Blogs about: History Of Opera

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Richard Fleckno writes about English and opera, 1654

This extract is from Richard Fleckno’s Preface to his opera Ariadne Deserted by Theseus, and Found and Courted by Bacchus, 1654. Now the advantage the Italian tongue hath of ours in it, chiefly,… more →

Theory of Music

Richard Fleckno writes about English and opera, 1654

Barry Mitchell wrote 2 months ago: This extract is from Richard Fleckno’s Preface to his opera Ariadne Deserted by Theseus, and F … more →

Tags: Miscellaneous, aesthetics of opera, Ariadne and Theseus, birth of English opera, English and music, English baroque opera, English language and opera, Italian influence on English opera, languages suitable for opera

Beethoven writes about the importance of dynamics

Barry Mitchell wrote 2 months ago: This letter is to the opera singer Sebastian Mayer. The note in square brackets is by Dr AC Kalische … more →

Tags: classical period, romanticism, Beethoven at rehearsal, Beethoven's singers, dynamics in music, expression marks, Fidelio, musical expression, opera rehearsal

A translation of Monteverdi's Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda — 1 comment

Barry Mitchell wrote 6 months ago: Monteverdi composed Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda in 1624. The text is taken from Torqu … more →

Tags: Miscellaneous, Baroque Music, birth of opera, gerusalemme liberata, il combattimento di tancredi e clorinda, il combattimento translation, Italian Poetry, jerusalem delivered, Love Stories

Early opera and Poussin's Dance to the Music of Time

Barry Mitchell wrote 7 months ago: An extract from: Richard Beresford’s A Dance to the Music of Time by Nicholas Poussin, 1995. O … more →

Tags: Ancient Greece, allegorical figures, ancient drama, ancient music, dance to the music of time, early opera, History of Art, laws of harmony, libretto

G. Meyerbeer discusses virtuoso pianists

Barry Mitchell wrote 8 months ago: The following extracts are from: The Diaries of Giacomo Meyerbeer, Vol. 1. 1791-1839, ed. R. Letelli … more →

Tags: romanticism, Opera, german music, Primary Sources, Meyerbeer, grand opera, history of the piano, ries, piano technique

A London opera-goer in 1728

Barry Mitchell wrote 8 months ago: This extract is from Handel by D Burrows. Comments by Winton Dean are bracketed [like this]. My co … more →

Tags: Miscellaneous, the baroque, Opera, basso continuo, libretto, Recitative, Primary Sources, performance practice, baroque singers

The Orpheus Myth

Barry Mitchell wrote 8 months ago: From Who’s Who in the Ancient World by Betty Radice. Omissions and my comments are indicated by sq … more →

Tags: Ancient Greece, Myth, Orpheus, classical tradition, Secondary Sources, Pluto, Persephone, Ovid, Poetry

JP Rameau on the properties of harmonies, 1722

Barry Mitchell wrote 9 months ago: JP Rameau From the Traité de l’harmonie [1722] Chapter 20 OF THE PROPERTIES OF HARMONIES It i … more →

Tags: Miscellaneous, the baroque, Baroque Music, Opera, affekt theory, Melody, baroque theory, Primary Sources, theories of expression

Rameau argues that melody is derived from harmony

Barry Mitchell wrote 9 months ago: JP Rameau Extract from the Traité de l’harmonie [1722] In this extract Rameau argues that melody … more →

Tags: Miscellaneous, the baroque, Baroque Music, Opera, Melody, baroque theory, Primary Sources, rameau, treatise on harmony

Dedication to Euridice by Ottavio Rinuccini (1600).

Barry Mitchell wrote 9 months ago: Euridice [1600] Dedication To the most Christian Maria Medici, Queen of France and of Navarre. It … more →

Tags: Miscellaneous, renaissance, greek myth, the baroque, birth of opera, Opera, Italian opera, music history, libretto

Writing about music (opera) tutorial notes

Barry Mitchell wrote 10 months ago: 1. Introduction. This tutorial is primarily intended for students who are going to write about opera … more →

Tags: romanticism, elements of music, Italian opera, libretto, Opera, References, referencing, rigoletto, Romantic

Lecture notes on the opera seria convention

Barry Mitchell wrote 10 months ago: Aim: To outline the opera seria convention, particularly how it works as music drama. A positive vi … more →

Tags: Miscellaneous, the baroque, Opera, Italian Music, da capo aria, german music, baroque opera, opera seria, opera industry

The solo madrigal: extract from Le nuove musiche by Giulio Caccini (1602)

Barry Mitchell wrote 10 months ago: This short extract is from Caccini’s foreword to Le nuove musiche (The new music), 1602. Tran … more →

Tags: Miscellaneous, renaissance, the baroque, Baroque Music, Madrigal, solo madrigal, Opera, basso continuo, early opera

The solo madrigal - extract from an article by Janos Melina

Barry Mitchell wrote 10 months ago: This is an extract from an article in the CD booklet Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, Madrig … more →

Tags: Miscellaneous, the baroque, Baroque Music, Madrigal, solo madrigal, monody, Claudio Monteverdi, Italian Music, Italian opera

English translation of the text of C. Monteverdi's madrigal Ohime ch'io cado (1624)

Barry Mitchell wrote 10 months ago: Ohimé ch`io cado Alas for me, I tumble down, alas for me, my foot slips again just as it did before … more →

Tags: Miscellaneous, renaissance, the baroque, Baroque Music, Madrigal, solo madrigal, Italian Poetry, renaissance poetry, monody


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