Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-02-28
ORIGIN OF OPERA,
A SKETCH FULL OF INTEREST
TO LOVERS OK MUSIC.
What Opera Is. and Its beginning
Its Establishment in Europe
aud First Appearance in
This Country.

True opera Is tnat species oil drama I'M
which airs, recitativcs, choruses, etc. y,
with orchestral Accomplishments and
stage accessories supply the place of
spoken words. il is common, however,
to describe rs opera Il class of compost
tions in which the words are partly
spoken aud partly sung.
1t is generally conceded that the idea
of opera had lis origin remotely in the.
Greek drama, and it is said TO have be-
come recognized form Of dramatic
composition about the end Of the ff-
tecnth century. The first work really
entitled to be called us opera was Ottavio
Rinuccini's "Eurydicc. which was set
TO music by Giacomo Peri and publicly
performed ut Florence nearly 300 years
ago in honor of the nuptials of Henry w.
OF France and Marie de Sledic; Very
early in the seventeenth century opera
became popular in Italy and about 1875
it was firmly established i'll the chief cities
of the peninsula. In 1916 Italian opera
was introduced into France by Cardinal
NIazarin, but it was soon superseded by
the French national opera founded by
Louis XIV.
In ITO "Almahide," an oper, written
i'll Italian, WAS produced IN London and
Notwithstanding the ritliculc of wits and
men of letters, the popular antipathy to
this form of art and the later competition
of English opera, the Italian article has
ever since held its place on English
ground.
In Germany it Ion. antedttcd the cs-
tablishment of a national opera, and it is
still IL lively rival Of the native prodtEt.
In Russia, the Spanish Peninsula and
other parts Of Europe, il is almost the
only accepted form Of musical drama
Here in America we are sufficiently cos
mopolitan 10 welcome opera of every ma
ton.
The Italians divide opera into four
classes, the sacred, the serious, the semi
serious and the bulTo (coiaic). The
French recognize but two divisions,
grand opera aud opera comiquc; while
the Germans have the Wagner music
drama and grand, heroic, serious, comic
and other kinds.
Near the close Of the eighttcath century,
during the administration of Washington,
the institution OF II theatcr at the scat of
the American Government, which then
was Philadelphia, drew together some
English actors, who were likewise sing
ers. Afterward, in New Orleans, N.
Davis established II regular opera COM
rany. The appearance of an Italian COM
pany in New York in 1925 worked rev.
olution. This troupe was brought to
America rlainly through the excrtions of
Signor Da Pontc, the friead OF Mozart
and the writer of the librctto of Don
Giovanni" who lived fora considerable
time in New York. Signor Garcin was
tile director OF the troupe He was Il
great artist and familiar with all the ira
ditions Of the Italian school Ills daugh-
ter, who is known 10 everlasting renown
rs Madame Malibrnn, was one of his ar
fists and conductors. A few years after
that another Italian company came over,
followed by that of Mr.. and Mrs Wood,
who are entitled to distinction us tpFiiFst
producers i'll this country of LA Som
nambula" and s'Norma." Mr.. and Mrs.
Seguin, MIR. Frazer, Miss Shirrcir, Mrs.
Austin, Miss Pyne, Mr.. Guincttc and
Others continued to spread the taste for
opera in the vernacular.
Not far from 1910 an opera was
printed presumably the first SO honored)
named ''L'Orfeo una Fuvola in Musica."
The overture comprised eight bars, repe-
tition of which was cnjoincd upon the
orchestra till the signal for raising the
curtain. The entire orchestra consisted
i'll n quartet of stringed instruments 1.-TWO
violins, one guitar and one contra basso)
and one flute. The reader will smile
on learning that the would-be connois-
seurs Of the period complained that this
orchestra was too loud.
1t may interest the student OF musical
history to be told that Meyerbcer's ''Rob-
ert the Devil" was originally Il comic
opcra-that is to say. the dialogue was
spoken and there were no relatives, but
seeing Il chance for it at the Grand
Opera House, Scribe aud Della
vlgne hastily recast their prose IL
bretto into rhythmic form, and Mcycroeer
improvised the needed music. Novem-
Der 81, 1881, :" Robert the Devil took
Paris by storm. In February, 1856, came
followed by Gle Prophetic" These were
the only grand operas written for the
Paris opera which Mcycrbecr lived to see
produced. A fourth, "L'Airicaine. " was
brought out after the composers death
in 1865, Donizettis ''La Favorita' was
produced in 1910, but Wagner had no
chance with the Parisans till 1861, when
an adaptation of his "Tannhauser" was
brought out. 1t was summarily c0laemned
and after the third performance with
drawn. tits just to say that there is evil
dcnce that the French extreme dstaste
for Teutonic music is disappearing
Detroit Free Press.