Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- CHAPTER I PRELIMINARIES
- CHAPTER II SCALES
- CHAPTER III FOLK-MUSIC
- CHAPTER IV INCIPIENT HARMONY
- CHAPTER V PURE CHORAL MUSIC
- CHAPTER VI THE RISE OF SECULAR MUSIC
- CHAPTER VII COMBINATION OF OLD METHODS AND NEW PRINCIPLES
- CHAPTER VIII CLIMAX OF EARLY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
- CHAPTER IX BEGINNINGS OF MODERN INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
- CHAPTER X THE MIDDLE STAGE OF MODERN OPERA
- CHAPTER XI THE MIDDLE STAGE OF “SONATA” FORM
- CHAPTER XII BALANCE OF EXPRESSION AND DESIGN
- CHAPTER XIII MODERN TENDENCIES
- CHAPTER XIV MODERN PHASES OF OPERA
- SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
- INDEX
CHAPTER X - THE MIDDLE STAGE OF MODERN OPERA
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 August 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- CHAPTER I PRELIMINARIES
- CHAPTER II SCALES
- CHAPTER III FOLK-MUSIC
- CHAPTER IV INCIPIENT HARMONY
- CHAPTER V PURE CHORAL MUSIC
- CHAPTER VI THE RISE OF SECULAR MUSIC
- CHAPTER VII COMBINATION OF OLD METHODS AND NEW PRINCIPLES
- CHAPTER VIII CLIMAX OF EARLY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
- CHAPTER IX BEGINNINGS OF MODERN INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
- CHAPTER X THE MIDDLE STAGE OF MODERN OPERA
- CHAPTER XI THE MIDDLE STAGE OF “SONATA” FORM
- CHAPTER XII BALANCE OF EXPRESSION AND DESIGN
- CHAPTER XIII MODERN TENDENCIES
- CHAPTER XIV MODERN PHASES OF OPERA
- SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
- INDEX
Summary
Every form of art has a variety of sides and aspects which appeal to different men in different degrees. A work may entrance one man through the beauty of its colour, while another finds it insupportable for its weakness of design. One may care only for melody, when another is satisfied with grand harmony; one wants artistic skill when another cares only for expression. This is true even of symphonies and sonatas, and such pure examples of human artistic contrivance; but in opera the complication and variety of constituents intensify the situation tenfold, for the elements that have to be combined seem to be almost incompatible. Scenic effect has to be considered as well as the development of the dramatic situations, and the dialogue, and the music. The action and the scenery distract the attention from the music, and the dialogue naturally goes too fast for it. Music, being mainly the expression of states of mind and feeling, takes time to convey its meaning; and in all but the most advanced stages of art the types of design which seem indispensable to make it intelligible require the repetition of definite passages of melody, and submission to rules of procedure which seem to be completely at variance with dramatic effect.
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- Chapter
- Information
- The Art of Music , pp. 233 - 254Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009