Opera has always represented more than mere entertainment; it has represented a reflective index of society’s power and status constructs. Looking at three case studies, this paper will show how composers used musical language as a representation on ethical concerns of society during their time. Beginning with Monteverdi's L’Orfeo in 1607 and through to Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro in 1786 and Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen in the 1850s and 1870s, each epoch of opera history represents a different construct for sound and power. Monteverdi blended divine order and musical harmony; harmony became equality in Mozart’s works; and Wagner reinvented power in relation to national will. The final project will examine how political ideologies and social constructions are immanent in harmony and performance. The works of Kotnik and others will illustrate how opera has developed in direct relation to Europe's shifting ideologies of power—from holy power to human reason to collective will. By comparing and contrasting these case studies, this paper will demonstrate not only the reflective purpose of opera when it comes to political change, but also how it has actively shaped the public understanding of power, class, and equality.

Statement of the problem. Opera as an art form is shaped through the interaction of various factors: the creativity of composers, the performance skills of singers, and audience perception. In this context, the opera house functions as an important institution and a center for creative exchange and innovation. Objectives, methods, and novelty of the research. The purpose of the article is to disclose the role of opera houses in the development of opera art. The focus of the study is the Teatro di San Carlo (Naples), which played a significant role in the emergence of the bel canto style but has not yet attracted the attention of researchers, which determines the novelty of the chosen topic. The study is based on the principle of historicism, which makes it possible to consider the San Carlo Theatre as part of the broader development of Western European musical culture. Research results. Naples is a landmark city in the history of Western European culture, influenced by its geographical and political conditions. The Neapolitan dialect is still widely used today, having contributed to a unique song tradition. Naples also played an important role in the development of professional art education, as the first specialized institutions – conservatories – appeared here in 1537,which were crucial in shaping bel canto, which defined the success of Italian opera on a European scale. A key element in this process is the San Carlo Theatre, founded in 1737. It collaborated with prominent composers (Leonardo Ortensio Salvatore de Leo, Nicola Antonio Giacinto Porpora, Baldassarre Galuppi) and performers (Carlo Broschi, Gaetano Majorano). It can be assumed that the works written for the Teatro di San Carlo captured the prevailing ideal of the vocal voice at the time, which in turn influenced the work of subsequent generations of composers. Three composers, whose contributions are considered pivotal in the history of opera – Gioachino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Vincenzo Bellini – worked with the San Carlo Theatre, completing the formation of the classical bel canto style and its corresponding vocal technique. It has been found that today the theatre no longer serves as a central hub for the development of operatic art. An analysis of the current repertoire suggests that the management does not prioritize the promotion of classical bel canto operas. However, the theatre hosts an Academy for Opera Singers, where renowned artists teach: sopranos Mariella Devia and Maria Giovanna Agresta, baritone Luca Salsi, and bass Michele Pertusi, all of whom belong to the Italian vocal school and include a significant number of bel canto roles in their repertoire. Conclusion. The study of the history of San Carlo – one of the oldest European opera houses – allows us to draw the following conclusions. 1. The opera house, as a social institution, is a vital component of the musical culture system, primarily because it is a point of intersection (communication) between composers, performers, and listeners. This makes the activities of theatres influential in shaping the values of the opera industry and in establishing or adjusting performance standards. 2. Like other phenomena of human existence, the history of the San Carlo Theatre, from its founding to the present day, has undergone several stages, the most prominent of which was the era of classical bel canto opera.

This article is devoted to the polonaise aria ‘Pria che all’amato bene’, crucial to the history of opera in Warsaw under the reign of King Stanislaus Augustus, but which has been known hitherto solely from the text preserved in Warsaw prints and from evidence of its popularity at that time. Brought to Warsaw by an Italian company active here between 1774 and 1776 as part of Antonio Sacchini’s opera Il finto pazzo per amore, it was written for the Dresden production of that opera (1769) by Johann Gottlieb Naumann, and then added to his Venetian opera Ipermestra (1774). It presents some of the features typical of the Dresden polonaise style, but they are less prominent than in Saxon instrumental polonaises.

