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The shameless sentimentalities, the voluptuous lingerings over sweet chords and incisive notes, the ostentatious recitatives, the moist, sensual climaxes, the titillating figuration, the over-draperies, were called into existence for the immediate, the overwhelming effect at first hearing. Everything is broadened and peppered and directed to obtaining you the Pasha-power you craved.
"Lord de Burgh, if you care for music not severe classical music, you know ballads, recitatives, and that sort of thing Hyacinth O'Hara, the new tenor, and Mr. Merrydew, that wonderful mimic and singer, are coming to me next Tuesday; I shall be delighted to see you." "Not so delighted, I am sure, as I shall be to come," returned De Burgh, with unusual suavity. "Very well half past nine.
And although these recitatives are nearly always a great relief, although these metaphysical reveries have a character of barbarous cunning that one relishes, yet the superior beauty of the movements of pure poetry, emotion, and music is so evident, that this musical and philosophical drama serves to give one a distaste for philosophy and drama and everything else that cramps and confines music.
Yet, strange to say, they themselves are much interested while listening to these absurd recitatives. The Spanish theatre is generally opened twice a-week, and one or two of the performers act very creditably. The national passion is for dramatic amusements; and the house, which is a large one, is usually well filled.
And such finds! each instrument endowed with a personality, the dramatic recitatives accompanied symphoniously by the orchestra the typical musical phrase on which an entire work is built! Ah! he was a great fellow a very great fellow indeed! 'I am going to shut up, sir, said the waiter, drawing near.
It was so remarkable to hear these grand arias and recitatives proceeding from a kitchen some eight feet square, that Katy was at great pains to satisfy her curiosity about it.
The singers were possibly for the most part Italians, who insisted upon singing their airs in their native language, though they had no objection to using German for the recitatives, in which there was no opportunity for vocal display.
In the recitatives, which generally are not half understood, and seldom listened to with any degree of attention, a plot which is even moderately complicated cannot be developed with due clearness. Hence in the Italian opera buffa, the action is altogether neglected; and along with its grotesque caricatures, it is distinguished for uniform situations, which admit not of dramatic progress.
I saw him three days afterwards and he hadn't cooled off even then. "I am fully aware," he said, "that arias should be embellished. That's what they are for. But not to leave a note of them even in the recitatives! That is too much!"
In 'Dido and Æneas, on the contrary, the music is continuous throughout. Airs and recitatives, choruses and instrumental pieces succeed each other, as in the operas of the Italian and French schools. 'Dido and Æneas' was written for performance at a young ladies' school kept by one Josias Priest in Leicester Fields and afterwards at Chelsea.
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