The Opera: A Sketch of the Development of Opera. With full Descriptions of all Works in the Modern Repertory

In Short

R. A. Streatfeild surveys the historical arc of opera, tracing its migration across Europe and detailing its defining achievements from early Italian origins to late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century masterpieces. He outlines how formal conventions evolved into fluid dramatic forms, evaluating famous composers alongside forgotten talents. By balancing musicological critique with concise plot summaries of the established repertory, the book offers an organized, discerning roadmap to the stage works that captured the public imagination and permanently reshaped Western classical music.

The Story

The chronicle opens with opera’s earliest origins, noting that seventeenth-century Italian works quickly found a welcome at southern German courts. Early pioneers like Heinrich Schütz and Sigmund Staden made tentative attempts at German-language pieces, but devastation from the Thirty Years' War hampered artistic progress. Germany’s first permanent opera house finally opened at Hamburg in 1678, launching a popular public tradition supported by the city's wealthy burghers.

The narrative proceeds to Christoph Willibald von Gluck, whose reforms transformed the medium by balancing melodic beauty with theatrical truth. In works such as Armide, Gluck painted vivid, passionate figures against magical backgrounds, while his Iphigénie en Tauride fully fused dramatic declamation with exquisite musicality. The classical era culminated in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who navigated shifting regional tastes. When German-language productions faltered in Vienna, Mozart adapted Beaumarchais’s Le Nozze di Figaro, turning a complex comedy of intrigue into an enduring theatrical masterpiece.

As the nineteenth century advanced, Ludwig van Beethoven pushed dramatic boundaries with Fidelio. Utilizing the Singspiel structure, Beethoven injected spoken dialogue into tense moments to achieve thrilling, heartbreaking realism. His talent remained heavily symphonic, yet his work exerted a lasting influence over the dramatic composers who followed. Meanwhile, Romantic composers like Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann struggled to find proper dramatic grounding. Schubert’s stage works were frequently hindered by silly librettos, while Schumann’s Genoveva suffered from uniform characterization despite its musical richness.

In France, foreign composers like Giacomo Meyerbeer exercised immense influence by adopting local styles and weaving varied traditions into eclectic grand operas such as Robert le Diable. Yet Richard Wagner ultimately emerged as the central revolutionist of modern opera. Rejecting easy commercial success, Wagner overhauled orchestral textures and thematic structures. In Lohengrin, he used delicate instrumental combinations to contrast spiritual and earthly love, eventually reaching a peak of dramatic intensity in Götterdämmerung, where the fall of Valhalla ushers in a world founded on love.

The survey concludes by examining regional movements across Europe. In France, Charles Gounod and Jules Massenet crafted sensuous, thematic scores, while Italian composers like Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini mastered dramatic intensity—ranging from the raw melodramatics of Il Trovatore to the tragic intimacy of Madama Butterfly. German and Slavonic traditions expanded through figures like Richard Strauss, while English musicians sought to establish a national school, anchored by Sir Arthur Sullivan's comic operas and grand attempts like Ivanhoe.

How It Unfolds

The seed is planted Early seventeenth-century Italian court works cross the Alps, eventually leading Hamburg burghers to establish Germany's first permanent opera house in 1678.

Gluck remakes the stage Reforming classical conventions, Gluck fuses expressive declamation with musical charm, reaching a peak of dramatic balance in Iphigénie en Tauride.

Mozart crafts refined comedy Bowing to Viennese preferences for Italian opera, Mozart collaborates with librettist Da Ponte to turn Beaumarchais’s Le Mariage de Figaro into a vibrant, brilliant success.

Beethoven deepens the drama Using spoken dialogue to heighten tragic tension, Beethoven delivers Fidelio, infusing symphonic development into the traditional Singspiel framework.

Romanticism faces theatrical hurdles Great songcraft does not automatically translate to the stage, as Schubert's weak librettos and Schumann's monotone characterization in Genoveva demonstrate.

Wagner reshapes the art form Turning away from conventional forms, Wagner builds an intricate system of guiding themes and rich orchestration, culminating in the vast cosmic finale of Götterdämmerung.

National schools flourish Late nineteenth-century Italian verismo, French lyricism, and English comic opera establish distinct regional styles, leaving a broad repertory for modern audiences.

The People

• R. A. Streatfeild: The guiding critical voice who evaluates the historical progression, dramatic strengths, and musical flaws of the operatic canon.
• Christoph Willibald von Gluck: The dramatic reformer who strips away empty vocal display to unite musical beauty with emotional truth in works like Armide and Iphigénie en Tauride.
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The versatile master who navigates Viennese court tastes, adapting complex comedic plays into brilliantly structured operatic works.
• Ludwig van Beethoven: The symphonic giant who channelled his talents into Fidelio, using spoken dialogue and rich musical structures to express marital devotion and freedom.
• Richard Wagner: The uncompromising musical revolutionary who discarded traditional conventions to create vast, thematic dramas like Lohengrin and Der Ring des Nibelungen.
• Giuseppe Verdi: The Italian master whose career ranges from the energetic melodrama of Il Trovatore to delicate, psychologically nuanced works like La Traviata.
• Giacomo Puccini: The popular Italian composer who captured global audiences by pairing tragic stories like Madama Butterfly with deeply passionate orchestration.

In Its Own Voice

"The first German opera, strictly so called, was the 'Dafne' of Heinrich Schütz, the words of which were a translation of the libretto already used by Peri." Before permanent opera houses were established, early German attempts relied directly on adapted Italian texts.

"Beethoven's talent was essentially symphonic rather than dramatic, and magnificent as 'Fidelio' is, it has many passages in which it is impossible to avoid feeling that the composer is forcing his talent into an unfamiliar if not uncongenial channel." The author highlights how even towering geniuses faced structural friction when adapting their musical instincts to the demands of the stage.

"The old order yields, giving place to the new. The ancient heaven, sapped by the lust of gold, has crumbled, and a new world, founded upon self-sacrificing love, rises from its ashes to usher in the era of freedom." The dramatic climax of Wagner's Götterdämmerung captures the symbolic and philosophical reach of late Romantic opera.

What It's Really About

At its core, the text investigates how an artistic medium balances dramatic integrity with musical pleasure. It examines the perpetual tension between traditional theatrical formulas and bold artistic innovation. Throughout every era, composers struggled against weak librettos, commercial pressures, and conservative audience tastes. The narrative demonstrates how genuine progress occurs when creators prioritize emotional truth over vocal vanity, transforming opera from courtly spectacle into a profound expression of human feeling and cultural identity.

Why Read It Today

Music lovers, theatergoers, and history enthusiasts will find this chronicle a lucid, deeply informed guide to the classical stage. Reading it feels like walking through an expansive gallery with an articulate curator who explains not only how famous works were constructed, but why certain compositions faded while others endured. Streatfeild offers sharp, balanced assessments, praising true genius without ignoring structural flaws or absurd librettos.

The text carries a few period mannerisms and occasional casual judgments typical of late Victorian musicology, but its prose remains crisp, accessible, and free of dense jargon. It serves as an ideal reference for listeners wanting to understand the narrative arcs, historical contexts, and artistic breakthroughs behind the standard repertory.

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