The grand French opera is the legitimate melodrama, being wholly musical, and was founded by Louis XIV. In 1669 that monarch granted letters-patent to the Sieur Perrin for the establishment of an ' Acadthnie des Op6ra en Langue Francaise; who, taking as his paitner the Sieur Cambert as composer, commenced his under taking at the Theatre de de Guenegaud, in 1671, where he produced Pomone; the poetry by himself, and act to music by his colleague. This is a pastoral drama, opening with a musical prologue of about thirty lines, in which the author has contrived to stuff a greater quantity of nauseous flattery of the Grand Monargue than perhaps was ever compressed into so small a compass. In 1672 the privilege was transferred to Lulli, who, with the assistance of Quinault, a lyric poet of very superior genius, conducted the Academie in a most able and successful manner till his death. [Lru.r, in Moo. Div.] The opera comique had its birth in France in 1750, in imitation of the Italian opera tufa. This, however, is of the mixed kind, the dialogue being spoken.
The genuine Italian opera has long flourished in Germany. On the birth of an archduchess in 1724, an opera was exhibited at Vienna with uncommon magnificence. The opera, entitled Eurystetis; was written by Apostolo Zeno, and composed by Caldera. That imperial poet-laureate Was succeeded in office by Metastasio, who wrote many of his admirable lyric dramas for the Italian theatre at Vienna, which were set by the great masters of the thy. His ' Clemenza di Tito,' as composed by Mozart, will for ever be considered, by all true judges of dramatic poetry and music, as the most beautiful and finished example of the melodrama that human genius ever produced. For the different German smite some of the finest operas have been composed, but we can hero only refer to the names of their authors, GLecie, GRAUN, HANDEL, HASSE, MOZART, ROSSINI, SPORE, WEIIER, WINTER, &c., in the Moo. Div.
What is called English opera, is with two or three exceptions, of the mixed kind. The first that we have any account of that can be relied on is Shailwell's 'Psyche,' composed by Matthew Lock, and brought out in 1673. Two years after, Dryden wrote his ' Albion and Aibanius; an opera, set by a Frenchman, Louis Grabut, whom, to pleas the antinational king, Charles IL, Dryden, in a preface to the work, praises in high though most undeserved terms, at the expense of his countrymen. But when that great poet wrote his' King Arthur,'
he was fain to apply to Purcell for assistance, whose musio has saved it from the oblivion to which it would otherwise be condemned. The poet, in an epistle-dedicatory to this, takes an opportunity of retracting hIs opinion of English composers. He says that music had then "arrived at a greater perfection in England than ever formerly ; specially passing through the artful hands of Mr. Purcell, who has composed it with so great a genius, that ho has nothing to fear but an ignorant ill-judging audience," Addison's Rosamond ' was, it is to be supposed, a real opera, the dialogue in recitative. This was repre sented in 1707, but failed, as Hawkins tells us, owing to the poverty of the musio by one Clayton. ' The Beggar's Opera' is so well known that it need only be named. The music is a good selection of the airs most at the time, arranged by the celebrated Dr. PepuselL Artaxerxea, by Dr. Arne, is the only opera, strictly so called, that keeps its place on the stage. This is nearly a translation of Metaataslo's Artmerse,' by the composer himself, and though at the time severely criticised, is far superior to most of the musical dramas that have since been written. The music is rich in beautiful melody, and if other attempts et an English recitative opera had proved equal to this, the melodrama might now have been firmly rooted in British ground. Arne composed many other charming musical pieces; his ' Love in a Village' will never be superannuated; and in truth, if the dramatic music of some of our countrymen who charmed the public ear during the latter half of the Lest century could be heard without prejudice, and without that yearning after what is foreign and new which characterises "the fashionable world," and others who yield to its influence, it would be admitted that in original expressive melody we are inferior to no nation in Europe, startling as the proposition may be to those who have not impartially and duly considered the subject. (Anse ; ARNOLD; BISHOP; DIBDIN ; JACKSON; LINLEY ; SHIELD ; STORACE; in Bioo. Div.)