ENGLISH OPERA OF THE EIGHTEENTH AND PART OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.
_The Beggar’s Opera_—Arne—Bishop—Balfe—Wallace—Goring
Thomas—Sullivan—Living writers.
We have not much to boast of, so far as English operatic music
is concerned, from the death of Purcell to about the middle of
the nineteenth century. Purcell’s work, in its limited field, was
excellent, but Handel’s powerful personality attracted so much
attention to the Italian methods of composition that no other style
found real favour for many years.
[Sidenote: =The “Beggar’s Opera”=]
Opera, of course, existed in England, but it was of the Italian order:
indeed, there was so much said against the unfortunate English language
as a medium of vocal expression, that native talent had little or no
chance of distinguishing itself. The only work that stands out during
this period as being essentially English was a curious medley of songs
and airs called the _Beggar’s Opera_ produced in 1728, but even
this was arranged by Dr. Pepusch (a German)! The old genuine English
tunes were, however, used in this, and its one or two successors, but
the music is not of a serious type. The airs are simple and simply
harmonized, and make no comparison with the Handel or Buononcini
operas. Moreover, they are so short that we may quote the whole of one
as an example.
Song from “The Beggar’s Opera,” arranged by Dr. Pepusch.
[Music]
Pretty Polly say,
When I was away,
Did your fancy never stray to some newer lover?
Without disguise;
Heaving sighs;
Doating eyes;
My constant heart discovers,
Fondly let me tell,
Fondly let me tell!
O pretty, pretty Poll.
[Sidenote: =Arne, 1710-78=]
One of the first Englishmen to write Opera on the prevalent Italian
model was Thomas Arne, whose chief work was _Artaxerxes_; he also wrote
many masques or plays with incidental music. To us of to-day he is best
known as the reputed author of “Rule Britannia,” and of the popular and
tuneful setting of Shakespeare’s words, “Where the Bee sucks.”
The English style of composition of this period, which is in the
main vigorous, manly, and bold, was not at all suited to the taste
of the fashionable public, who were led to believe that the florid
and effeminate Italian airs were the only tune method of operatic
composition; consequently we are not surprised that native talent was
overlooked and ignored, and that we have nothing to show that will
compare with what was going on in Italy, Germany, and France at a
corresponding period.
Arne’s name is still remembered and his tunes sung, but the same can
hardly be said of his followers and successors, Shield, Storace, Kelly
and others. Although these men attempted dramatic composition in the
style of Arne, they had no very definite model upon which to work,
and they were more successful in the glee and madrigal than in stage
work. We hear some of their songs now and then, but their influence on
national opera was very slight indeed.
[Sidenote: =Bishop, 1786-1855=]
The eighteenth century is indeed a period of blank in English operatic
history, and in spite of the work of Henry Bishop, who wrote effective
concerted numbers, the earlier part of the nineteenth century has but
little more to show. Bishop was content to leave the English “Ballad
Opera” where he found it, although he had the ability to found a
natural school of opera had he had the requisite energy and initiative.
[Sidenote: =Balfe, 1808-1870=]
The first English composer after Arne to produce anything attaining to
real popularity, and to really deserve the name of opera, was Balfe,
who, following an example set by John Barnett in his opera _The
Mountain Sylph_, produced in 1835 _The Siege of Rochelle_, and eight
years later the well-known _Bohemian Girl_. That these operas are not
of a particularly exalted type must be admitted; the airs are tuneful
and mostly commonplace. There can be no comparison, for example,
between the _Bohemian Girl_ and _Faust_, because although both make
a ready and immediate appeal, the artistic standard is much lower in
the English than in the French work. But still the work of Balfe was
an immense advance on the poorly constructed ballad opera that had
hitherto found acceptance, and it helped to pave the way to higher
ideals and better methods.
Type of Balfe’s melody “The Bohemian Girl.”
[Music]
When other lips and other hearts
Their tale of love shall tell,
[Sidenote: =Wallace, 1814-65=]
On about the same plane is Wallace, whose most popular work is
_Maritana_—even more trying to listen to (for the cultured hearer)
than the _Bohemian Girl_. These works, although poor and of no interest
to the musician, yet play a part in the education of the people. Those
quite unenlightened in the forms of opera can make a good start by at
first listening to works of this type; and as their experience grows,
so their taste will undoubtedly improve, and ripen to an appreciation
of better things. The admiration of the crowd for such works as these,
although now less than formerly, is not to be altogether condemned,
seeing that it may in some cases be the means of raising the masses to
an appreciation of something better and more musically satisfactory.
As musical education in England gradually improved, so we find our
composers more artistic in their outlook and more solid in their
work. The operas of Benedict (1804-85) and Macfarren (1813-87),
although seldom performed now, are the output of talented and cultured
musicians, who possessed, moreover, gifts of melody and dramatic
characterization which must not be overlooked. Benedict’s best opera
was _The Lily of Killarney_, produced in 1862.
[Sidenote: =Goring Thomas, 1851-92=]
Greater heights still were reached by Goring Thomas, who wrote
_Esmeralda_ and _Nadeshda_, both works of merit, and from which
excerpts are frequently given in our concert rooms.
[Sidenote: =Sullivan, 1842-1900=]
Last amongst deceased English composers of opera may be named Arthur
Sullivan, who wrote one serious opera, _Ivanhoe_ (1891), and a host
of delightful works of slighter scope to which it is hard to give a
class-name. They are not quite of the opera comique type, nor do they
partake of the farcical nature of “Opera Bouffe.” Perhaps a nondescript
term such as “Light Opera” answers as well as any other to the
charming, harmonious, graceful class of “Singspiel” which found such
favour not only in England, but in the case of some works (such as _The
Mikado_), also on the Continent. Their popularity, immense some twenty
years ago, now appears to be somewhat on the wane; but they are still
models of refinement and of good sound musicianship.
[Sidenote: =Living Writers=]
[Illustration]
More serious attention has, however, been paid to opera in English by
composers still living than by any named in this chapter. To these some
consideration must be given, after we have noticed to some extent the
Wagner operas and their influence.