ble revival of interest in the
works of the eighteenth century. Some years ago the Argentina Theatre in
Rome devoted its winter season almost entirely to reproductions of the
works of this school. Many of these old-world little operas, whose very
names had been forgotten, were received most cordially, some of
them--Paisiello's 'Scuffiara raggiratrice,' for instance--with genuine
enthusiasm.

Wars and rumours of wars stunted musical development of all kinds in
Germany during the earlier years of the eighteenth century. After the
death of Keiser in 1739, the glory departed from Hamburg, and opera
seems to have lain under a cloud until the advent of Johann Adam Hiller
(1728-1804), the inventor of the Singspiel. Miller's Singspiele were
vaudevilles of a simple and humorous description interspersed with
music, occasionally concerted numbers of a very simple description, but
more often songs derived directly from the traditions of the German
Lied. These operettas were very popular, as the frequent editions of
them which were called for, prove. Yet, in spite of their success, it
was felt by many of the composers who imitated him that the combination
of dialogue and music was inartistic, and Johann Friedrich Reichardt
(1752-1814) attempted to solve the difficulty by relegating the music to
a merely incidental position and conducting all the action of the piece
by means of the dialogue. Nevertheless the older form of the Singspiel
retained its popularity, and, although founded upon incorrect aesthetic
principles--for no art, however ingenious, can fuse the convention of
speech and the convention of song into an harmonious whole--was the
means in later times of giving to the world, in 'Die Zauberfloete' and
'Fidelio,' nobler music than had yet been consecrated to the service of
the stage.

CHAPTER IV

MOZART

Although Mozart's (1756-1791) earliest years were passed at Salzburg,
the musical influences which surrounded his cradle were mainly Italian.
Salzburg imitated Vienna, and Vienna, in spite of Gluck, was still
Italian in its sympathies, so far at any rate as opera seria was
concerned. Mozart wrote his first opera, 'La Finta Semplice,' for
Vienna, when he was twelve years old. It would have been performed in
1768 but for the intrigues of jealous rivals and the knavery of an
impresario. It was not actually produced until the following year, when
the Archbishop of Salzburg arranged a performance of it in his own cit