HOW TO NATIONALIZE OPERA IN ENGLAND.
[*mom AN AMATEUR CORRESPONDENT.] THE review of the Opera season of '44, in a late number of the Spectator, was calculated to be useful, by its impartial but not severe criticism, and its keeping principles in view. The writer, however, incidentally takes up some positions that raise ulterior questions; and if further considerations are sub- mitted, it is less with the purpose of contravening what has been advanced, than of forwarding the common object—the diffusion of the Musical Drama among us, in such manner that it may take root and become native to the soil.
" Shall we ever see," it is asked, "in our lifetime, some approach made to nationalize the management of our truly splendid Italian Opera?" and if not, it is declared, " then will first-rate artists become yet more rare than it is obvious they are becoming." The evils described are evident, and the effecte are perhaps even more serious than is imagined. How much of the supposed caprices of singers may be due to the caprices of the system and its physically exhausting influence ? "Could better be done, then, by any other system of management? Not in connexion with profit. Our Italian Opera could be carried on more advantageously for the art, the corps, and the public, supposing a public provision to be made, (equivalent perhaps to a sum annually voted for some obscure job in Ireland or the Colonies,) in order to sustain experiments in the true spirit of a lyric theatre, regardless of immediate success, and aiming at a renovation of pure principles of art, as nen as a return to a more whole- some appetite on the part of our audiences." This is true ; but it is difficult to get the nation to interpose in special pursuits ; and is that really the sole alternative ? Two other methods of rescuing Opera might be imagined, one immediate and special, the other general and calculated to be permanent. The first might be accomplished by a voluntary effort on the part of the amateur public that owns an interest in Italian Opera; and possibly a transient effort might for a time put things in better train. The popular greediness for quantity is quite characteristic of the English people, and commercial mana- gers ever will be apt to pander to it ; but still it is not the only source of suc- cess. Au opposite principle, that of limited quantity with excellence in selec- tion and quality, when boldly appealed to, has proved successfuL The per- formances at the Olympic Theatre under VESTR15'S management may he in- stanced; also Mr. CHARLES KEMBLE'S Readings from Shakspere; and many writers might give double the quantity of your facetious and free-spoken con- temporary Punch without endangering his present monopoly of passing jest. Still, there is undoubtedly a good deal of high quality in the materiel of the Italian Opera corps as well as quantity in the performances, only the very amount of exertion detracts from the perfection in the result; and the ques- tion is, could the public be shown the absolute perfection for a time, so as to know the difference and to prefer it? Of all sections of the community, per- haps those delighting in Italian music are the wealthiest: why should they not take the matter into their own hands? A society might be formed, to ex- hibit the performance of Opera, not in connexion with profit, but having regard only to the very perfection of art. The best possible company might, on suffi- ciently attractive terms, be engaged to go through a variety of the best operas; persons of the best judgment might be employed to ransack Continental reper- tories, old and new, for the best pieces; the scheme of management might corms prise such arrangements as would enforce temperance with respect to the quan- tity of work done each night, so as to have none of the corrupting gluts and surfeits; such results might be exhibited for a season, possibly at a loss—not impossibly at a profit ; for the great attraction for the most crowded audiences is wont to be the skilful performance of the best operas. But such results realized in any one season would be a practical lesson to managers and public; teaching the public what to demand, the managers what to supply—until vulgar tricks to substitute for real ingenuity and tact a pampering of the silliest weak- ness of the public should recur. A permanent method of resuscitating the Lyric Drama in this country is a far broader and deeper question than it is usually deemed, involving the very nature of music and musical expression. In spite of the penalty threatened in the diminished numbers of fine singers, ills to be doubted whether in England it is practicable, or even reasonable, tonal/ono/ire the management of an /tallars opera. Jealousy of foreigners, indeed, in favour of "native talent," is the idlest thing : some of the most national arts in several countries have been im- ported from abroad,—the poetry of the Romans from Greece ; the painting of Italy also from Greece ; and no art has circulated more freely about Europe, deriving strength from its circuit, and depositing riches in every part, than music. The art should be free of the whole world, without national dis- tinctions. But when it is proposed to " nationalize " in one country a form of music national in another country, one is disposed to ask how that alien shape can concern " the nation "? Italian lyrical music can only be thoroughly understood and felt in conjunction with Italian words : the audience must not only understand Italian but they must be BO far acquainted with the spoken language as to recognize the inflections appropriate to the ex- pression of feeling ; they ought, for that perfect acquaintance, to have been in Italy, or at least to be really familiar with the tongue. But how can any national English audience fulfil such condition? and ifs mere English audience is disqualified from " assisting " at the representation of an Italian Opera, land concern can the nation take in the performance ?
Attempts have been made, not to nationalize, but to naturalize the Italian Opera, by giving the music with translated words; and, in default of English lyrical dramas properly so called, the attempt must be regardid as a boon. But it is founded on a total oversight of the relation between musical ex- pression and spoken national language. It is doubted whether that relation Las been consciously kept in view by English composers; and whether a thorough consciousness of it would not be the key to the formation of a truly National Opera.
