A Second Book of Operas | Page 4

Edward Krehbiel

CONTENTS AND INDEX
CHAPTER I
BIBLICAL OPERAS
England and the Lord Chamberlain's censorship, et Gounod's "Reine de
Saba," The transmigrations of "Un Ballo in Maschera," How
composers revamp their music, et seq,--Handel and Keiser, Mozart and
Bertati, Beethoven's readaptations of his own works, Rossini and his
"Barber of Seville," Verdi's "Nebuchadnezzar," Rossini's "Moses,"
"Samson et Dalila," Goldmark's "Konigin von Saba," The Biblical
operas of Rubinstein, Mehul's "Joseph," Mendelssohn's "Elijah" in
dramatic form, Oratorios and Lenten operas in Italy, Carissimi and Peri,
Scarlatti's oratorios, Scenery and costumes in oratorios, The passage of
the Red Sea and "Dal tuo stellato," Nerves wrecked by beautiful music,
"Peter the Hermit" and refractory mimic troops, "Mi manca la voce"
and operatic amenities, Operatic prayers and ballets, Goethe's criticism
of Rossini's "Mose,"

CHAPTER, II
BIBLE STORIES IN OPERA AND ORATORIO
Dr. Chrysander's theory of the undramatic nature of the Hebrew, his
literature, and his life, Hebrew history and Greek mythology, Some
parallels, Old Testament subjects: Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, The
"Kain" of Bulthanpt and d' Albert, "Tote Augen," Noah and the Deluge,
Abraham, The Exodus, Mehal's "Joseph," Potiphar's wife and Richard
Strauss, Raimondi's contrapuntal trilogy, Nebuchadnezzar, Judas
Maccabseus, Jephtha and his Daughter, Judith, Esther, Athalia,
CHAPTER III
RUBINSTEIN AND HIS "GEISTLICHE OPER"
Anton Rubinstein and his ideals, An ambition to emulate Wagner, The
Tower of Babel," The composer's theories and strivings, et seq.--Dean
Stanley, "Die Makkabaer," Sulamith," Christus," "Das verlorene
Paradies," "Moses," Action and stage directions, New Testament
stories in opera, The Prodigal Son, Legendary material and the story of
the Nativity, Christ dramas, Hebbel and Wagner, Parsifal,"
CHAPTER IV
"SAMSON ET DALILA"
The predecessors of M. Saint-Saens, Voltaire and Rameau, Duprez and
Joachim Raff, History of Saint-Saens's opera, et seq.--Henri Regnault,
First performances, As oratorio and opera in New York, An inquiry
into the story of Samson, Samson and Herakles, The Hebrew hero in
legend, A true type for tragedy, Mythological interpretations,
Saint-Saens's opera described, et seq.--A choral prologue, Local color,
The character of Dalila, et seq.--Milton on her wifehood and patriotism,
"Printemps qui commence," "Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix," Oriental
ballet music, The catastrophe,
CHAPTER V

"DIE KONIGIN VON SABA"
Meritoriousness of the book of Goldmark's opera, Its slight connection
with Biblical story, Contents of the drama et seq.--Parallelism with
Wagner's "Tannhauser," First performance in New York, Oriental
luxury in scenic outfit, Goldmark's music,
CHAPTER VI
"HERODIADE"
Modern opera and ancient courtesans, Transformed morals in
Massenet's opera, A sea-change in England, Who and what was Salome?
Plot of the opera, Scenic and musical adornments, Performances in
New York, (footnote).
CHAPTER VII
"LAKME"
Story of the opera, et seq.--The "Bell Song," Some unnecessary English
ladies, First performance in New York, American history of the opera,
Madame Patti, Miss Van Zandt Madame Sembrich Madame Tetrazzini,
Criticism of the drama, The music,
CHAPTER VIII
"PAGLIACCI"
The twin operas, "Cavalleria rusticana" and "Pagliacci," Widespread
influence of Mascagiii's opera, It inspires an ambition in Leoncavallo,
History of his opera, A tragic ending taken from real life, et
seq.--Controversy between Leoncavallo and Catulle Mendes, et
seq.--"La Femme de Tabarin," "Tabarin" operas, The "Drama Nuevo"
of Estebanez and Mr. Howells's "Yorick's Love," What is a Pagliaccio?
First performances of the opera in Milan and New York, The prologue,
et seq.--The opera described, et seq.--Bagpipes and vesper bells,
Harlequin's serenade, The Minuet, The Gavotte, Plaudite, amici, la

commedia finita est!" Philip Hale on who should speak the final words,
CHAPTER IX
"CAVALLERIA RUSTICASTA"
How Mascagni's opera impressed the author when it was new, Attic
tragedy and Attic decorum, The loathsome operatic brood which it
spawned, Not matched by the composer or his imitators since,
Mascagni's account of how it came to be written, et seq.--Verga's story,
et seq.--Story and libretto compared, The Siciliano, The Easter hymn,
Analysis of the opera, et seq.--The prelude, Lola's stornello, The
intermezzo, "They have killed Neighbor Turiddu!"
CHAPTEE X
THE CAREER OF MASCAGNI
Influence of "Cavalleria rusticana" on operatic composition,
"Santuzza," a German sequel, Cilea's "Tilda," Giordano's "Mala Vita,"
Tasca's "A Santa Lucia," Mascagni's history, et seq.--Composes
Schiller's "Hymn to Joy," "Il Filanda," "Ratcliff," "L'Amico Fritz," "I
Rantzau," "Silvano," "Zanetto," "Le Maschere," "Vistillia," "Arnica,"
Mascagni's American visit,
CHAPTEE XI
"IRIS"
The song of the sun, Allegory and drama, Story of the opera, et
seq.--The music, et seq.--Turbid orchestration, Local color, Borrowings
from Meyerbeer,
CHAPTER XII
"MADAMA BUTTERFLY"
The opera's ancestry, Loti's "Madame Chrysantheme," John Luther

Long's story, David Belasco's play, How the failure of "Naughty
Anthony" suggested "Madame Butterfly," William Furst and his music,
Success of Mr. Belasco's play in New York, The success repeated in
London, Brought to the attention of Signor Puccini, Ricordi and Co.
and their librettists, "Madama Butterfly" fails in Milan, The first casts
in Milan, Brescia, and New York, (footnote) Incidents of the fiasco,
Rossini and Puccini, The opera revised,