his masterpieces—Mozart—Beethoven—Weber and romantic opera—_Der Freischütz_—Other operas—Schubert—Opera writing a distinct form of composition—The small influence of the really great composers upon opera 48

CHAPTER VII. SOME LESSER STARS IN THE OPERATIC FIRMAMENT.

(_a_) THE ITALIAN SCHOOL (CIMAROSA TO VERDI).

The Italian school—Opera buffa—The Neapolitan school—Piccini—A notable contest—Cimarosa—Rossini: his _Barber of Seville_—Recitative and its significance—_William Tell_—Bellini and Donizetti—Verdi: his early and later operas 63

CHAPTER VIII. SOME LESSER STARS IN THE OPERATIC FIRMAMENT.

(_b_) THE GERMAN SCHOOL (KEISER TO NICOLAI).

Keiser and his successors—Hiller—Real German opera—Spohr—Marschner—Operatic interest not centred in Germany at this time 76

CHAPTER IX. SOME LESSER STARS IN THE OPERATIC FIRMAMENT.

(_c_) THE FRENCH SCHOOL (RAMEAU TO AMBROISE THOMAS).

Rameau—Divergence of methods—The successors of Gluck and Piccinni—Méhul—Cherubini and Spontini—Meyerbeer—Auber—Gounod—Bizet—Reasons for the popularity of _Faust_ and _Carmen_—Offenbach—Délibes and Lalo—Thomas 81

CHAPTER X. ENGLISH OPERA OF THE EIGHTEENTH AND PART OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.

_The Beggar’s Opera_—Arne—Bishop—Balfe—Wallace—Goring Thomas—Sullivan—Living writers 91

CHAPTER XI. WAGNER AND HIS OPERAS.

Wagner’s early days—At Würzburg—At Königsberg—At Riga—At Paris—_Rienzi_—Dresden—Zurich—Munich—Triebschen —Bayreuth—Death—Wagner’s methods—_The Flying Dutchman_ —_Tannhäuser_—_Lohengrin_—_Tristan and Isolde_—_Die Meistersinger_—_The Ring_—_Parsifal_—Wagner’s continued development 98

CHAPTER XII. MODERN OPERA SINCE WAGNER’S REFORMS.

Wagner’s influence—No mere copying—Modern “Melos”—Use of the orchestra—His harmony—Men of a younger generation—The Slavs 116

CHAPTER XIII. SLAVONIC OPERA.

Early Russian composers—Glinka—Dargomijsky—Borodin—César Cui—Tchaïkovsky—Polish opera—Bohemian opera—Dvôrák —Other European countries 122

CHAPTER XIV. OPERA TO-DAY IN ITALY, GERMANY, FRANCE, AND ENGLAND.

Boito—His interesting personality—Puccini—Mascagni— Leoncavallo—Cilea—German composers—Goldmark and Humperdinck—The French school—Saint-Saëns—Massenet —Bruneau—English composers—Stanford—Mackenzie— Cowen—Corder—Bunning, etc. 130

CHAPTER XV. OPERATIC ENTERPRISE IN ENGLAND.

Subsidized opera—Opera an educative factor—Objections to subsidies—Advantages—English opera—Opera companies —Covent Garden—The Royal Opera Syndicate—History of opera in this country—Travelling companies—The Carl Rosa Company—The Moody-Manners Company—The outlook 150

CHAPTER XVI. HOW TO LISTEN TO AND ENJOY OPERA.

Feelings of disappointment—Expectations—The language difficulty—Why the story is hard to follow—What we go to the opera to hear—Some suggestions—To grasp the story—To realize the style of the music—Re-hearing necessary—How to begin to study opera—What is necessary for its enjoyment 163

CHAPTER XVII. THE CHIEF OPERA HOUSES OF THE WORLD.

Covent Garden—La Scala—San Carlo—Venice—Rome—Paris and the Grand Opera—Vienna—Budapest—Prague—Berlin—Dresden —Munich—Bayreuth—Russia—Other European countries— Egypt—America 172

CHAPTER XVIII. OFFSHOOTS AND CURIOSITIES OF OPERA.

Operetta—Musical comedy—Ballad opera—Masque—Ballet— Objections thereto—Curiosities of construction— Pasticcio—Mixed language—Stereotyped casts—Curiosities of stage requirements—Wagner’s supernatural requirements —Curiosities of the music—Vocal cadenzas 185

CHAPTER XIX. A CHAPTER OF CHATTER.