London Flashcards
1
Q
London Benefit concerts - aims/significance
A
- Allowed Handel to establish popularity of turn towards oratorio
- Benefit concerts common practice for musicians to earn income by 18th century
- Singers especially because opera was economically precarious (1728 RA bankrupt; opera rarely made a profit because audiences small and just nobility)
- Concerts held in fashionable West End to host the beau monde who would provide healthy donation
- Mid 18th century benefit performances so common they became a ‘tax on nobility’
- Concerts arranged like theatre shows, in ‘acts’. More of a demonstration of social status – vague programme notes; programmes would list patrons instead.
2
Q
London charitable benefit concerts
A
- Charitable ventures became more common after 1730
- E.g. Foundling Hospital and Marine Society for Educating Poor Destitute Boys to the Sea
- 1733 Chapel Royal – Maurice Greene concert of English music for widows and legatees of deceased singers. Featured The Song of Deborah and Barak (Greene oratorio) and Handel/Purcell church music.
- Handel subscribed to charity benefits; revived oratorios such as Acis and Galatea and used sets from theatre runs to attract audiences. JOHN GAY libretto
3
Q
Significance of benefit concerts to Handel
A
- Purpose: charity but also Handel self promotion
- Waning popularity of Italian opera by 1730s meant he needed to switch to oratorio
- Charitable function helped ease debate about whether sacred oratorio was suitable for London theatre
o Theatre for religion seen as blasphemous but charity context might help ease doubts. - E.g. The Choice of Hercules – not strictly religious but religious themes: about pleasure and virtue, and final chorus celebrates heavenly success of virtue.
- Therefore Handel able to appease people who countered new style and gain greater respect.
4
Q
Role/power of castrati
A
- Tight network of singers, patrons and agents allowed famous singers to negotiate main roles in casts
- Stronger presence of castrati in economy of 18th century opera (recent work including Bucciarelli)
- Especially after emancipation from suffocating patronage system
- Shift of artistic power in favour of singer and especially the castrato
- Senesino negotiations with Royal Academy to get primo uomo role
5
Q
Role/power of sopranos
A
- Cuzzoni, prima donna: roles written/changed to highlight her abilities
- Ottone rehearsals: she refused to rehearse one of the arias that didn’t suit her voice, but Handel dragged her to the window and threatened to throw her out if she didn’t sing.
- Reports of her arrogance and tantrums often written about.
- Disputes between sopranos – Cuzzoni and Faustina: 1727 performance they attacked each other on stage. Faustina never allowed back to English stage.
- Relfection of emergence of public sphere and newspapers.
- Difference between power of castrati vs women: women less influence despite similar attitudes to castrati. Plus less economic power.
6
Q
The Beggar’s Opera
A
- 1728, John Gay
- Ballad opera. Made up of different songs and pieces but no recit
- Incorporates street songs, opera arias, hymns: accessible to public
- Plot: haphazard. Low-life tableaux. Satire of Georgian culture in London; notorious crime scene
- Very successful. 62 runs.
- Premiered at Lincoln’s Inn Fields Theatre. Different venue to Haymarket – some similar audiences, however. But the opera blends the two with use of Handel music and parody of London scene.
7
Q
Beggar’s opera - music
A
- Addresses social inequality with broad mix of characters with different social standings.
- E.g. Act III no.13: sung by low-life captain, to the tune of greensleeves
- Included Handel excerpts e.g. march from Rinaldo.
- Interlinking of cultural productions, including street song, opera, popular music theatre.
8
Q
Summary of London culture 1720s
A
- Musical culture in 1720s London a diverse assemblage of high, middle and lower class artistic pursuits.
- Opera as upper class entertainment. Its main attraction was its star singers, who determined its appeal as well as its financial precariousness.
- Other spheres of cultural production included domestic music making, street song, popular music theatre, all interlinked in different ways.
9
Q
Castrati - general
A
- Tended to grow very tall, expansive chests (barrel chests) and long limbs.
- Practice originated in Catholic church in 16th century. Replacing boys with castrati.
- Had greater capacity to sing repertoire
- Castration: dangerous process. Reduced hormone production so voice didn’t drop. But psychological and physiological effects were great.
- Often boys from disadvantaged backgrounds: offered a way out of poverty.
10
Q
Castrati - views of
A
- Carried a mythical power (see the caricature on slide)
- Practice declined after 1730s. Heroic tenor roles replaced them by 19th century.
- Castrati still stood for heroic masculine virtue (despite lack of physical virility) – reimagining images of masculinity in 18th century. More fluid. Occupied middle ground – and as a result were desirable to men and women. Led to gender fluidity in operas – trouser roles etc. Marker of fundamental queerness of opera as an art form, challenging gender norms.
11
Q
Handel’s melting pot style
A
- German recit style + richer orchestra
- French overtures/ballet - time in Paris
- Italian aria style, learned in Hamburg (Almira first opera, while he was there)
12
Q
Giulio Cesare - general
A
- 1724, libretto by Nicola Haym
- Premiered at Haymarket, when Handel was director of the theatre - involved with organisation of London’s operatic scene as well.
- Libretto not strictly factual, to allow for characters to contribute to drama
- Senesino played Caesar and controlled disposition of arias. Cuzzoni was Cleopatra
- Dramatic structure laid out to optimise potential of virtuoso.
13
Q
Caesar - music
A
o Act I aria ‘Empio, diro tu sei’ (Caesar). Rage aria – minor key, furious string activity, diminished intervals, descending runs. Castrati known for agility – but limited range
- o Act II aria ‘V’adoro pupille’ – sung by Cleopatra. Seduction – heightened sense of opera as spectacle. Cleopatra is singing in disguise – onstage orchestra and audience (Caesar). Show within a show. Use of oboe, harp and unusual instrumentation creates other-worldly effect. Structurally, Handel messes with da capo by inserting recitative (of Caesar) between B and return of A section. Reminds us of spectacle. (like Rodelinda)
14
Q
Realism/drama in Handel
A
- Stand and sing - emphasising virtuoso/heroic power
- Stilted acting style. Manual of poses to hold during arias written by Franciscus Lang in 1727
- But some examples of heroic passion set aside for expression of real feelings of everyday people e.g. chi di voi (no da capo - accomp recit)
15
Q
Pocket sheet music
A
- 1725: A Pocket Companion for Gentlemen and Ladies – songbook containing Handel opera arias. Way of domesticating opera. Evidence of intermingling of low and high culture.
- 18th century song sheet: ‘The Ladies Lamentation for ye Loss of Senesino’, ca.1735
- A broadside ballad song sheet, sung to tune of Greensleeves (lower street music printed)
