The Opera A Sketch of the Development of Opera. With full Descriptions of all Works in the Modern Repertory. — Inside the Classic

Opera as a Sequence of Revolutions

The introduction frames opera history as a series of abrupt transformations, noting that 'revolutions, which in other arts have not been accomplished in several generations, have got themselves completed, and indeed almost forgotten, in the course of a few years.' Streatfeild's chapter structure reinforces this: separate chapters treat the reforms of Gluck, the rise of opera buffa, and Wagner's early and later works as distinct turning points. The description of Wagner's reception—'twenty-five years ago' his works were considered 'intelligible only to the few enthusiasts'—illustrates how quickly public opinion shifted. This emphasis on rapid change distinguishes the book from more evolutionary surveys.

Detailed Synopsis as Critical Method

Streatfeild devotes considerable space to recounting plots in vivid, almost novelistic prose. The excerpt from Das Rheingold shows his technique: Alberich 'clumsily courts the maidens,' the Rhinegold is 'lighted into brilliant splendour,' and the curse is delivered in direct speech. These summaries serve not merely as reference but as implicit analysis—the description of Alberich's transformation into a snake and then a toad, followed by Wotan's capture, highlights the opera's moral economy of deception and power. The book's subtitle promises 'full Descriptions of all Works in the Modern Repertory,' and these synopses are its most distinctive feature.

National Schools and the Canon

The table of contents reveals a strong national framework: chapters on modern France, Italy, Germany and Slavonic opera, and English opera. This reflects early twentieth-century canon-building, grouping composers like Gounod, Bizet, and Debussy under 'Modern France,' and Verdi, Puccini, and Mascagni under 'Modern Italy.' The inclusion of a separate chapter for English opera—featuring Balfe, Sullivan, and Smyth—suggests an effort to assert a national tradition. Streatfeild's treatment of Wagner occupies two chapters, underscoring his centrality, while the final chapter on modern German and Slavonic opera brings in Strauss, Humperdinck, and Smetana, indicating an expanding repertory.

Readers approaching this work should note that Streatfeild's descriptions, while detailed, reflect early twentieth-century tastes and judgments. The book is best used as a period document of how opera history was constructed—through national categories, plot summaries, and a narrative of rapid stylistic change. For contemporary listeners, it offers a window into the repertory as it stood in 1907, before many works now considered central had entered the standard canon.

Reading about Streatfeild’s patient tracing of opera’s shifts, I remembered sitting with my grandmother’s old record player, the crackle before the overture. That same unhurried sense of time returned with Musical Memories — A Closer Reading, another book that felt less like explanation and more like a hand reaching back through decades, holding a melody gently aloft.