The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1917-03-23


to the World--The First Opera Given
In Public Was "Eurydice."
There is no form of music so gener-
ally popular with all classes today as
opera-the combination of action and
music. Opera has made extensive i
strides during the last century, al
though Its origin is very remote. 1t |
came through a gradual course of de- |
velopment from almost the beginning |
OF the Christian era. Earliest libret-
lists were such eminent men as
Acschylus and Sophocles, who accom-
panied their spoken drama with band
of Tyres and flutes.
But grand opera as we understand 1t
today originated about the end of the
sixteenth century, when Jacopo Perfs
opera 'Dafne" was first presented. 1t
originated through the gathering of
small party Of music lovers at the
home of Florentine nobleman. These
patrons of art set themselves in the
spirit of the renaissance to rediscover'
the music of the Greek drama.
Theories grew into actualities when
performance of "Dafne" was cele-
| brated In the palace of Corsi in 1888.
This opera was successfully performed
several times, but always in private,
and now the score is not discoverable.
The public had the privilege of hear
ing opera five years later, when two
settings of "Eurydice" were made, one
by Peri and the other by Caccini.
Both the operas were produced In part
during the marriage celebration OF
Henry w. and Marie de Medici at the
Petit palace on Oct. 6, 1000.
Measuring the accomplishments of
these enthusiasts with the opera OF
not many years later, the former must
appear ridiculous and very wide of the
mark. But here at least was step
in an untrodden path. Opera was now
on basis which admitted of develop
ment. Its career had begun.
"Eurydice" was the first Italian OPP
era ever performed in public, and the
work excited an extraordinary amount
OF attention. The score was first pub
dedicated to Marie de AIedici, and 1t
was printed in 1908 In Venice, copy
of the latter being well preserved in
the library of the British museum
For fifty years "Eurydice" remained
the luxury of mobiles, being performed
only before courts during special fes-
rivals. Monteyerde added the over
ture to the Peri opera.
The next important operate work to
be produced was that of Monteverde,
entitled "Orfeo," which was present
ed in 1907. and year later "Arianna.'
, These two operas left Peri and his
comrades far In the rear. Work along
this line developed slowly until 1857,
when the Teatro di San Cassiano was
5 opened at Venice, which was the first
! public opera house. Now that the
{ masses had a voice III the matter, ii
soon became evident that the people
must be pleased and the Florentine
D ideals forgotten.
b Later in the century the melody OF
e the aria was enriched by two compos
n ers named Cavalli aud Cesti. The op
era, by stimulating solo singing and
, by reyiving taste for the beauties OF
e popular melody, supplies the necessary
b incentive for the celebrating of sweet
q sounding and finished melodie themes
Cavalli was Il tireless worker, and he
produced close to forty different Op
eras, nHlle of which has survived.
Scarlatti. who followed, was another
tireless worker, his first opera having
L., A. 1ts- "a
It which he brought out more than sixt,
r others. From that period to the pres
!. ent day the Italian composer has hell
his place with the greatest of an.
countries and has produced more op
he eras than all the other countries com
n bined
a The earliest operas In France wer
composed by Lulli at the end of TIL
seventeenth century and Rameau a
~ the beginning Of the eighteenth cen
1e fury, but they were little more thai
: limitations of the Italian style. TIL
q basis of the French opera was laid b.
. Gluck in the latter half of the eight
- zenith century. Meyerbeer. Rossin
. Gounod and Thomas represented tn
most popular of the successors Q
Chuck, with the more modern Massene
and Charpentier.
In Germany until the rise of Wayne
the opera was marked by little Ms
tional originality Mozart was the frs
opera writer among the German con
posers. To Weber especially will n
main the glory or having first founde
distinct German operate style
Washington Post.