This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1885 Excerpt: ...the first musician who introduced its use into serious opera; it reached perfection under the masterly, magical, nay, superhuman touch of Mozart, whose two finales in "Figaro" and two in " Don Giovanni" are models which should be the wonder of all time, and yet can never be approached. The spoken drama is limited to ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1885 Excerpt: ...the first musician who introduced its use into serious opera; it reached perfection under the masterly, magical, nay, superhuman touch of Mozart, whose two finales in "Figaro" and two in " Don Giovanni" are models which should be the wonder of all time, and yet can never be approached. The spoken drama is limited to the onefold utterance of a single person; for, however rapid the colloquy, if any two spoke together, each would eclipse the other's voice--retort may be instantaneous, but cannot be simultaneous. In a painting the different characters and emotions of the persons presented are shown at once, but, as if under the glance of Medusa, they are fixed forever in one attitude with one expression. In an opera finale the manifold passions of as many human beings, vivified by the voices of the same number of singers, come at once on our hearing with prolonged manifestation, and this is the wielding of a power that is not in the capability of any other of the fine arts. Thus, opposing personal qualities are contrasted and combined; thus, events are shown in sequence and different passions are expressed coincidently; and in these particulars dramatic music, with its unique capabilities, stands aloof from the other fine arts, and commands a regard that cannot estimate it too highly. Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) was a Bohemian by birth, and a wanderer by habit. He was a grand reformer or rather restorer of dramatico-musical art; yes, and a prophet, for he not only revived the principles enunciated in Florence on the threshold of "the 17th century, which had been superseded by the vocalisms that had usurped the throne of truth, but he fully forestalled by this revival all that is good in what is nowadays denoted by the cant ter...
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