A writer on music recently remarked, if we remember tightly, that true melody consists in satisfying the ear by the succession of intervals ; except in the case of French music, which surprises the ear. A Frenchman would be surprised at the imputed surprise; his ear is satisfied. We have heard a -similar thing said by an Italian of Scotch music: a Scotchman's ear only re- cognizes what it might expect ; his ear also is satisfied where the Italian's is surprised. In every spoken language, besides the articulation, which teachers too often treat as the whole of pronunciation, there is an inflection in the tone of voice peculiar to the nation : the leading characteristics of that inflection may be represented in musical notation. In the spoken drama, the author supplies the words, the actor the intonation ; and we all know how much of the entire impression may depend upon intonation. If two people arc heard conversing in another room, you will form a very good guess at their feelings, though not at the precise subject of discussion, by merely hearing the tones of their voices ; especially if they speak with vivacity. Musical expression is a step further : 'the tones of the human voice are paraphrased in symmetrical sounds : the music expresses to you, in a symmetrical form, sounds which in the human being accompany certain feelings. Such is the clue to expression, even in in- strumental, but still more directly in vocal music. Now, inasmuch as the par- ticular kinds of intonation are peculiar to certain countries, the music which is based upon the inflection of one country does not recall the corresponding feelings in another country. There is a limitation to that rule : in so far as certain very broad distinctions of feeling, like grief, joy, or surprise, have cer- tain broad analogies in the expression of most tongues, music based upon a foreign inflection a ill be intelligible. But all the nicer and more piquant shades of expression will be unperceived. A study of music with close refer- ence to the spoken language of each country will soon make the observer aware of the relation on which we here insist. The recitative of ROSSINI'S Operas is a very close but not less lively imitation of the tones which would be beard in the mouth of an Italian speaking the words—vide the animated dia- logue between Arsace and Assur in the duet "E dunque vero" of Semi- ramide, for one of a thousand instances ; the turn of melody in ADDER'S .Alasaniello is excellent spoken French —see the barcarole, " Pecheur, -park bas"; the twang of broad Scotch is literally transferred to the quaint soap of the North—hear Mr. Wrcsow read and sing such songs as "Allister M'Allister," while tender plaints to which love can attune even the same "broad Scotch" may be recognized in " Wae's me for Charlie." Each of these things, to the liberal ear, would sound pleasing all the world over ; and a general vague notion of the expression is to be cultivated easily; but to feel the full and precise force of every turn needs a familiar acquaintance with each tongue as habitually spoken. In the duet mentioned, the haughty and insolent catechizing of Assur falls out in the most natural tones imaginable—to an Italian ear ; but it means nothing particular to the English ear; and when put to English words it is nonsense. It is like the words of Hotspur uttered with a foreign accent. Let the observer who has anything of "an car" read a few specimens of music with reference to this view, and we believe that be will soon perceive how very close is the connexion between musical expression and spoken language; and how much, when dramatic music is put to translated words, it is divorced from true sense and meaning.
Those who have sought to nationalize opera by borrowing Italian or German phrases for "original" English composition, have made a yet more extravagant attempt; they have written dramas on purpose to be spoken with a foreign accent I
It follows that a national lyric drama must be based on the spoken language of the nation, in its most varied, animated, passionate, and untutored accents. BEETHOVEN, we believe, has advised the composer of recitative to listen to good declamation ; but a far better study is the unconscious eloquence of nature. Such was the model for "Old English" music: "Chevy Chase" is the true drawl of a doleful narration; "Down among the dead men " is good round, loyal, tap-room bullying ; "Sally in our alley' is a very fair recitation of the poem. Down to PURCELL, English music is English language. ARNE borrowed the phrase of Italy, and helped to forget his own : his "Soldier tired " is an unintelligible imitation of SACCHINI'S"Rests ingrata"; while his purer 4‘ Blow thou winter's wind" still holds its place, because, if not very powerful, it is more intelligible English. But the music of " Old England "—that is of England before ARNE'S time—was nothing like the cultivated lyric drama of our day : the musician had not sought to express the whole of a high drama in music, uninterrupted. It may be set down as a canon in art, that you may select any medium, but you must be consistent to that medium : you must not blend sculpture and painting; you must paint, not gild the gold in your pic- ture; you must not tint the cheeks of the statue. The breach of the rule is a sign of a barbarous state of art. Music and speech, therefore, should not clash in the drama. Music indeed may be introduced into the spoken drama as an incident ; hut as soon as it becomes part of the staple medium, like the music of our so-called operas, it becomes "unnatural." Take it as the entire medium, and taste is satisfied ; it does not jar even with the " coat-and- waistcoat " comedy of Doss Pasquale. Here then is the key to a method of truly nationalizing Opera. Let a com- poser procure a good English drama in verse ; let him render from the voices around him, in scenes of real joy or grief, pleasure or anger—English voices— the intervals suited to express passions as expressed in England ; and he will present to an English audience the lyric drama now known to the Italian au- dience. It cannot be impossible : seeing of what our tongue was capable in the ruder days of "Old England" before Opera was invented—seeing what LOCK did with the solid verse of SHAESPE RE and MIDDLETON- what PURCELL with the puerile libretto of DRYD EN, it is evident that the language is not what is amiss. Nor has the country altogether lacked compo- vers, even of a highly dramatic turn. But while Italian Opera is confounded with all Lyric Drama, and not regarded only as one national form of it, there will be no progress; the Lyric Drama will be in England a thing upon suffer- ance, enjoyed only by the limited audience that can speak or understand Ita- lian. That the public desire to realize the Drama of Music, the recent efforts of the naturalizing managers, in great part successful though most mistaken, . have proved. What hinders ? Let a libretto be got, we say; and let our . composers study English instead of Italian—what our audiences understand instead of what they do not—what expresses passion to us that hear, not to Italians ten hundred miles off.
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