This article analyzes the reforms carried out by the outstanding performer Yuan Xuefen in Chinese Yue opera and her reflections on the ways of developing the genre. From the moment Yuan Xuefen debuted as a leading actress in 1936, she acquired profound mastery in performing traditional Yue opera. She recorded the first gramophone record in the history of this opera with a woman in the leading role — Fang Yuniang Weeps at the Pagoda (《方玉娘哭塔》), which received a wide public response. Beginning in 1942, she turned to the search for ways to modernize traditional Yue opera, creating a series of classic characters, including Xianglin Sao (祥林嫂) in the play of the same name and Jidi (季娣) in the performance Love of Mountains and Rivers (《山河恋》). From the standpoint of the 21st century, in her career, Yuan Xuefen did not blindly adhere to established canons. She carried out innovative reforms in the areas of musical melodies, dramaturgy, and stage expression. The article uses a combination of literature analysis and historical narrative methods. The work is divided into three parts: the first part presents Yuan Xuefen's activities in the history of traditional Yue opera; the second part provides a detailed analysis of the reforms she conducted after 1942 to modernize traditional Yue opera; the third part considers the profound influence of her stage work on contemporary Yue opera art. The novelty of this study lies in the systematic integration of Yuan Xuefen's creative path, through which it was possible to identify specific mechanisms for synthesizing traditional elements of Yue opera with innovative approaches of that time in musical accompaniment, dramaturgy, scenography, and acting skills. The article also presents an integrative theoretical model that combines the traditional aesthetic foundations of Yue opera with Yuan Xuefen's innovative reformist approaches. The model demonstrates how the fusion of cultural heritage and innovative solutions in music, dramaturgy, and stage embodiment ensures the sustainable development of the genre and serves as a methodological basis for further research.

By investigating research from a number of sources, this paper seeks to provide evidence that opera can be used to communicate political opinions and that it, in fact, has been used to do so in the past. Operas from the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries in England are the main focus. After a brief explanation of the origins of opera and its arrival in England, the methods and motivations of composers who included political propaganda in their works are discussed. A summary of the political state of England is included to provide background for the dissection of Handel’s Arianna in Creta and Porpora’s Arianna in Nasso which are used to supply specific examples of politics’ role in opera. In light of the history of opera, the methods and intentions of composers, and the political status of Great Britain during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, the analysis of these two operas suggests their integration of political propaganda. The author concludes that not every opera is a vehicle for propaganda but that every opera should be carefully evaluated to determine if there is political intent.

The background of this paper is the decline of traditional opera. One of the reasons for the decline of traditional opera is that the current opera stage is alienated from the literary and cultural connotations of opera. This has led to the loss of the popularity of opera art among modern audiences, and thus it is in a difficult situation. Traditional opera has alienated the glorious achievements and artistic classics of the glorious history of opera, actively distanced itself from the spirit of the times and the current social life, abandoned the original social function of opera art, and thus abandoned modern audiences. This paper believes that the birth of opera classics is inseparable from its attention to the problems of the times, and the operas that have been passed down through the ages are the concentrated embodiment of the spirit of the times. Therefore, modern opera creation and opera adaptation should learn from it and take the concern for the times as an important cornerstone of the revival of opera. Based on many successful cases of opera adaptation, it will be found that as long as opera integrates the factors of the times and pays attention to artistry and literariness, it can impress modern audiences. Therefore, this paper believes that new operas should consciously use modern thinking to deal with historical themes, pay attention to current real life, and pay attention to literariness and artistry. This is an important way for traditional opera to move towards reality and gain wide recognition.

Giuseppe Verdi was a towering figure in the world of opera, the rise of nationalism in the 19th century had a profound impact on Verdi's work. This article aims to conduct an in-depth analysis and exploration of Verdi's contribution to opera in the 19th century, which pioneered the diversification of romantic styles. The study of Verdi's creative biography is more than a historical exercise, it provides valuable insights into the composer's creative process. By studying the evolution of his work through documentary analysis, we can better understand the interplay between personal experience, social influence, and artistic vision, and then use actual interpretations of the work to gain insights that lead to a deeper understanding of Verdi's creation. Research has found that his operas were landmark advances in the social context of the 19th century. He continues to fascinate musicians and audiences throughout the ages with his emotional power, dramatic intensity and musical innovation, works and settings that have established his status as one of the greatest composers in the history of opera.

