Jonathan Huff
I am a PhD Musicology candidate at King’s College London, and co-founder of the Revolutionary Researchers Network. My work focuses on opéra-comique produced during the French Revolution, 1789-1799.
Location London
Activity
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Jonathan Huff replied to John Vandore
Hi John! 'Angular vocal lines' refer to melodies which jump around a bit and can sound rather dramatic (but rarely smooth or speech-like).
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Jonathan Huff replied to Simon Withers
If anyone is interested, there was a fascinating article about this in a BBC History magazine produced back in Feb 2016. It's reproduced here (although without the portraits of the gargantuan castrati):
www.historyextra.com/period/georgian/castrated-georgian-opera-stars/
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Jonathan Huff replied to Geoffrey Doye
Very often, just like today, through the professional networks they established as they travelled! Some had agents of course, whilst others sought places of prestige. And let's not forget that word of mouth goes a long way!
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Jonathan Huff replied to Lisa Bell
Wonderful! When was it you visited?
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Jonathan Huff replied to Josephine Dewar
What an interesting and heart-warming story, @JosephineDewar ! Thanks for sharing!
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Fascinating perspective, @ThomasChattaway . Although did you mean 'La Muette de Portici' by Auber?
This idea you mention of the artist as mediator between his work and the masses is certainly something which we often associate with the 19C, but actually (and in a much less-explored context) it burgeoned earlier, during the French Revolution. A composer...
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Jonathan Huff replied to Anneke S.
Were there any particular standouts, @AnnekeS. ?
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How wonderful! Very touching, @ValerieBeckman . What opera holds a particularly special place for you, for these reasons? If anybody else feels similarly, I'd love to hear your thoughts below!
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Jonathan Huff replied to John Twinam
@JohnTwinam fascinating, and I enjoyed your way with words- "starting the opera with Europeans whacking a giant Turk's head in time with the glorious overture like a demented Anvil Chorus was not necessarily the way to defuse East/West conflict" made me laugh out loud!
What do you think are the greatest strengths of da Ponte's libretto, perhaps those things...
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What a choice to have to make! I'd probably plump for Tosca, but any would be great.
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That's great, @BillGreenwood ! How do you think your perspective of opera has changed as a result?
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Great question there, @RichardTaylor ! Language is one of the most consistently contentious issues in opera. My mind is drawn to what Rousseau said about French- a language totally unsuitable for operatic treatment in his mind, and yet some of the finest masterpieces have been written in it! Are there any languages which you think might prove particularly...
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Interesting perspectives! As you say, it must be very hard to let go, @DavidMcTigue ! Do you think both of you that there is a sense in which the composer doesn't really have a choice, though? Once the work is performed, people comment on it, criticise it, interpret it... Thus, it is no longer what it once was, but is gradually shaped by the world engaging...
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Jonathan Huff replied to Wendy Carey
That's fantastic, @WendyCarey ! Where/who did your husband like to conduct?
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Jonathan Huff replied to louise Latham
Very interesting thought, @louiseLatham ! Why do you think it might be that some are drawn and others alienated, but little middle-ground?
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Jonathan Huff replied to Joan R
Absolutely, @JoanR ! And imagine having to get through all the rehearsals. A great deal of stamina required from all involved!
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(Although I imagine some remains in storage!)
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Yep! And the music is all in a dedicated music library onsite.
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Jonathan Huff replied to Andrea Be
Fair question! Those sound like excellent reasons. However, perhaps we should also ask ourselves 'how' opera houses might have given a behind-the-scenes look? In today's televised society where everything appears on YouTube, it's fairly easy to organise. But not so many opportunities pre-21C!
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Absolutely! And isn't it remarkable that all this 'life' is never more frantic than during a performance, and yet it is totally hidden so that it rarely (if ever!) interferes with the action onstage? What productions were you involved with at university?
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Excellent question, Barbara. To my knowledge the countertenor as a voice-type has existed for many centuries, as you suggest. Certainly it was in wide-usage by the 17C. But it's certainly taken on a new popularity and unique roles since the 20C!
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Very helpful, Thomas, thanks for sharing! There's a very interesting article by one JS Jenkins from 2010 on Mozart and the castrati which you might find stimulating. Unfortunately I don't think it's widely accessible unless you have access to the academic journal website JSTOR, but it can be found in the Musical Times, Vol. 151, No. 1913 (WINTER 2010), pp....
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Good question! It's not always as clear cut as that, although as a general rule it certainly stands that basses make great villains. What is interesting is when composers subvert these expectations to give you an unusual hero! It prompts all sorts of questions about the composer or librettist's intentions when they break the mold and make a bass the hero....
