The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-12-13
ANTIQUITY OF THE OPERA.
1t Mas First Rendered Ia Florc nee
in 1894 In a Noblc's House..
MUSIC THAT SOUNDS TnRo' THE AGES
Its Comparative Development In Ger.
many. Italy, England aad France.
The struggles of Handel.

opera IL presumably AZ old as the drama.
In the oldest plays Of which We know there
was music Of one form or another. In the
plays OF Acschylus and Sophocles the cho-
rusos were sung and the rcoitatives musi-
cally acclaimed. says the Philadelphia
Times. Tho Tyre and the fruit were greatly
favored and their executants highly hon.
orcd. Their pay was enormous. Xenophone
records flute players living In n magnificent
manner and Athenacus tells OF one who re-
eeived salary equal to 3974 for = anglo
performance at tho theatcr. Although ac-
oording TO historians ohoruscs, hymns and
other music wore frequently Interpreted
through tragedies. comedies and pastorals
prior TO the opening OF the seventeenth CEN
tury. 1t liz not until about that time that
the first indications OF modern opera made
their appearance Previously men had bsen
concerned moro with tho church style, So
called. but after tho death OF Palestrina
there wns ia reaction. The polyphonc stylo.
OF which he was great exponent, was en-
tlroly unsuitcd to the opera. being too
formal, precise and statuesque to cxpress
dramatic feeling. The monodic school be-
gan to dominate music and being baacd on
FREQ melody and allowing IA il did great
liberty In the way OF dramatic expression,
was admirably suited to the stage. In Italy
tho reformation, which wrought mighty
changes In music as well ms religion In
other parts OF Europe, was not 40 strongly
felt, and during tho 100 years following
Pnlestrina's death--that Ia, during tho
seventeenth century. Italian composers
turned their attention almost exclusively
to opera.
oLD-TIME WAY.
Tho story OF the Introduction Of opera
In Florence In the last part Of the six
tecnth century 10 exceedingly interesting.
II grew out Of tho enthusiasm Of q number
Of amateurs In the city on tho A<no who
desired to revive the old Creek tragedy, or.
at least. to reproduce operas on tho old
models, Foremost among them was Pert.
To him we owe tho first opera produced Ia
Italy.
II was performed In Florence in 1894. Tho
fint opera performed In Rome was pro-
duocd IN 1906. II would DO very curious
could dcvotces hear parts Of these early
Italian operas performed an tboy wore at
that time. Imagine small mprovissd
stage in the house. Of some noble In Flor
ence, stage destitute OF any Of tho ac-
cessorics OF tho present day; the company
friends OF the composer; tho play based on
some or tho old stories 40 current ut that
time. and an orchestra consisting Of q
harpsichord played behind tho scenes, one
viola da CANA, which was u sort Of large
violin; ono large Tyre. ono large iuto and
three flutcB.
German music began about the beginning
OF tho seventeenth century, Italian music,
nH We know II, grew out OF tho monodto
style. German composers were not affected
by the monodic craze. which swept over
Italy. owing, perhaps. TO tho conservation
sN.x -
influence of the reformation. Then. TOO, Ger
many was not 10 much tho land Of the
singer M Italy was. and the predecessors of
Haydn, Mozart and beethoven naturally
turned TO. Instrumental forms Bach was
the great master who developed what may
be terned an instrumental poly phonio style
Handel. who went to Italy. fell under tho
smell Of italian opera. After his return In
1909 he established himself IN London.
where he found Italian opera In full sway.
lie entered the list at once. bringing out
"Rinlldo" M his first venture, an opera
which ho wrote In fourteen days, Some
curious Incidents attended Handci's strug-
gle for supremacy IN London. and HIS rival
ny with Donocini. which gave riso to the
well known cplgram
Some ssy that compared to Bonocint
That Mynheer Handels but a ninny;
Others nvcr that he TO Handel
In scarcely ~ 70 hold candle,
Siraneg all this difference should be
Twixt tweedlc dunn and twcedle-des.
THE FRENCH PIONEER.
In France chief among the opera pioneers
Ia Iulli. who was born In 1888, near Flor
cnce. Hin life was spent nj the French
court He introduced the ballet and nodded
the form OF the overture. In England opera
was tho outgrowih OF the oil Mosques. In
many OF the ola plays music was introduced
ns II was later In Sbakespeare's. No name
shines prominently. however. until we come
TO Purcell. who was born In 1858.
Handel spent the beat part OF his life In
England Gluck belongs to Germany. In
early life he wrote in tho Italian style; but
with the true German instinct he realized
that the nbsurdities OF that style were re-
tarding the advance of opera. especially the
overlooking OF the melody with embellish-
inents to please the singers and the public.
He determined to reform tho opera by maxi
ing II dramatically musical instead Of pure
~ lyric. "Alecnte" was the hrgt fruits OF
HIS efforts.
otler works followed. until IN lit he
produced "Armiie." which plunged tho
Checklists into a fierce war with the Piccin-
lsts, tho adhorents Of the old Italian school.
when Gluck produced his great work. II
phlgenic en- Tauride." In 1910. however. the
enemies owned themselves vanquished.