Abstract Charles Montagu (c.1662–1722), Earl (later Duke) of Manchester, played an important role in furthering the establishment of Italian-style opera in London. He gained knowledge of opera and continental singers and musicians on his Grand Tour and three diplomatic missions abroad. This article prints relevant portions (some for the first time) from his correspondence and other printed and manuscript sources to expand our knowledge of his involvement with opera in London, Vienna, France and Italy. The correspondence suggests why his advice and assistance were sought by John Vanbrugh and later by the Royal Academy of Music and adds to our knowledge of the history of opera in London in its so-called ‘critical decade’. Most important was his mission to Venice in 1707–8. Although no evidence has emerged that Manchester met Handel in Venice or extended to him an invitation, he was responsible for the recruitment of Nicola Grimaldi (called ‘Nicolini’), painters and other singers to London. Even at this early stage, opera in London was part of an operatic system that extended across Europe, involving not only musicians and impresarios but also ministers of state and foreign diplomats.

In the 20th century, the composer’s music score acquired the status of the firmest and almost sacred core of the opera in stage performance. Battles between traditionalists and Regieoper lovers are still ongoing both online and offline. However, oaths of allegiance to it and accusations of wrongdoing against it show that it is almost impossible to maintain the inviolability of the score in theater practice. The history of opera presents various approaches to this problem. From the birth of the art of opera, the composer was an equal contributor to the show, just like the set designer, stage manager, or impresario. However, their position underwent changes until the 19th century when the phenomenon of repertoire theater emerged, and the operatic canon began to establish itself. From then on, music started to be considered a sacred element of every opera evening. Nevertheless, even the most traditionalistic opera houses nowadays modify the original scores by removing especially long passages, changing original arias, and rewriting default music or text.This article o5ers a historical essay on the relationship between composers and the opera industry, and discusses types of modifications to opera scores, such as cuts, inserts, and the pasticcio phenomenon.

Determined to resuscitate its Ópera Italiana, Madrid serendipitously engaged no less a figure than Saverio Mercadante (1795-1870) to direct its inaugural season, in April 1826. As its first celebrity composer in recent memory, he spearheaded important successes that reaffirmed the institution’snecessity and enduring popularity, within weeks. Historians record Ópera Italiana’s adaptation to Spain’s theatres as an imposition of foreign ideals on autochthonous culture. However, deeper analysis of Mercadante’s Iberian sojourn uncovers a seemingly not hegemonic (not to mention less -than- opportunistic) rationale for furnishing new operas during this five-year period. His oft-stylized efforts contrast with his subsequent quest for style-maturity, betraying instead, a penchant for couleur locale and autochthonous subject matter (literary and historical). Thus, I due Figaro (Madrid, 1826) and Don Chisciotte (Cadiz, 1830), demonstrate Mercadante’s characteristic concern for audience appeal, and personal conviction to serve Spain’s theatrical interests. Within this new socio-cultural context, various elements of Spanish musical idiom are deftly employed, to further the composer’s agenda to advance taste-formation by providing innovations to conventional opera with which Spanish audiences would readily identify. Consequently, he occasionally revisited this idiom in other works to the end of his life- long career.Until now, elusive sources and sporadic interest have prevented the emergence of a cohesive account and assessment of this aspect of Mercadante’s legacy, as being of import to the development of Spain’s national romantic lyric genres. Notwithstanding ambitious and highly publicised efforts leading to the two operas’ revival in recent decades, the continuing absence of both a competent, comprehensive Mercadante biography and history of opera in Spain during this seminal period continue giving rise to much scholarly conjecture and misinterpretation of historical events. Seeking to redress some of these imbalances over several decades of individual research (of which this study forms but a part), we explore the nature of Mercadante’s continued ensuing inclination towards ‘Spanishness’ and establish its rationale. Originally a question of the composer’s professionally motivated objective in incorporating local influences into his work for Spanish audiences, the compositional aspect of skill acquired via his innovations prevails beyond his presence in Spain. An examination of the material he left for the Spanish-character operas and subsequent works, in necessarily selective but salient examples, identify their sources of inspiration. Regarding the national genre question, interpreting available press and musical sources bespeaking these works provides evidence that the contribution of Mercadante was still engaged in Spain long after his ultimate 1831 departure. Regardless of prevailing inconclusive judgments, Mercadante’s hitherto unrecognized influence deserves serious reconsideration. Bysystematically extracting the circumstances of the Iberian career segment and opus from historical obscurity into a new narrative, this study aims to facilitate their restoration to the proper context and reveal implications for further scholarship.

