Alceste preface
E757802
The "Alceste" preface is a famous reformist manifesto for opera, outlining Ranieri de’ Calzabigi and Christoph Willibald Gluck’s principles for simplifying and dramatizing opera seria in the 18th century.
Statements (45)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
18th-century music document
ⓘ
opera preface ⓘ reformist manifesto ⓘ |
| aimsTo |
increase dramatic effectiveness of opera
ⓘ
reform the relationship between text and music in opera ⓘ simplify opera seria ⓘ |
| associatedWith |
Christoph Willibald Gluck
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Ranieri de’ Calzabigi NERFINISHED ⓘ opera Alceste NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| author |
Christoph Willibald Gluck
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Ranieri de’ Calzabigi NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin | Habsburg Monarchy NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| criticizes |
conventional opera seria practices
ⓘ
disruption of drama by vocal display ⓘ excessive coloratura singing ⓘ formulaic da capo arias ⓘ |
| dateWritten |
1760s
ⓘ
18th century ⓘ |
| genre |
aesthetic manifesto
ⓘ
theoretical writing on opera ⓘ |
| hasWorkTitle | Preface to Alceste ⓘ |
| historicalContext | 18th-century Vienna ⓘ |
| influenced |
19th-century operatic aesthetics
ⓘ
later opera reform movements ⓘ |
| influencedBy | Enlightenment ideals ⓘ |
| language | Italian ⓘ |
| mainSubject |
dramatic truth in opera
ⓘ
opera reform ⓘ opera seria ⓘ simplicity in musical drama ⓘ |
| movement | Gluckian opera reform ⓘ |
| period | Classical era ⓘ |
| relatedPerson | Gasparo Angiolini NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| relatedWork | Orfeo ed Euridice NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| statesPrinciple |
avoidance of arbitrary da capo arias
ⓘ
clarity and simplicity of musical style ⓘ dramatic continuity in opera ⓘ elimination of excessive vocal ornamentation ⓘ integration of recitative and aria ⓘ music should enhance the expression of the text ⓘ music should serve the poetry ⓘ natural declamation of the text ⓘ priority of drama over singer showmanship ⓘ reduction of virtuosic display for its own sake ⓘ unity of drama and music ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.