the weakness of the flesh, is in effect set against the moral strength, the chaste
love, of Penelope.” The opera is compared to Poppea: both examine issues of
chaste and unchaste love. But the music does not distinguish between these
loves—indeed, “it could actually be exchanged.” Music represented human
passion, “whatever its source.” For another view, see the next item.- Carter, Tim. “‘In Love’s Harmonious Consort’? Penelope and the Interpreta-
tion of Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria.” COJ5-1 (March 1993): 1–16.
Finds no puzzle in Il ritorno;Carter brushes away Rosand’s interpretation
(previous item). The moral of the opera is the reward for “Patience, the power
of love over time and fortune.” Penelope’s refusal to sing rather than speak is
one of the most striking features, “exposing the dramatic and aesthetic dilem-
mas that lie at the very heart of the opera.” Her enclosure in the palace is
shown by her enclosure in a joyless world of recitative. In the happy ending she
does sing “the most stunning aria in the opera.” Thus constancy is celebrated
above all.
See also Osthoff (#1290).
Douglas Moore (1893–1969).
1252a. Weitzel, H. “A Melodic Analysis of Selected Vocal Solos in the Operas of Dou-
glas Moore.” Ph.D. diss., New York U., 1971.
Jean-Joseph Mouret (1682–1738)
Les festes de Thalieand Les amours de Ragondeare in FO,v.30.- Viollier, Renée. J.-J. Mouret, le musicien des grâces, 1682–1738.Paris: Floury,
- 236p. ML410 .M94 V8.
Life and works, with genesis, program notes, and reception of the operas.
Worklist, musical examples, bibliography, no index.
1254.Jean-Joseph Mouret et le théâtre de son temps: Actes des Journées
d’Études.. .Aix-en-Provence: CAER, 1983. 177p. ISBN 2-8266-0860-6.
ML410 .M94 J4.
Six papers presented at a conference in Aix-en-Provence, 28–29 April 1982.
One is on opera: Gérard le Coat, “L’expression des affects chez Jean-Joseph
Mouret: Le triomphe des senscome étude de cas.” It describes the use of
melodic, harmonic, dynamic, and “syntactic” means to expression. The book
also has a worklist by François Gervais.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
Editions - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. Neues Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke. Kassel: Bären-
reiter, 1955–. M3 .M9392.
Issued by the Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum Salzburg. All the stage works
have been published, in series 2. For a description see Mozart Compendium
240 Opera