Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

work, Cenno gtarico tuUa Scuota mustcale di NapdIA (Naples, 1869),
648 SPONTINI
both inside and outside the theatre. Some formance at San Carlo in Napl^ (to an Italian
foundation for this no doubt did exist. Even translation by Giovanni Sclimidt) took place
in the Finta ' Filosofa ' the orchestra was said Sept. 8, 1811,* with Isabella Colbr^n as Julia.
to have drowned the voices.' Whether this was It made a great sensation, and Spontini might
justified I cannot say, but there is some ground perhaps have found a worthy successor among
for it in the ' Vestale,' which also feU short in his own countrymen in Nicola Antonio Manfroce
many other points.^ Fetis attended the rehearsals,
had this talented young man not been carried
and is an unimpeachable witness on off by an early death. On the title-page of
this point. Spontini's thoughts were throughout
the ' Vestale ' Spontini styles himself Chamber-
fresh and significant, but, not having before composer to the Empress, and Maestro di cap-
attempted lyric tragedy, he did not in all cases pella to the Conservatorio of Naples. Whether
succeed in giving them a satisfactory form. this title was a new honour, or whether he
Then began an interminable altering and remodelling
brought it with him to Paris I know not.
on his part ; the most trying ex-
Vigano adapted the ' Vestale ' as a ballet, and
periences at rehearsals did not discourage him in this form also it was universally popular in
from again and again re-casting passage after Italy. In Berlin the first performance took
passage, until he had hit on the best possible placeJan. 18, 181 1, to a translation by Herklots.
form. This indefatigable polishing and experimenting
It was given at Munich on Jan. 14, and
became hencrforth one of his Wiirzburg, Jan. 10, 1812.
characteristics, and instead of diminishing, as Jouy drew the material of his poem, the action
he acquired command of his means, as might of which takes place in the year of Rome
have been expected, each new work seemed to 269, from Winckelmann's Monumenti ' antiohi
strengthen the habit. He would alter a passage inediti.' It still ranks as one of the best
four and five times, each time pasting-on the librettos of the 19th century, and justly so.
new version, and not unfrequently, after all this As for the music it is so entirely new, and so
experimenting, he would revert to the original utterly unlike the Neapolitan style, that it is
form.
not to be wondered at if the malicious story
The rehearsals were at length brought to a that Spontini was not the composer of it has
close after endless trouble, when, at the last occasionally been believed. Not that this could
moment, the performance was all but postponed, have happened if 'Milton' had been better
by a command from the Emperor that Lesueur's known, for in that little opera the metamorphosis
'
La Mort d'Adam, ' which had long been accepted, of his style is already complete. His new style
should be given before it. When, however, the Spontini did not evolve entirely from his own
copyist was about to set to work, by some resources. Of the influence of Mozart we have
accident Lesueur's score could not be found, already spoken, but that of Gluck, with whose
and thus Spontini secured precedence for the works he became acquainted in Paris, was more
'Vestale.' Its success was the most brilliant important still. '
Iphig&ie en Aulide ' is said
imaginable, and it long remained a favourite to have been the opera the first hearing of which
with the Parisians, having been performed 200 showed him his future path. Not that Gluck
times as early as the year 1824. The cast on was in his eyes a greater master than Mozart.
the first night was as follows : Lioinius, Nourrit Some years later, at a banquet given iu
Cinna, Lais ; the High-Priest, D^rivis ; the Spontini's honour at Berlin, some one said in
Chief-Augur, Bonel ; A Consul, Martin ; Julia, his praise that as a composer he had fulfilled
Mme. Branchu ; the Chief Vestal, Mme. all the requirements of a mjister of the musicodramatic
art, when he exclaimed hastily, ' No,
Armand. Both composer and poet received
permission to dedicate the work to the Empress. it is only Mozart who has done that.' * But
A higher distinction than this, however, awaited still it is obvious that Gluck was nearer of kin
Spontini. Napoleon had founded a prize to be to him than Mozart. With Gluck he shares
given every ten years to the new opera which that touch of grandeur, the refined melancholy
should have made the greatest success within of which is often so peculiarly attractive, though
that period. The time of the award drew near. as a rule the depth of Gluck's sentiment is
M^hul, Gosseo, and Grtoy were the judges, and beyond the reach of the Italian master. As
their bestowal of the prize on the 'Vestale,' with Gluck too the dramatic gift preponderates
instead of on Lesueur's ' Bardes,' was a, tacit in Spontini over the purely musical. The
acknowledgment that the organised opposition moment that personal vindictiveness against
to the foreigner was at an end. The-opera soon Spontini ceased it could not but be acknowledged
became known beyond France. The first per- that La Vestale ' ' was full of beauties, and that
it seized the audience by its grand melodies and
* AUg. Musik. Zeitwng for 1804. p. 382.
fiery outbursts, its depth of passion and truth
2 '
The Veatale'was a marvel of nofse for its day, andagoodatory
was current about it in Paris at the time. A well-known physician of expression, its genuinely tragic style, and
had advised a friend to go and hear it as a remedy for his deafness,
and accompanied him to the theatre. After one of the loudest 3 See Plorimo, Beuola JUueicale di JTapoli, iv.
the friend in Doctor, can 268. In his earlier
hear
lint alas, the doctor made no response, the same noise which hod p. 631, he says the first performance took place in 1809.
cured his friend bad deafened him.
* H. Doi-n'B Ala Tneinem Leben, pt. 3, p. 9 ; Berlin, Behr, 1870.