Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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RECITATIVE RECITATIVE 35
the purpose for which they were originally
designed. But the staunch conservatism of
Becitativo secco goes even farther than this. Its
accompaniment has never changed. The latest
composers who have employed it have trusted
for its support to the simple Basso continuo,
which neither Peri, nor Carissimi, nor Handel,
nor Mozart cared to reinforce by the introduction
of a fuller accompaniment. The chief
modification of the original idea which has
found favour in modern times was when the
harpsichord and the pianofoi'te were banished
from the opera orchestra, and the accompaniment
of Eecitativo secco was confided to the
principal violoncello and double bass ; the former
filling in the harmonies in light arpeggios, while
the latter confined itself to the simple notes of
the Sasso continuo. In this way the Recitatives
were performed at Her Majesty's Theatre for
more than half a century by Lindley and
Dragonetti, who always played at the same
desk, and accompanied with a perfection attained
by no other artists in the world, though
Charles Jane Ashley was considered only second
to Lindley in expression and judgment. The
general style of their accompaniment was
exceedingly simple, consisting only of plain
chords, played arpeggiando ; but occasionally
the two old friends would launch out into
passages as elaborate as those sho*n in the
following example ; Dragonetti playing the
large notes, and Lindley the small ones.
Don Giovanni.
Leporello.
^^^3^^^^
governed by no law whatever beyond that of
euphony. Its harmonies exhibit more variety
now than they did two centuries ago ; but
they are none the less free to wander wherever
they please, passing through one key after
another, until they land the hearer somewhere
in the immediate neighbourhood of the key
chosen for the next regularly constructed movement.
Hence it is that recitatives of this kind
are usually written without the introduction of
sharps or flats at the signature ; since it is
manifestly more convenient to employ any
number of accidentals that may be needed, than
to place three or four sharps at the beginning
of a piece which is perfectly at liberty to end in
seven flats.
But notwithstanding the unchangeable character
of lieciiativo secco, declamatory music has
not been relieved from the condition which imposes
progress upon every really living branch
of art. As the resources of the orchestra increased,
it became evident that they might be no
less profitably employed in the accompaniment
of highly impassioned recitative than in that
of the aria or chorus ; and thus arose a new
style of rhetorical composition, called accompanied
recitative {Mecitativo stromentato), in
which the vocal phrases, themselves unchanged,
received a vast accession of power, by means of
elaborate orchestral symphonies interpolated
between them, or even by instrumental passages
designed expressly for their support. [The
Don Giovanni.
Per IknunoesGaal-lo-z&me preade An-co-nmeglio M'acca rez-za, ml abbraccia
In no country has this peculiar style been so
successfully cultivated as in England, where
the traditions of its best period are scarcely
yet forgotten. [On an interesting MS. of
Mendelssohn's, showing the kind of treatment
he preferred while following the English practice,
see Musical Times, 1902, p. 727.] A
return was made to the old method by the
employment of the piano, first by Mr. Otto
Goldschmidt at a performance of Handel's
'L'AUegro' in 1863, and more recently by Sir
John Stainer, at St. Paul's, in various oratorios.
Again, this simple kind of recitative is as
free now as it was in the first year of the 1 7th
century, from the trammels imposed by the laws
of modulation. It is the only kind of music
which need not begin and end on the same key.
As a matter of fact it usually begins upon some
chord not far removed from the tonic harmony
of the aria or concerted piece which preceded
it ; and ends in or near the key of that which
is to follow ; but its intermediate course is
first example of it seems to be in Landi's San
'
Alessio' (1634)], and its advantages in telling
situations were so obvious that it was immediately
adopted by other composers, and
at once recognised as a legitimate form of art
not, indeed, as a substitute for simple recitative,
which has always been retained for the ordinary
business of the stage, but as a means of jiroduoing
powerful effects, in scenes, or portions of
scenes, in which the introduction of the measured
aria would be out of place.
It will be readily understood that the stability
of simple recitative was not communicable
to the newer style. The steadily increasing
weight of the orchestra, accompanied by a
correspondent increase of attention to orchestral
effects, exercised an irresistible influence over
it. Moreover, time has proved it to be no less
sensitive to changes of school and style than
the aria itself; whence it frequently happens
that a composer may be as easily recognised by
his accompanied recitatives as by his regularly