In Defense of Modern Music preserves, almost by accident, a private debate between Esteban de Arteaga, philosopher of the arts, and Vincenzo Manfredini, composer, singing teacher, and champion of Italian heroic opera in the 1780s. The text comprises Manfredini's unfavorable review of Arteaga's History of Italian Opera from its Origins to the Present Day, Arteaga's tetchy response, and Manfredini's scornful reply. The Defence plays a unique role in the debate on opera that raged across Europe at the time. Formidable personalities engaged in the argument, theorists and philosophers as much as practical men of the theatre. Arteaga followed in the footsteps of Algarotti, Diderot, Rousseau, and Brown in analyzing the state of opera in the Age of Enlightenment. Their theories were tested by the composers Gluck, Jommelli, and Traetta; librettists including Calzabiti and Coltellini; two leading choreographers, Angiolini and Noverre; and designers such as the Galliari Brothers. The Defence traces the noble ideas and achievements of these significant personalities in a casual, subjective, sometimes chaotic commentary, that vividly recreates the manner of 18th-century argument - sometimes fulsomely servile, elsewhere witty and ironic, descending occasionally to insults. This, the first English translation of the text, presents a unique account of an important 18th-century controversy, while shedding light on the language and manners of the period.

In Defense of Modern Music preserves, almost by accident, a private debate between Esteban de Arteaga, philosopher of the arts, and Vincenzo Manfredini, composer, singing teacher, and champion of Italian heroic opera in the 1780s. The text comprises Manfredini's unfavorable review of Arteaga's History of Italian Opera from its Origins to the Present Day, Arteaga's tetchy response, and Manfredini's scornful reply. The Defence plays a unique role in the debate on opera that raged across Europe at the time. Formidable personalities engaged in the argument, theorists and philosophers as much as practical men of the theatre. Arteaga followed in the footsteps of Algarotti, Diderot, Rousseau, and Brown in analyzing the state of opera in the Age of Enlightenment. Their theories were tested by the composers Gluck, Jommelli, and Traetta; librettists including Calzabiti and Coltellini; two leading choreographers, Angiolini and Noverre; and designers such as the Galliari Brothers. The Defence traces the noble ideas and achievements of these significant personalities in a casual, subjective, sometimes chaotic commentary, that vividly recreates the manner of 18th-century argument - sometimes fulsomely servile, elsewhere witty and ironic, descending occasionally to insults. This, the first English translation of the text, presents a unique account of an important 18th-century controversy, while shedding light on the language and manners of the period.

"Italian Literature before 1900 in English Translation provides the most complete record possible of texts from the early periods that have been translated into English, and published between 1929 and 2008. It lists works from all genres and subjects, and includes translations wherever they have appeared across the globe. In this annotated bibliography, Robin Healey covers over 5,200 distinct editions of pre-1900 Italian writings. Most entries are accompanied by useful notes providing information on authors, works, translators, and how the translations were received. Among the works by over 1,500 authors represented in this volume are hundreds of editions by Italy's most translated authors - Dante Alighieri, [Niccoláo] Machiavelli, and [Giovanni] Boccaccio - and other hundreds which represent the author's only English translation. A significant number of entries describe works originally published in Latin. Together with Healey's Twentieth-Century Italian Literature in English Translation, this volume makes comprehensive information on translations accessible for schools, libraries, and those interested in comparative literature."--Pub. desc.

The intricacies and challenges of musical performance have recently attracted the attention of writers and scholars to a greater extent than ever before. Research into the performer's experience has begun to explore such areas as practice techniques, performance anxiety and memorisation, as well as many other professional issues. Historical performance practice has been the subject of lively debate way beyond academic circles, mirroring its high profile in the recording studio and the concert hall. Reflecting the strong ongoing interest in the role of performers and performance, this History brings together research from leading scholars and historians and, importantly, features contributions from accomplished performers, whose practical experiences give the volume a unique vitality. Moving the focus away from the composers and onto the musicians responsible for bringing the music to life, this History presents a fresh, integrated and innovative perspective on performance history and practice, from the earliest times to today.

Provides a pioneering interdisciplinary overview of the literature and music of nine centuriesOffers research essays by literary specialists and musicologists that provides access to the best current interdisciplinary scholarship on connections between literature and musicIncludes five historical sections from the Middle Ages to the present, with editorial introductions to enhance understanding of relationships between literature and music in each periodCharts and extends work in this expanding interdisciplinary field to provide an essential resource for researchers with an interest in literature and other mediaBringing together seventy-one newly commissioned original chapters by literary specialists and musicologists, this book presents the most recent interdisciplinary research into literature and music. In five parts, the chapters cover the Middle Ages to the present. The volume introduction and methodology chapters define key concepts for investigating the interdependence of these two art forms and a concluding chapter looks to the future of this interdisciplinary field. An editorial introduction to each historical part explains the main features of the relationships between literature and music in the period and outlines recent developments in scholarship. Contributions represent a multiplicity of approaches: theoretical, contextual and close reading. Case studies reach beyond literature and music to engage with related fields including philosophy, history of science, theatre, broadcast media and popular culture.This trailblazing companion charts and extends the work in this expanding interdisciplinary field and is an essential resource for researchers with an interest in literature and other media.

The Modern Castrato: Gaetano Guadagni and the Coming of a New Operatic Age chronicles the career of the most significant castrato of the second half of the eighteenth-century. Through a coincidence of time and place, Gaetano Guadagni was on the forefront of the heroic opera reform, and many forward-thinking composers of the age created roles for him. Author Patricia Howard reveals that Guadagni may have been the only singer of the time fully able to understand the demands and opportunities of this reform, as well to possess the intelligence and self-knowledge to realize that it suited his skills, limitations and temperament perfectly--making him the first castrato to embrace the concepts of modern singing. The first full-length biography of this outstanding singer, The Modern Castrato illuminates the everyday lives of eighteenth-century singers while spotlighting the historic high points of the century. Most famous for his creation of the role of Orpheus in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, his career ranged widely and brought him into contact with many progressives theorists and composers such as Traetta, Jommelli, and Bertoni. Howard's focus on the development of Guadagni's career pauses on essential, related topics along the way, such as the castrato in society, the eighteenth-century revolution in acting, and the remarkable evidence for Guadagni's marionette theater. Howard also assesses Guadagni's surviving compositions, which give new insight into the quality and character of his voice as well as his technical and expressive abilities. The Modern Castrato is an engaging narrative that will prove essential reading for opera lovers and scholars of eighteenth-century music.