old régime the arrogance and conceit of singers were proverbial. The general employment of 'evirati' for female parts was demoralizing.
The work of the singing-master naturally became of the utmost importance, and many notable composers were equally famous as trainers. The greatest teacher of the century was undoubtedly Porpora (d. 1766).
The above description applies to the traditional dramma per
musica or 'opera seria'—the serious or tragic opera. Gradually,
as will be seen, there branched off from this another form,
the 'opera buffa' or comic opera, which was a revolt from the
mechanical plan and the sentimental monotony of the opera
seria. In the opera buffa many of the old rules were deliberately
set aside, and thus the way made easier for the reconstruction
of the serious opera that occurred after 1750.
Many light works were often written, often in one act and for but two
or three soloists, in which all sorts of deviations from rules were practised.
Common names for such works were 'serenata, 'festa teatrale,' etc. In
Germany the singspiel was not abandoned, while in France the ballet
was decidedly popular, as was the masque in England. In England, too,
the 'ballad-opera' had a sudden vogue. All these implied some degree
of dissatisfaction with the fixed form of the typical Italian opera.
Furthermore, what is here said applies strictly only to that
form of opera which was essentially Italian, especially that which
during the first half of the 18th century emanated from Naples
or was under the sway of its school. The Neapolitan opera was
the direct descendant of the Venetian, and the latter continued
in active existence, though not so impressive in its personnel as
it had been. With these two Italian centres Vienna was closely
associated. Operas written in Italian were also produced abundantly
at several points in northern and western Europe,
notably at Dresden, Hamburg, Paris and London. In many
cases these were similar to those produced in Italy. But there
was an evident tendency to modify the Italian type in directions
determined by other ideas, so that German, French and English
writers should be regarded somewhat by themselves, especially
as operas in the languages of these countries now began to be
numerous.
125. The Rise of the Neapolitan School.—The brilliance of
the operatic development at Naples from about 1700 was due
to the genius of a series of masters, of whom Alessandro
Scarlatti was the first and one of the ablest. But behind this
