The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-02

wedding of Miss Lila Woods and T. W,
| Jordan.
ANTIQUITY OF THE OPERA.
1t was First Rendered at Florence in 1894
in the House of a Noble,
Opera Is presumably as old an the
drama. In the Oldest plays of which we
| know there was music of one form or
| another. In the plays of Aeschylus and
Sophocles the choruses were sung and
the recitations musically s.declaimed, SAYS
| the Philadelphia Times. The Tyre and
| the flute were greatly favored and their
executants Ehighly honored. Their pay
was enormous. Xenophon records Auue-
players living in magnificent manner
and Athenaeus tells of one who received
salary equal to 1914 for a single per-
Torrance at the theatre. Although &C.
cording to historians, choruses, hymns
| and other music were frequently inter
spersed through tragedies, comedies and
pastorals prior to the opening OF the
seventeenth century, 1t is not until about
that time tn at the first Indications Of
modern opera made their appearance.
Previously many had been concern ed
more with the church style, social led.
but after the death of Pales trina there
was a reaction. The polyphonic style.
of which he was great exponent, was
CENTRALLY II m anitQd tn hoS
formal, precise and statuesque to ex-
press dramatic> feeling. The monodic
school began to dominate music and
being based on free melody and allowing
as 1t did great liberty in the way OF
dramatic expression was admirably
| suited to the stage In Italy the refor-
nation, which wrought mighty changes
| in music as wellas religion in other parts
OF Europe, was not SO strongly felt and
during the 100 years following Pales-
| trlna's death-that is, during the seven
tenth century, Italian composers turned
their attention almost exclusively to
opera.
OLD-TIME WAY.
The story of the introduction Of opera
| in Florence in the last part of the six
teenth century is exceedingly interest
ing. 1t grew out Of the enthusiasm of a
number of amateurs in the CITY on the
Arno who desired to revive the old Greek
tragedy, or, at least, to produce operas
on the old models. Foremost among
them was Peri To him we owe the first
opera produced in Italy.
It was performed in Florence In 1894
The first opera performed in Rome was
produced in 1906. 1t would be very curl
nj nvl16 n
early italian foDeras performed as they
were at that time. Imagine small inn
provised stage in.the house of some noble
in Florence; a stage destitute of any of
the accessories of the present day; the
company friends of the composer; the
play based on some of the .old stories SO
current at that time, and an orchestra
consisting OF harpsicord played behind
the scenes; one viola da CANA, which
was azsort OF, large violin; one large Tyre,
one large lutte and three flutes.
The great difference between Italian
and German music began about the be-
ginning of the seventeenth century,
Italian music, as We know it, grew out
of the monodic style. German composers
were not affected by the monodic craze.
which swept over Italy, owing, perhaps,
to the conservatism and greater stolidity
Of the race and to the influence of the
reformation. Then, too, Germany was
not SO much the land of the singer as
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 termed an Instrumental polyphonic
style. Handel. who Event to Italy, fell
under the spell of Italian opera. After
his return in 1909 he established himself
in London, where he found italian opera
in full sway. He entered nthe lists at
once. bringing out "Rinaldo" as his
1rst venture, an opera which he wrote
in fourteen days. Some curious incl
dents .sattended Handel's struggle for
supremacy in London, land his rivalry
with Bonocini. which gave rise to the
well-known epigram:
Some say that compared to Ronocini
That Mynher Handel's but a ninny;
Others aver that he to Handel
lsfsoarcsly 6tssto hold candle;
Strange all this difference should be
'Tw1xt tweedle-dum and tweedle dee.
THE FRENCH PIONEER.
In France chief among the opera
pioneers is Lulh, who was born in 1858,
near Florence. His life was spent at the
French court. He introduced the ballet
and moldedsthe form of the overture. In
England opera was the outgrowth of the
old masuues. In many of the old plays
music was introduced, as it was later in
Shakespeare's. No name shines promi-
nenely, however, until we come to
Purcell. who waa born in 1858.
Handel spentrthe best part ofna his life
IN England.a Gluoki belongs to Germany,
In early life he wrote in the Italian style
but with the true German instinct he
realizedsthat the abaurdities of chat STYLE
were Tetarding the advance of opera. es-
pecialiy the overlooking of the mslody
withsem bellishments to please t1essinpers
and the public. He determined TO re.