Louis Spohr (1784–1859)
- Brown, Clive. Louis Spohr: A Critical Biography. New York: Cambridge U.P.,
- xi, 364p. ISBN 0-521-23990-7. ML410 .S7 B8.
Life and works, with substantial attention to the operas: plots, genesis, musical
examples, and technical observations. Backnotes, bibliography of primary and
secondary materials, expansive index.
Gasparo Spontini (1774–1851)
The first name is also seen as Gaspare. Three operas are in ERO: La vestale,v.42; Fer-
nand Cortez,v.43; and Olympie,v.44.
- Ghislanzoni, Alberto. Gasparo Spontini: Studio storico-critico. Rome: Edi-
zione dell’Ateneo, 1951. 281p. ML410 .S76 G45.
A footnoted biography, with about 50 photographs. Program notes and some
technical comments on the operas. No bibliography; name index. - Fragapane, Paolo. Spontini. 2nd. ed. Bologna: Sansoni, 1983. 466p. ML410
.S76 F7.
First edition, 1954. A useful well-documented biography, with a bibliographic
essay that describes the earlier Spontini literature (most of it very early). Pro-
gram notes on the operas. Worklist, giving publishers or library locations and
instrumentations. Bibliography, name index. - Libby, Dennis Albert. “Gasparo Spontini and His French and German
Operas.” Ph.D. diss., Princeton U., 1969. 2v.
Agostino Steffani (1654–1728)
La lotta d’Hercole con Archelaois in HS,v.9.
- Baxter, W. H. “Agostino Steffani: A Study of the Man and His Work.” Ph.D.
diss., Eastman School of Music, U. of Rochester, 1957. 472p. - Croll, G. “Agostino Steffani (1654–1728): Studien zur Biographie, Bibliogra-
phie der Opern und Turnierspiele.” Ph.D. diss., U. of Münster, 1960. - Keppler, Philip. “Agostino Steffani’s Hannover Operas and a Rediscovered
Catalogue.” In Studies in Music History: Essays for Oliver Strunk,ed. Harold
Powers, 341–355 (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton U.P., 1968).
Discusses stage works presented in Hanover, 1679–1697, the nine operas of
that period attributed to Steffani (six are said to be definitely genuine), and a
manuscript catalogue of the operas located by the author in the Hannover
Landesbibliothek “in a mislabelled cardboard box.” - Marles, Candace. “Opera as instrumentum regni: Agostino Steffani’s Enrico
Leone.” OQ11-1 (1984–1995): 43–78.
The opera (1689) was “profoundly affected” by the political circumstances of its
production: that context is the subject here. Enrico Leonewas the first of Stef-
fani’s six operas for Hanover, and Duke Ernst August influenced it strongly. He
Agostino Steffani 319