every school; he is neither impatient of old opera nor intolerant of
new developments which have yet to prove their value; and he makes us
feel that he is not only an enthusiastic lover of opera as a whole, but
a cultivated musician. The historical plan adopted, in contradistinction
to the arrangement by which the operas are grouped under their titles in
alphabetical order, involves perhaps a little extra trouble to the
casual reader; but by the aid of the index, any opera concerning which
the casual reader desires to be informed can be found in its proper
place, and the chief facts regarding its origin and production are given
there as well as the story of its action.


J.A. FULLER-MAITLAND

_June 1907_




THE OPERA




CHAPTER I

THE BEGINNINGS OF OPERA


PERI--MONTEVERDE--CAVALLI--CESTI--CAMBERT--LULLI--PURCELL--