History of the Opera, from its Origin in Italy to the present Time with Anecdotes of the Most Celebrated Composers and Vocalists of Europe by Sutherland Edwards, author of “Russians at Home,” Volumes 1 and 2
CONTENTS
Vol. 1
CH1 Preface, Prelude, Prologue, Introduction, Overture; Origin of Opera in Italy, Its Introduction into Germany; History in Europe; Division of Subject
CH2 Introduction of Opera into France and England: French Opera not founded by Lulli; Lulli’s elevation from kitchen to orchestra; Lulli, M. de Pourceaugnac, and Louis XIV; Buffoonery rewarded; A disreputable tenor; Virtuous precaution of a prima donna; Orthography of a stage Queen; A cure for love; Mademoiselle de Maupin; A composer of sacred music; Food for cattle; Cambert in England; first English Opera; Music under Cromwell; Music under Charles II; Grabut and Dryden; Purcell.
CH3 On Nature of Opera, and Its Merits as Compared with Other Forms ofDrama: Opera admired for its unintelligibility; use of words in opera; An inquisitive amateur; New version of a chorus in Robert le Diable; Strange readings of the Credo by two chapel masters; Dramatic situations and effects peculiar to the Opera; Pleasantries directed against the Opera; their antiquity and harmlessness; Les Opéras by St. Evrémond; Beaumarchais’s mot; Addison on Italian Opera in England; Swift’s epigram; Béranger on the decline of drama; What may be seen at Opera.
CH4 Introduction and Progress of Ballet: The Ballets of Versailles; Louis XIV. astonished at his own importance; Louis retires from stage; congratulations addressed to him on subject; he re-appears; Privileges of Opera dancers and singers; Manners and customs of Parisian public; The Opera under regency; Four ways of presenting a petition; Law and financial scheme; Charon and paper money; The Duke of Orleans as a composer; An orchestra in a court of justice; Handel in Paris; Madame Sallé; her reform in Ballet, and her first appearance in London.
CH5 Introduction of Italian Opera into England: Operatic Feuds; Objections to Nose-pulling; Arsinoe; Camilla and the Boar; Steele on insanity; Handel and Clayton; Nicolini and lion; Rinaldo and sparrows; Hamlet set to music; Three enraged musicians; Three charming singers.
CH6 Italian Opera under Handel: Handel at Hamburgh; Handel in London; Queen’s Theatre; The Royal Academy of Music; Operatic Feuds; Porpora and Nobility’s Opera.
CH7 General View of the Opera in Europe in Eighteenth Century Until Appearance of Gluck: Great Italian Singers; Ferri in Sweden; Opera in Vienna; Scenic decorations; Singers of Eighteenth Century; Singers’ nicknames; Farinelli’s one note.
CH8 French Opera from Lulli to Death of Rameau: Ramists and Lullists; Rameau’s Letters of nobility; His death; Affairs of honour and love; Sophie Arnould; Madame Favart; Charles Edward at Académie.
CH9 Rousseau as a Critic and as a Composer of Music: Musical Dictionary; Account of French Opera from Nouvelle Héloise; Le devin du Village; Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Granet of Lyons.
CH10 Gluck and Piccinni in Paris: Gluck at Vienna; Iphigenia in Aulis; A rehearsal at Sophie Arnould’s; Gluck and Vestris; Piccinni in Italy; Piccinni in Paris; The two Iphigenias; Iphigenia in Champagne; Madeleine Guimard, Vestris, and the Ballet.
VOLUME 2
CH11 The Opera in England at the End of the Eighteenth and Beginning of the Nineteenth Century.
CH12 Opera in France, after the Departure of Gluck.
CH13 The French Opera before and after the Revolution.
CH14 Opera in Italy, Germany and Russia, During and in Connection with the Republican and Napoleonic Wars. Paisiello, Paer, Cimarosa, Mozart. The Marriage of Figaro. Don Giovanni.
CH15 Manners and Customs at the London Opera, Half a Century Since.
CH16 Rossini and His Period.
CH17 Opera in France under the Consulate, Empire, and Restoration.
CH18 Donizetti and Bellini.
CH19 Rossini--Spohr--Beethoven—Weber and Hoffmann.