The article brings to the spotlight Latvian tenor Arthur Cavara (Artūrs Priednieks-Kavara, 1901–1979), one of the most outstanding Latvian operatic tenors of the 20th century in the context of his international career successfully developed in Germany in the 1930s. In both the recently established Latvian Republic and Europe, the interwar period was a very intensive and, at the same time, very contradictory time due to the historical conditions, social processes and political regimes, but it was also the time of opportunities when one of the centres of art life longed for by Baltic musicians was Berlin. Arthur Cavara was one of a few Latvian singers gifted with unique voice qualities, working capacity and a vast repertoire, who managed to develop a successful career on operatic stages in Berlin in a very short time, thus engraving his name in European opera history of the interwar period. In 1927 the young opera choir singer from Liepāja was not hired by Latvian National Opera, and he decided to go to Berlin to study vocal art with Louis Bachner (1882–1945). In a few years, Priednieks-Kavara developed a successful operatic career in Germany, becoming one of the leading tenors of Krolloper un Die Deutsche Staatsoper in Berlin, participating in guest performances in other countries, including South America, and finally, he was critically acclaimed in Latvia, too. The Second World War and related circumstances stopped the singer’s career at its peak, Cavara, together with his family, emigrated first to Germany, a well-known country to him, and afterwards to the USA, where he worked as a vocal coach and opera director. A great deal of facts regarding the life of Latvian tenors in Berlin was documented in letters published in Latvian press of the interwar period and autobiographical works by another opera singer and writer Mariss Vētra (1901–1965), who often met Cavara both in Germany and Latvia. The article traces the career of Cavara until the emigration in 1944.

«Othello» G. Verdi – A. Boito as a game of chess

The article is devoted to the history of opera and symphonic conducting, considered through the prism of correlation of professionalism and gender. The facts of women’s mastering the conductor's profession in the second half of XIX - the first half of XX centuries (J. Aman-Weinlich, C. Gonzaga, E. Leginska, F. Petrides, A. Brico, F. Belinfante, V. Kapralova) are presented, which are considered as the evidence of gradual sociocultural changes, caused by the feminism processes in USA and Western Europe. The study highlights the activities of the first domestic female conductors (E. Slavinskaya, O. Berg, V. Dudarova, M. Heifetz), possible due to the drastic political, economic and cultural reforms in the USSR. The author identifies the problem of “female conducting” connected with socio-political, psychological, and socio-cultural patriarchal traditions as a manifestation of gender asymmetry in the sphere of academic conducting.

Furious Feedback and the Revolutionary Ode to Noise

The paper considers the poetics of opera as a factor in ensuring genre self-identification during over four centuries of opera history. It focuses on the root sources of opera related to the system of musical and theatrical genres. With the emergence of opera at the turn of the seventeenth century, its poetics was formed simultaneously in two versions: in the verbal texts and explanations and in the system of linguistic and expressive means of the works. The idea of the conditional existence of three different stories of opera is suggested. Each system is built depending on which components are the main focus when considering the historical material. There is opera as a “chanted drama”, opera as a genre of vocal-instrumental music, and finally, opera as one of the independent types of theatrical art. The three main elements of opera poetics and the functions of each of them are revealed on the example of the analysis of the sixth work in the history of the genre and the first truly classical example, the opera L’Orfeo byClaudio Monteverdi. If the opera characteristic vocal language and sung dialogues became a purely operatic innovation, two other elements of opera poetics used in this opera were actively developed throughout history: instrumental music, as well as choral and ensemble scenes. Thus, opera poetics is associated with constant flexible interaction of the laws of dramatic, musical, and theatrical arts.

