Opera Books

The Standard Operas

Their Plots and Their Music

By George P. Upton

Author of
“Standard Handbooks on Music,” “Life of Theodore
Thomas,” etc., etc.

New Edition, Enlarged and Revised

By Felix Borowski

Chicago
A. C. McClurg & Co.

1928

TO THE MEMORY

OF

THEODORE THOMAS
MASTER OF. MUSIC

PREFACE

THE object of the compiler of this Handbook is to present the reader a brief but comprehensive sketch of the to operas contained in the modem repertory. To this end he has consulted the best authorities, adding to the material thus collected his own observations, and in each case has presented the story of the opera, the general character of its music, its prominent scenes and numbers, — the latter in the text most familiar to opera-goers, — the date of first performances, with a statement of the original cast whenever it has been possible to obtain it, and such historical information concerning the opera and its composition as will be of interest to the reader. As many new operas have been produced since “The Standard Operas” was first published in 1885, these have been included in the new edition, although it is as yet uncertain whether some of them will become “standard” in the strict sense of the word. In a work of this kind, indeed, the selection of “standard” operas must be somewhat arbitrary. It is difficult to say where the line should be drawn. The writer’s aim has been to acquaint his reader with the prominent operas of the past and the present, assuming that it may be well to know their story and musical construction whether they retain their places upon the stage or not. In preparing the present edition a few operas have been eliminated entirely. Some which appeared in the first edition have been retained for the reason that they were considered masterpieces in their time and may be of reference value to the reader. The work has been prepared for the general public rather than for musicians; and with this purpose in view, technicalities have been avoided as far as possible, the aim being togive musically uneducated lovers of opera a clear understanding of the works they are likely to hear, and thus heighten their enjoyment. To add to their pleasure and recall delightful memories, the new edition has been illustrated generously with portraits of leading artists in their favorite roles. In a word, the operas are described rather than criticised, and presented with as much thoroughness as was possible, considering the necessarily brief space allotted to each. In the preparation of the Handbook the compiler acknowledges his indebtedness to Grove’s “Dictionary of Music,” Baker’s “Biographical Dictionary of Musicians,” Champlin and Apthorp’s “Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians,” and Ramann’s “Opern Handbuch” for dates and other statistical information; and he has also made free use of standard musical works in his library for historical events connected with the performance and composition of the operas. He has sought to obtain accuracy of statement by verification after consultations of the best authors, and to make “Standard Operas” a popular reference for opera-goers. It only remains to submit this work to them with the hope that it may add to their enjoyment and prove a useful addition to their libraries.
G. P. U.
Chicago, June 1913.

PREFACE TO THE REVISED EDITION

IT is scarcely necessary at this time to dwell upon the great well-deserved popularity of Upton’s “ Standard Operas.” For more than forty years a multitude of opera-goers has largely been dependent upon this work for its complete enjoyment of the masterpieces of dramatic composition. For it is certain that an opera cannot be completely enjoyed unless the listener understands its story; and while the interpreters of dramatic music are supposed — academically, at least — to make this story clear to their audiences by means of the text which they are singing and the acting by which they supplement the text, very few vocal artists are able to do so. And even if the enunciation of the singers was sufficiently distinct to bring their words to the ears of the listeners, the use — quite general in this country and in England —of foreign languages for operatic interpretation would cause opera to be unintelligible except to a favored few.
     In providing people who take their artistic pleasures in opera houses with the plots of the works and with a little additional historical and critical information concerning them, George P. Upton was deserving of all gratitude and praise. He deserved both, not only because he did it at all, but because he did it so well.
     Like most other things, opera is subject to change. It has been given to comparatively few dramatic compositions to endure throughout the years, and it has sometimes happened that operas which began with failure — as with Rossini’s “ The Barber of Seville “ — climbed later to brilliant and permanent success. And, inversely, there have been works which, crowned at their premières with the rapturous cries of listeners and many curtain-calls, vanished a few months later to that gloomy and frigid tomb wherein are buried the works that no one wants to hear. There are other operas that have their seasons of public esteem and then, for no other reason than the mutability of taste or fashion, have gone the way of oblivion. Because of this, such a work as “ The Standard Operas” must necessarily take stock from time to time of the dramatic compositions which occupy its pages. The edition previous to this contained a number of operas which have since been dropped from the repertoires of the great companies in New York, Chicago and elsewhere. They have therefore been omitted from the present book; but a balance has been struck by the fact that new operas have found their way into the programs which are drawn up season by season by the impresarios, and occasional revivals have been made of older works. Such new works, or those which have been revived, will be found within these pages.
     It will probably be observed that the additions which have been made by the present editor to “The Standard Operas” run — so far as descriptive matter is concerned — to greater length than has been the case in the majority of Mr. Upton’s contributions to the book. This is due to the circumstance that modern opera depends for its effect as much upon incident and action as upon song. Opera-goers are often puzzled by movements on the stage that have apparently little relevance to the story as a whole. Crowds burst in excitedly upon a scene; a hero suddenly jumps rather unheroically through a window; a heroine is addressed- angrily by some subordinate character on the stage — but the reason for these things is frequently a mystery to those who have not made a careful preliminary study of the libretto. It has been the aim in this, new edition to set forth the significance of action in the plot as well as to describe the plot itself.
     For the rest, the present editor has followed Mr. Upton’s plan in certain operas in the older edition, of giving the list of characters in the works and he has supplemented this by giving also the kind of voice that is required to sing them. A few critical or descriptive remarks are added to each opera this in consonance with Mr. Upton’s plan — and where in a modern composition — as, for instance, in Rimsky-Korsakow’s “Sniegourochka” — the older practice of using set arias has been retained, the names of the arias, etc., are inserted at the proper place in the descriptive text.
     It should be said in conclusion that with the exception of some corrections in the matter of dates, Mr. Upton’s text has been allowed to remain unchanged.
                                                                      FELIX BOROWSKI.
Chicago, November 1927.