A General History of Music

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1789 edition. Excerpt: … Masques in England certainly bear some resemblance to operas: as they are in dialogue; performed on a stage; ornamented withmachinery, dances, and decorations j and have always Music, vocal and instrumental. But then the essential and characteristic criterion, recitative, is wanting,, without which the resemblance is imperfect. Our musical pieces,, which are sometimes honoured with the name of opera, differ in this particular so much, that they more resemble masques than the dramas which are entitled to that appellation; for, in English musical dramas, the dialogue is all declaimed or spoken in the same manner as in our old masques j and in Italy,, whence we have both name and thing, an opera consists of both recitatives and airs, and is fung from the beginning to the end. In the Maid's Tragedy, by Beaumont and Fletcher, it is said of masques, that "they must commend their king, and speak in praise "of the assembly; bless the bride and bridegroom in person of some "god; they are tied to rules of flattery m)"', It has already been observed, that masques were generally written for the use, and, consequently, the pleasure of courts-, it was therefore natural for their authors to render them as palatable to their patrons and constituents as possible. It does not appear that either Beaumont or Fletcher was often called upon-to contribute his quota to these splendid exhibitions j and the passage just cited h.is in it something of sour and-austere,, that seems to savour of pique or republicanism. Most of the numerous masques, that were performed at court («) Milton, in hi Paradise Lost, speaks "Mis'd dance, and wanton Msx, or contemptuously of this species of dram: "midnight bail, ", i court amo jrs and and…