Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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SPONTINI 647
out success) in Berlin, Dec. 5, 1808. Here
and there some isolated bit of melody recalls the
composer of the 'Vestale,' but that is all. Fetis
remarks that the forms of this opera are identical
with those of the earlier Neapolitans, Guglielmi,
Gimarosa, and Paisiello. This is true ; but it
must be added that Spontini by no means attains
to the sprightliness and charm of his predecessors.
The melodies, though very attractive,
are often trivial. Stronger work than this was
needed to beat the French composere, with
Mehul at their head, and Boieldieu, who had
already written the ' Calife de Bagdad,' in their
ranks. Spontini, however, was not discouraged.
During this period Fetis met him occasionally
at a pianoforte -maker's, aai was struck
with his invincible confidence in himself.
He was making a livelihood by giving singing-
Seeing that he had no chance of making an
impression with his present style he broke away
from it entirely, and tried a new ideal. His
very next opera, 'Milton' (Nov. 27, 1804), a
little work in one act, is of an entirely different
character, the melodies more expressive, the
harmony and orchestration richer, the whole
more carefully worked out, and the sentiment
altogether more earnest. But the most interesting
point in the score is the evidence it affords
of Mozart's influence. One is driven to the
conclusion that Spontini had now for the first
time made a solid acquaintance with the works
of the German masters. As Cherubini saw in
Haydn, so Spontini henceforth saw in Mozart
(and shortly afterwards in another German
composer) a pattern of unattainable excellence.
Even in old age he used to speak of Don Juan
as that immortal '
chef-d'otuvre,' and it was one
of the very few works besides his own which
he conducted when director -general at Berlin.
The fine hymn to the Sun (No. 4) has something
of the mild solemnity which Mozart
contrived to impart to the ' Zauberflote,' and
also to his compositions for the Freemasons.
The most remarkable number is the quintet
(No. 7). Here warmth and nobility of melody,
impressive declamation, rich acconjpaniment,
and charm of colour are all united. Such a
piece as this is indeed scarcely to be found in his
later works. With the Neapolitan school it
has nothing in common, but is for the most
part drawn from the Mozartean fount of beauty,
with traces of that grandeur and nobility so
emphatically his own. The change of style
which separates his later works from his earlier
ones is, at any rate in this quintet, already
complete. In other pieces of the opera the
Neapolitan is still discernible, as for instance,
in the crescendo, which became so celebrated in
Rossini's works, though known to others besides
Spontini before Eossini's day.
'
Milton ' took at once with the French, and
made its way into Germany, being produced in
Berlin (translation by Treitschke) March 24,
1806,1 Weimar, Dresden, and Vienna.
The writer of the libretto, Etieniie Jouy,
played a, considerable part in Spontini's life.
He was present at the performance of ' La petite
Maison, ' but its complete fiasco (the work of a
jealous clique) had no effect upon him. He saw
in Spontini a man of great dramatic talent, and
found in the despised work a host of beauties
of the first rank. Meeting the composer the
following morning, he offered him a libretto of
his own, which Spontini, in no way disheartened
by his failtire, immediately accepted. This
libretto was not ' Milton, ' but 'La Vestale.'
It was originally intended for Cherubini, but he
could not make up his mind to compose it, and
after a long delay returned it.* To Spontini it
afforded the means of ranking himself at once
with the first operatic composers of the day.
How Milton ' ' and ' Vestale ' stand to each
other in matter of date it is impossible to ascertain.
That the latter was composed before
'
Milton ' was put on the stage is not probable,
since in that case the two must have been written
within less than six months. What probably
happened was this—an opportunity offered towards
the close of 1804 of producing a small
opera at the Theatie Feydeau, and Spontini
then broke off the longer work upon which he
was already engaged to avail himself of this new
chance. He may not have been sorry too to
make a preliminary trial of his new style upon
the public. On the other hand, we know for
certain that the score of the ' Vestale ' was finished
in 1805. Jouy says that it took three years to
overcome the opposition to its production, and
the first performance took place Dec. 15, 1807.
He was now fortunately in favour with the
Empress Josephine—to whom he dedicated the
score of Milton '-—and was appointed her ' ' Compositeur
particulier.' A cantata, ' L' Eccelsa
Gara,' performed Feb. 8, 1806, at the fetes given
in honour of Austerlitz, helped to increase this
goodwill, which proved of vital importance to
Spontini in maintaining his groimd against the
opposition of the Conservatoire. To such a
length was this opposition carried that at one
of the Concerts Spirituels in Holy Week, 1807,
an oratorio of his was yelled off the stage by
the students. Meantime, however, through the
'
Empress's patronage, La Vestale ' was in
rehearsal at the Opera. But so prejudiced
were the artists against the work that the
rehearsals went on amid ridicule and opposition,
> Teichmafm'l Literary Reiruiifw, edited by Dingelstedt (Stnttgiirt.
Cotta. 1863), p. 415.
- See Jouy's own acconut, A'otet anecdotique* lur rop4ra dc la
TewtaU, in Uie ThiOtre d'Btifnne Jotiy (Paris, ISaj), vol. ii. p. 149
et aeq.
3 So says F^tis. Others have stated that besides Cberabini it liad
been offered to M^ul, Boieldieo, PaSr, and others, and that the
then nniinown Spontini wasa last resoaree. Thatl^e latter part of
the statement is positively nntme we know from Jouy himself, and
the rest will not bear examination. The mistakes as to the details
of Spontini's liie are very numerons. Jony even did not know the
coi-i«ct date of his birth, for he spEnks of him in 1801 as 4 peine
*
6%i de vingt^cinq ans.' For a long time he was universally supposed
to have been bom in 1778.