Modern form of the opera.-Storace.

dramatic composers, who appeared nearly about the same time, and flourished till almost the close of the last century. Linley, Jackson, Arnold, Dibdin, and Shield, were the men of genius who threw lustre over this period.

The operas of these cotemporary composers, who were the immediate successors of Arne, are similar in form and structure. They are little dramas, generally of a comic cast, with a mixture of serious scenes, and frequently of considerable merit; their musical portion consisting of songs and duets, with occasionally a very slight introductory or concluding concerted piece or chorus.

The first decided step to the modern form of the opera was made by Stephen Storace, who, though a native of England, was of Italian parentage, and received the whole of his musical education in Italy. His first English opera was the Haunted Tower, brought out at Drury-lane in 1789. This admirable piece, which was written by James Cobb, had the utmost success. It was performed fifty times the first season; and established Storace's reputation as a composer.

In March, 1795, the Iron Chest, written by Coleman, with Storace's music, was performed at Drury-lane. His exertions in bringing out this piece, cost him his life. Though labouring under ill health at the time, having been confined to his bed for many days he insisted, notwithstanding the entreaties of his family, on being wrapped in blankets and carried to the theatre to attend the first rehearsal. The consequence was fatal, he returned to his bed, from which he never rose again, but expired a few days after the successful performance of the play, in the thirty-third year of his age.

Srace's education having been Italian, his style was formed on the works of the great masters of the Italian school: but having the advantage of a thorough acquaintance with the En

Foreign music adapted to the English stage.-Der Freischutz.

glish language, his strong sense and judgment enabled him to unite pure Italian melody to the prosody and accent of English poetry, with a felicity, which has never been excelled by any other composer. His airs have the flowing smoothness and grace of Paesiello, while they are free from the slightest appearance of outlandishness, permitting the singer to deliver the words with perfect distinctness of utterance and propriety of pronunciation and emphasis. In this important particular, the music of Storace may still serve as a model to English composers: for the Italian and German phrases, of which our vocal melody is now so full, are used with such disregard of the words to which they are joined, that our own vocalists, even when singing English music, appear like foreigners singing in broken and unintelligible English.

For a number of years after the death of Storace, the stage was supplied, partly with the works of the composers who have been mentioned from Arne downwards, and partly by the ephemeral productions of Kelly, Reeve, Mazzinghi, Davy, Braham, and others; none of whom have any claim, as composers, to a place in the records of music.

When the performance of Don Giovanni, and other operas of Mozart, at the King's Theatre, made so great an impression in 1817, Mr. Bishop conceived the idea of adapting them to the English stage. By introducing these pieces to the frequenters of the English theatres, Mr. Bishop created a demand for foriegn dramatic music, and gave rise to the practice, which has prevailed ever since, of supplying the English stage, to a considerable extent, with the musical productions of Italy, Germany, and France. The taste for foreign music, especially that of the German school, was prodigiously increased by the appearance in an English dress of Der Freischutz. It was first

Popularity of Weber.-Recent English operas.

performed in 1824, at the English Opera-house, and received with acclamations.

The immense popularity of Weber's name in England, led to his engagement to compose his opera of Oberon, for CoventGarden. On the night of its performance, he thus describes the result: "My best beloved Caroline, through God's grace and assistance, I have this evening met with the most complete success. The brilliancy and affecting nature of the triumph are indescribable. God alone be thanked for it! When I entered the orchestra, the whole of the house, which was filled to overflowing, rose; and I was saluted by huzzas and waving of hats and handkerchiefs, which I thought would never have done. They insisted on encoring the overture. Every air was interrupted by bursts of applause." "So much for this night, dear life," he adds, in conclusion, "from your heartily tired husband, who, however, could not sleep in peace, till he had communicated to you this new blessing of Heaven. Good night!"

For several years after this time, the English musicians withdrew entirely from the field of dramatic composition; and the stage was supplied entirely by inportations from abroad. Since the year 1833, however, various operas, the production of English talent, have been well received by the public, and have, to a considerable extent, occupied the musical stage. Barnett's elegant opera, the Mountain Sylph, had an almost uninterrupted run of above a hundred nights; and is still frequently performed. Loder's Nourjahad was favourably received; and the music of Thompson's Hermann, which contains beauties of the highest order, was appreciated by the public, though the success of both these pieces was injured by their want of dramatic merit. The same cause prevented the success of several other pieces, especially that of Barnett's Fair Rosamond, a work,

The opera in Italy.—Italian singing.

musically speaking, of the highest merit. It is, indeed, the chefd'œuvre of this gifted composer, and contains many things worthy of the greatest masters of the German school. The principal operas of Balfe, the Siege of Rochelle, and the Maid of Artois, have gained a popularity rarely surpassed. It may be remarked in general, that, in proportion as the musical part of this entertainment has acquired an ascendency, the poetical and dramatic part has declined.

THE OPERA IN ITALY.

Venice appears to have taken the lead among the cities of Italy, in respect to the musical drama. Between 1637, when Andromeda was produced, and 1700, we are told by Riccoboni, that three hundred and fifty operas were performed there. Operas were generally represented daily, and in six different theatres, all open at once. There was no public opera-house at Rome, until 1671, nor at Bologna, until 1680. The Italian singers, from the very infancy of the musical drama, attained that superiority wwer those of other countries, which they have always preserved. About the end of the seventeenth century, the Italian musical drama appears, for a time, to have degenerated. Regularity of construction, consistency of character, and poetical beauty, were disregarded, provided the eye and ear were gratified with spendid sights and feats of vocal execution.

At the beginning of the last century, the Italian drama decidedly improved. "Gods and devils," says Arteaga, "were banished from the stage, as soon as poets discovered the art of making men speak with dignity." Many poets, whose names are now forgotten, even in Italy, had the merit of contributing to

Structure of the opera.-Aria cantabile.—Aria di portamento.

this reformation of the musical drama. The first musical dramatist of lasting celebrity, was Apostolo Zeno, who, for a time, was the idol of his countrymen, till he was thrown into the shade. by the far greater splendor of his successor, Metastasio. At the same time that the poetry of the Italian opera was refined and exalted by the writings of Apostolo Zeno and Metastasio, its music was undergoing a similar process by the labours of Leo, Vinci, Alessandro Scarlatti, Caldara, and others. They established the distinctions between recitative and air; gave to each of these species of musical language its peculiar features, and assigned to functions.

it its proper

By the middle of the last century, the Italian opera, both in its poetry and music, had been brought to a state of great polish and refinement; and had come to assume a certain form, and to be constructed according to a model from which no deviation was permitted. At that time it had established itself in Germany and England, where it had become the favourite musical entertainment of the higher classes of society. In France, however, it had then obtained no footing whatever. In the structure of an opera, the number of characters was generally limited to six, three of each sex. The piece was to be divided into three acts, and not to exceed a certain number of verses. The air was divided into several kinds. The first and highest class is the aria cantabile, so called by pre-eminence, while it is susceptible of great pathos, it admits of being highly ornamented; because, though the sentiments it expresses are affecting, they are such as the mind dwells on with pleasure: and, for the same reason, the subject of the cantabile should never border on deep distress, nor approach to violent agitation, both of which are evidently inconsistent with ornament. The motion of this air is slow, and the instrumental accompaniment is merely sufficient to support the voice. The aria di