Arizona republican., 1914-07-12
CLUB NOTES
Continued from Page One)

he three acts-and in each of the
three acts each character sang an
air. there were five varieties of airs
each ending with the DE Capo'
The singer who could finish by sing
ing long flourishes brilliantly with
ability to sustain long notes-to de-
claim words rapidly and expressive
". was the dominating figure IN the
oueratic world. For the development
of opera the Bible has given up its
most picturesque figures; History has
furnished manifold actors and Incl
dents: almost the entire Shakespear-
can bards have had their Immortal
sentiments transferred to a place
below the staff; Fairyland has set
free its dainty citizens; the grave
has given up its sheeted dead; the
Devil himself has taken singing
part; birds and beasts have been
lowered with the power of speech,
and marble statues have repeatedly
come to life. Those who presided
over it's destinies had lost sight OF
tn important fact that simplicity is
beauty. No one was amazed when
in most dramatic situation the
action was suspended while the hero
or heroine INDUCED in displays of vo-
calism, in whose tangles emotion
Gasped and finally gave up the
ghost. At last Gluck, founder of the
dramatic opera, looked up from his
labors and discerned the truth: he
treated it as an integral part for the
first time. His opera, "Orfeus,' in
1852, placed him at the head of all
living composers.
In 1850 was founded the French
School of Comic Opera. About this
time Mozart, Beethoven and Weber
were making history in Germany,
while no names to match them were
heard in Italy-the cradle of opera.
Allesandra Scarlatti, founder of the
Neapolitan school, divided expression
into three fo.ms-recitative unac-
companied, for the ordinary business
&C the stage; recitative accompanied.
for the expression Of deep emotion,
and the aria for impassioned solilo-
guy. Again, another tyranny of the
hazardous to speculate as to the re-
lation of the characters upon the
stage from any evidence furnished
by their action-they frequently dis
regarded each othe. and addressed
themselves entirely to the audience;
the chorus was a thing apart, and
whatever the scene it was but an
lah 10 ha clyv IL Of c
of the vocalist Out of this chaos
came the reformer. Rosini. who for
while intoxicated the public. His
followers were Donizetti and Bellini,
two of the strongest men of the peri
cd, endowed with much sweetness
and sentimentality, hut which soon
tired the public. At this juncture
came Giaconio Meyerbeer, but just
previous to the appearance of the
first of his work, Daniel Auber in
1880 produced "Maseniello,' and
paved the way for the new epoch of
grand opera. 1t was the first realis-
tic drama in five acts to possess the
attributes Of a tragedy, and much
disturbed the Germans. who always
had considered it proper to send peo-
pie hcme In a comfortable frame of
mind. Grand opera, however. is as
scciated with the name of Meyerbeer.
The nineteenth century was full of
activity such men as Gounod, Bizet
Of France. Flotow of Germany. Balfe
Of England. and most important fig
ure of all, in the three hundred years
of opera-Richard Wagner, who was
destined to be a reformer like Gluck
and VINO was a fighter and terribly
in earnest. And so. after much buff
feting of fortune he grew steadily,
each succeeding opera being an ad-
vance upon the other, until it reached
its highest expression in Christian and
Isolde" the first opera in which all
the new themes were represented.
1t Is not necessary to state that one
who sinned so deeply against precon-
ceived notions, should be vigorously
hooted and decried; censure greeted
THE Flying Dutchman;" the public
called "Tannhauser' blatant, and
even stopped it's ears to 1.-THE Song
of the Evening Star" in "Lohengrin"
In Tristan and Isolde tempest
of abuse broke upon his head, and
"The Meistersingers" was pleasantly
greeted by the critics as a monstrous
caterwauling. Verdi brought to Ital-
ian opera a new life and vigor, deal
ing with, the most violent human
passions. 'Falstaff," his masterpiece
was written at the age Of 80. The