From Medieval Romance to Contemporary Opera: Philosophy, Allegory, Eros

Making an American Opera Career: Conductor May Valentine (1890–1974) and a Woman's Role(s) in the Business of Opera

The beginnings of opera history are usually associated with Euridice by Ottavio Rinuccini and Jacopo Peri as the first staged and preserved example of the genre. Not many people know that Euridice was by no means the main event during the wedding celebrations in honour of Maria de’ Medici and King Henry IV of France in 1600, to which the opera was timed. The audience was much more drawn to the opera Il rapimento di Cefalo (The Abduction of Cephalus) by Giulio Caccini, a direct rival of Peri. As the music has not completely survived, we know about Il rapimento di Cefalo mainly from the reviews of contemporaries. Historical materials allow us to recreate the genesis of the opera, which is inseparable from the history of opera as a genre. The reported study focuses on personal ambitions, court intrigues, and the rivalry between the Florentines and Emilio de Cavalieri. It also explores similar other factors without which the genre of opera would have taken a different historical path. Besides, the article describes the political and cultural landscape at the court of Ferdinando de’ Medici. The history of Caccini’s opera is analyzed against the general backdrop of Florentine musical art of the last quarter of the 16th century.

The article is focused on certain critical questions of the position of early Italian opera in contemporary culture. For a long time both performers and scholars considered it as an outdated genre meriting only historical interest. This state of affairs began to change in the 1970s, when a series of facsimiles prepared by Garland Publishing revealed a certain number of published opera scores and librettos. Over the past 50 years, three trends have emerged in the scholarly approach to early Italian operas. The first is that of deconstruction of the prevailing and largely erroneous stereotypes. The second is that of reconstruction, filling in the gaps of knowledge (compilation of encyclopedias, catalogues, works on the history of opera, and monographs about composers). The third is that of interpretation of the 17th- and 18th-century European musical and theatrical heritage in the context of culture and style. In this regard, a special position is held by the issue of performance interpretation. The postmodern era has transformed the early opera from an antique rarity into a topical musical and theatrical phenomenon. The dimension has opened up for directorial experiments aimed at projecting this genre onto the topical problems of today, bringing it closer to the perception of the mass of listeners – each and every one. The plotlines based on ancient myths and historical legends, conventional comedic and farcical situations referring to the earliest literary specimens are easily adapted to the realities of the modern theater: one convention becomes replaced by another, the wigs and camisoles of the 18th-century singers are replaced by army camouflage. Most of these productions provide interpretations not so much of the early opera as such, but particularly of us, bringing our own existential fears and ambitions onto the stage, playing on our political sympathies and antipathies. But there also exists an opposite side. It finds expression in the manner of singing and instrumental playing which comes close to the norms of three and four centuries ago, i.e., historical performing practice, which in our conditions is perceived by everyone as exquisite, designed for the refined taste of the elite, and in this sense of the “aristocratic” listener, rather than the general masses. Thus, in many cases there arises a combination, which is paradoxical in its essence – an unreasonable duality. Interpretation of the essence of early Italian opera is becoming acutely relevant as the path for this art to regain its previously lost artistic integrity.

Yimeng Mountain, a Chinese national opera, is a dazzling star in the history of opera. It is well known by the majority of music teachers and students because of its beautiful melody and exciting plot. The national tenor Aria "aiyongzai", as the aria of one of the excellent hero "Lin Sheng", is difficult to sing, long in length, requires high singing skills and has great artistic value. As a student in the art direction of piano accompaniment, the coordination and tacit understanding between piano accompaniment and vocal singers, It is particularly important to complete a work with high quality. The author will start with the creation of Yimeng Mountain, and then the creation background of Aiyong, to specifically analyze the characteristics and performance analysis of piano accompaniment texture. Finally, combined with the author's own professional direction, the author will explore the ability and quality that should be possessed as a piano accompaniment art guidance direction, and rely on his own personal practice to analyze the cooperation with vocal singers.