An essay on the opera

Author(s)

• Algarotti, Francesco, conte
• Burgess, Robin

Bibliographic Information

An essay on the opera

by Francesco Algarotti ; anonymous English translation 1768 ; edited with notes and introduction by Robin Burgess

E. Mellen Press, 2005

Other Title

Saggio sopra l'opera in musica

Note

Bibliography: p. [107]-109

Includes indexes

Description and Table of Contents

Description

This essay on opera by Francesco Algarotti is an important, but neglected treatise of eighteenth century musical aesthetics. It belongs to that movement in the arts that rejected the artificiality and formality of Baroque style and moved towards the naturalness of expression characteristic of the painting, literature, drama, fashion, and gardening of the latter part of that century.

Table of Contents

• Acknowledgements i
• Preface iii
• Editor's Foreword vii
• Dedicatory Letter 1
• Introduction 3
• Chapter 1: Of the form, argument or business of an opera 9
• Chapter 2: Of the musical composition for operas 17
• Chapter 3: Of the recitative and singing in operas 33
• Chapter 4: Of the dances 43
• Chapter 5: On scenery, dress etc. 47
• Chapter 6: On the structure of theatres 57
• Conclusion 65
• Aeneas in Troy 69
• Iphigenia in Aulis 75
• A short Glossary of certain terms used in this work 103
• Bibliography 107
• Index of Names 111.

by "Nielsen BookData"

Details

• NCID: BB23804223
• ISBN:
  • 0773460489
• LCCN: 2005049597
• Country Code: us
• Title Language Code: eng
• Text Language Code: eng
• Original Language Code: ita
• Place of Publication: Lewiston, N.Y.
• Pages/Volumes: xix, 113 p., [1] leaf of plates
• Size: 24 cm
• Classification:
  • LCC : ML3858
  • DC22 : 782.1
• Subject Headings:
  • LCSH : Opera -- Philosophy and aesthetics -- Early works to 1800