- Wolff, Hellmuth Christian. “The Fairy Tale of the Neapolitan Opera.” In
Studies in Eighteenth-Century Music(#73), 401–406.
Supports Downes (previous entry) and other skeptics about the existence of a
distinct style, holding that the term “Neapolitan opera” “can best be
employed for certain Neapolitan dialect comedies, but will certainly not serve
for the characterization of the whole Italian opera from about 1700 to 1750.”
Indeed the so-called innovations attributed to the Neapolitans actually began
in Venice. A possible designation for Italian opera of the period is “Metas-
tasian opera.” Wolff reviews the earlier literature on the subject. Daniel Heartz
is one who favors retaining the term “Neapolitan opera” and gives reasons in
“Opera and the Periodization of Eighteenth-Century Music,” in Report of the
Tenth Congress of the International Musicological Society, Ljublana, 1967,
160–168 (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1970). Reprint, GL,v.11.
See also #2532.
- Robinson, Michael F. Naples and Neapolitan Opera.Oxford: Clarendon,
- ix, 281p. Reprint, New York: Da Capo, 1984. ISBN (Oxford) 0-19-
816124-7. ML12733.8 .N3 R6.
A valuable examination of texts and scores, with extended musical examples,
for the period from 1650 to 1800. Covers serious and comic opera, including
overtures and other orchestral pieces. Extensive footnotes, bibliography,
index. - Strohm, Reinhard. “The Neapolitans in Venice.” In “Con che soavità” (#2461),
249–274.
Notes that little has been published since the 1970s on the “Neapolitan
school,” because “the whole principle of style periodization in music has gone
out of fashion.” Still it is worth asking “what happened to Italian opera—
especially opera seria—in the 18th century, and whether a qualified case for
Neapolitan leadership can be made after all. I believe it can.” He suggests that
an approach through “operatic practice and business” rather than musical
style may clarify how the composers of Naples took over the Venetian stage.
See also #2529, #2530.
- Tintori, Giampiero. L’opera napoletana.Milan: Ricordi, 1958. 301p. ML1733.8
.N3 T5.
A history, most useful for its list of about 2,000 operas, arranged by composer,
with librettists and premiere data. Index to persons and theaters.
2534.Napoli e il teatro musicale in Europa tra sette e ottocento: Studi in onore di
Friedrich Lippmann.Ed. Bianca Maria Antolini and Wolfgang Witzenmann.
Quaderni della Rivista musicale italiana di musicologia, 28. Florence: Olschki, - 448p. ISBN 88-222-4026-X. ML1733 .N26 or ML5 Q13, no. 28.
A useful collection of 20 essays; these are entered separately: G. Salvetti on
Pietro Guglielmi (#936), Marita McClymonds on Haydn’s Armida(#1038),
and Fabrizio della Seta on La traviata(#1935).
470 Opera