THE
Standard Cantatas
THEIR STORIES, THEIR MUSIC, AND THEIR COMPOSERS
A Handbook
By GEORGE P. UPTON
AUTHOR OF
“THE STANDARD OPERAS,” “THE STANDARD ORATORIOS,” “WOMAN IN MUSIC,” ETC.
CHICAGO
A. C. McCLURG AND COMPANY
1888
Copyright
By A. C. McClurg and Co.
A.D. 1887
PREFACE.
The “Standard Cantatas” is the third of theseries in which the “Standard Operas”and “Standard Oratorios” have beenits predecessors. Of necessity, therefore,the same method has been followed in the arrangementand presentation of the author’s scheme. Asin the works above mentioned, short sketches of themusic and stories of the cantatas are presented,together with biographies of their composers, someof which are reproduced from the other volumeswith slight changes, the repetitions being necessaryfor the sake of uniformity. The sketches are prefacedby a comprehensive study of the cantata in itsvarious forms, from its early simple recitative or ariastyle down to its present elaborate construction,which sometimes verges closely upon that of theopera or oratorio.
The word “cantata” is so flexible and coverssuch a wide area in music, that it has been a work[4]of some difficulty to decide upon the compositionsthat properly come within the scheme of this volume.During the past two centuries it has beenvariously applied to songs, like those of the earlyItalian school; to ballads, like those of the earlyEnglish composers; to concert arias, like those ofMozart, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn; to shortoperettas, dramatic scenas, cycles of ballads, andeven to oratorios, whose subjects are more or lessdramatic. It is believed, however, that the mostimportant of the modern cantatas are included inthe volume, and with them will be found severalworks, such as the “Damnation of Faust” and the“Romeo and Juliet” vocal symphony and others,which, though not in the strict cantata form, arenevertheless compositions belonging to the concert-stagefor voices and orchestra, performed withoutscenery, costumes, or stage accessories.
The author has paid particular attention to cantatasby American composers, and has selected fordescription and analysis those which in his estimationrank the highest in musical merit. It wouldbe manifestly impossible to include in a volume ofthe present size all the compositions by Americanswhich have been called cantatas, for their numberis well-nigh “legion.” Those have been selectedwhich are creditable to American musical scholarshipand are making a name for American music.It is possible some have been omitted which fulfilthese conditions; if so, it is only because they havenot come within the author’s observation. The[5]Appendix has been a work of great care, labor, andresearch, and wherever it was practicable the dateof each cantata was verified.
Like its two predecessors, the “Standard Cantatas”has been prepared for the general public,which has not the time or opportunity to investigatesuch