The operas of Leonardo Vinci, Napoletano / Kurt Markstrom.
| Author/creator |
Markstrom, Kurt Sven, 1954- |
| Format | Book and Print |
| Publication Info | Hillsdale, NY : Pendragon Press, ©2007. |
| Description | xx, 394 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm. |
| Subject(s) |
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| Series | Opera series ; no. 2 Opera series (Pendragon Press) ; no. 2. ^A587846 |
| Contents | The early years. Establishing a date and place of birth ; Strongoli and its princes ; Vinci and the Conservatorio dei Poveri di Gesu Cristo ; A student at the conservatory ; Leaving the conservatory and the Sansevero appointment ; The cantatas -- Vinci and the Commedia per musica. Initial success ; he Neapolitan Commedia per Musica ; The first surviving Commedia per Musica ; Li zite 'ngalera and its opera buffa anticipations ; The Commedia per Musica abandoned -- Transfer to the heroic theatre. The Rosary oratorio ; First essay in the Dramma per Musica ; The last palace premiere ; Silla Dittatore: Act I and alternate arias ; The intermezzo Albino e Plautilla ; Vinci and the Roman carnival ; Lucchini's Farnace ; Farnace: variety with a vengeance ; Extended stay in Rome -- Stampiglia's heroic comedies. Papal celebrations and the final Commedia ; Collaboration with old Stampiglia ; Eraclea and the spirit of terpsichore ; First Venetian commissions ; La Rosmira fedele and Faustina ; Partenope and Vinci's debt to Sarro ; Elpidia and the English connection ; Parma and the return to Naples ; The court appointment -- The first collaborations with Metastasio. Salvi's Astianatte and Racine's Andromaque ; Astianatte: the opening scenes ; Vinci and Metastasio's Roman triumph ; Didone abbandonata: dominance of the title role ; Handel caught 'stealing' ; Mad dash to Venice ; Siroe re di Persia and the accolades of Quantz ; Miserere and farewell to Venice -- Gothick histories, political allegories and assorted scandals. Ernelinda and La fede tradita ; Ernelinda's maddening dilemma ; The Moliere intermezzo ; A 'Polish' opera for a runaway Polish princess ; Gismondo re di Polonia: the lead roles -- Stampiglia, Metastasio and the Roman republic. A scantily revised La caduta de 'Decemviri ; La caduta de 'Decemviri: a study in contrasts ; Flacco/Servilia: comic scenes and intermezzo ; An opera for Giovanni Battista Pinacci ; And he chose a subject 'to please the Romans' ; Catone in Utica: the tragic hero and his daughter ; Catone revisions and revivals -- The wedding at Parma. Fratello Leonardo ; Congregazione del Rosario ; Frugoni's wedding opera ; Medo: baggage arias, entrance arias, and Ringhini's sets ; The gala equestrian ballet ; An opera for the new viceroy ; Metastasio's Roman/Venetian premieres ; Semiramide riconosciuta: Act II confrontation and aftermath ; New impresarios at the delle dame ; A second Farnace -- The triple collaboration with Metastasio. The dauphin's birthday cantata ; Two operas for the price of one ; Alessandro and the quarrelling lovers ; Berenstadt's snuff caper ; Artaserse: Gretry's critique expanded ; The Artaserse revivals -- Death and posthumous fame. Vinci, Hasse and Metastasio ; Sorting through the death records ; Vinci 'Il Giocatore' ; A love vendetta? ; Vinci's 'Grosso Frego' and the siren's sword-wielding 'Protettore' ; Poison ; Vinci in memoria. |
| Abstract | The Neapolitan composer Leonardo Vinci represented to posterity by two jovial caricatures and a grisly 19th-century portrait, produced a string of successful operas during a brief career of little more than a decade. He died mysteriously amid rumors of poison, and was hailed by connoisseurs of the later 18th century as one of the originators of the modern Classical style. According to Charles Burney, Vinci seems to have been the first opera composer who, without degrading his art, rendered it the friend, though not the slave to poetry, by simplifying and polishing melody and calling the audience's attention to the voice part by liberating it from fugue, complication, and labored contrivance. Further, Burney maintained that Vinci's strong commitment to poetry caused him to forge a new musical style, making him one of the most innovative and influential composers of the 18th century. It was with the ultimate poet of the dramma per musica, Pietro Metastasio, that Vinci produced his greatest works: Didone abbandonata, Siroe re di Persia, Catone in Utica, Semiramide riconosciuta, Alessandro nell'Indie, and Artaserse. After the composer's death in 1730, his mantle was taken up by his disciple Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, whose music carried the Vinci style to all corners of the world. In this comprehensive and seminal study of one the early geniuses of opera, Kurt Markstrom describes in careful and loving detail, the qualities in Vinci's work that reflected the monumental stylistic changes occurring in the early 1700s in Italy. This important volume should take its place on the shelves of all scholars and amateurs of opera. |
| General note | Originally presented as the author's dissertation (doctoral)--University of Toronto, 1993. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 349-374) and indexes. |
| LCCN | 2006032306 |
| ISBN | 1576471101 (alk. paper) |
| ISBN | 9781576471104 (alk. paper) |
| ISBN | 1576470946 (pbk.) |
| ISBN | 9781576470947 (pbk.) |
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