Italian OperaItaly was the birthplace of opera. In this authoritative and accessible account of Italian opera, David Kimbell introduces those who, over three hundred years, created not only a national tradition but the central tradition from which others have drawn their inspiration. He traces the history of Italian opera from its origins in the humanism of the Renaissance to Puccini in the early twentieth century, drawing attention not only to musical issues but also to the social, literary, and philosophical ideas that have shaped modern Italian civilization. |
Contents
The Italianness of Italian opera | 1 |
The Renaissance intermedi | 19 |
The elements of early opera | 34 |
The beginnings of opera | 53 |
Monteverdis Orfeo Mantua 1607 | 63 |
Opera in seventeenthcentury Rome | 97 |
Opera comes to Venice | 110 |
The nature of Venetian opera | 121 |
Apogee and decline | 334 |
Italian Romanticism | 391 |
the libretto | 403 |
The life of the theatre | 417 |
The musical language of Italian Romantic opera | 430 |
Rossini in Naples | 448 |
A franker Romanticism | 467 |
The young Verdi | 490 |
The development of the musical language | 140 |
Cestis LOrontea ?Venice 1649 Innsbruck 1656 Venice 1666 | 163 |
The dramma per musica | 181 |
Perfection and public favour | 190 |
The performance of opera seria | 206 |
The collapse of the Metastasian ideal | 216 |
Opera seria in an age of ferment | 238 |
The commedia dellarte | 281 |
17 | 295 |
The flowering of comic opera in Naples and Venice | 314 |
Bellinis Norma Milan 1831 | 514 |
Italian grand opera | 535 |
Scapigliati and bohemians | 569 |
Verdi and Boito | 596 |
Verismo | 619 |
Personalia | 635 |
Notes | 646 |
| 658 | |
| 673 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Act I scene Aida aria artistic audience beautiful became Bellini Boito Budden Burney cabaletta cantabile Carlo character chorus Classical colour comedy comic commedia dell'arte composer contemporaries critics dance described Donizetti duet early effect eighteenth century emotional ensemble example expressive fact Francesco French Giovanni Goldoni harmony ibidem ideal impresario inspired instrumental intermedi intermezzo Italian opera Italy Jommelli kind La bohème La Scala librettist libretto Licida lyrical madrigal Megacle melody Mercadante Metastasio Milan Monteverdi movement musicians Naples Neapolitan opera buffa opera seria opera-house orchestra Orfeo Orpheus Otello Paisiello passion pastoral performed Pergolesi perhaps phrase play poet poetry popular prologue Puccini recitative Renaissance repertory rhythm Ricordi ritornello role Romantic Rome Rossini score sense Simon Boccanegra sinfonia singers singing solo song spectacle stage Stendhal style sung taste Teatro theatre theatrical theme tradition tragedy Venetian Venice Verdi Verdi's verismo verse virtuosity vocal voice words