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Keep wandering off on these tangents, Siobhan, it's amazing what you find! Thanks for sharing!
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Good old Howard! And great find, @KathyMcGowan thanks for sharing.
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It can certainly be difficult sometimes to pick out every word! You're not alone in that. But isn't it interesting that the subtle differences in singing style often give us as much information as we need?
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Hi Hefin! The perils of subtitling, I'm afraid... Having a score/libretto might help. Have you discovered IMSLP, which has many scores and libretti free and out of copyright? imslp.org/
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@BrendaGraisgour Thanks for this! We'll certainly do our best for you. But we certainly do hope that by getting involved in your excellent conversations we might add to and stimulate the discussion!
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Jonathan Huff replied to Bee Greene
Agreed! I wonder whether it would ever be possible for opera (or art) to be truly apolitical.
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I don't come from Yorkshire, Bill, but I found your perspective on the week very interesting!
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Hi Brenda, was there anything in particular you wanted to ask us?
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Tristan und Isolde, also!
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Good question! Though don't you think that a longing for dramatic realism is not a deficiency of imagination; only a desire to fully experience the power of opera to 'speak' into one's own experience of the world?
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Really insightful, John. What do you think Renée could have done more convincingly? What do you think Venera achieves in contrast?
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Jonathan Huff replied to Wendy Carey
Very stimulating! How did you find the V&A exhibition, Wendy?
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Jonathan Huff replied to Joan R
Good question, Wendy. I wonder also, Joan, do you think a woman taking the part of Caesar alters the meaning/significance of the opera in any way?
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Ah! Excellent question. The answer is that originally the role of Ceasar was for a male castrato (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castrato). Of course, we don't have castrati any more so it is customary for a female alto to take the lead. How do you think this might change the meaning/reception/significance of the work, do you think?
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Jonathan Huff replied to Lisa Bell
Hi Lisa, this is a very interesting point! I think probably we'd have to acknowledge that composers usually expected their works to be performed a number of times (although whether they anticipated 'hundreds of years ahead' is another matter!). Nevertheless, like any professional, they needed to make money. Tailoring a work for a particular singer was a means...
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Hi Judith, are there any in particular you'd like an explanation for? Perhaps I can help.
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@MaudLogan they're all interconnected, that's for sure!
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Jonathan Huff replied to Simon Withers
Interesting! What is it, do you think, about the sound of a countertenor which really 'captures' your attention in Giulio Cesare?
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Jonathan Huff replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
Very interesting to hear your thoughts, Charlotte! Why do you think you found the third aria boring? Do you think it was a stylistic thing?
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I think you're on to something here Alex. Commedia dell'arte was a huge influence on all manner of comic or comique opera genres in the 18C, which in turn shaped what developed during the 19th.
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Jonathan Huff replied to Maggie Hartley
This is an interesting point, Maggie. I'd totally agree that you can't alter an opera in order to give it a meaning which it probably never had.
But if you can't change the meaning of an opera, couldn't we nevertheless look at it from the opposite perspective- and acknowledge opera's uncanny ability to somehow overcome its historical context to speak into...
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Fascinating thought, Charles! And very interesting points, Ingrid and Anthony.
I think Britten is an interesting case because he sits at that threshold of 'modernism' (for want of a better/less controversial word). He's hardly traditional- not associated with those Victorian/Edwardian composers you mention. But neither could we group him with George...
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Very helpful! Thanks, Julie!
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The glossary will be a big help, I think! Don't be afraid to post questions if there is anything you don't understand, though.
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To add to Claudia's point, there is then 'opéra-comique' in France which is defined by its mixture of sung and spoken material. This is undoubtedly a complex issue, but national context often gives an important insight!
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Hang in there, Aram! It's coming!
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Interesting point, Charles! Do you ever wonder, though, whether it's simply the case that 'canon' or repertoire formation takes time? For example, there are many eighteenth and nineteenth-century works which we would now consider opera house staples that were performed a few times and then disappeared, initially. What do you think?
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Interesting thought, Maria! So would you suggest that opera needs to change to become more like Hollywood? Or is it best of simply accepting its 'Indie' identity?
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Jonathan Huff replied to Miriam Lord
Very interesting points from both of you, Miriam and Ralph! You're absolutely right, Miriam, that opera exploits a huge range of expressive opportunities beyond the words. But it's worth remembering that the words (or 'text', we might call it) still play a vital function in driving the narrative. Think of all the wonderful librettists whose dramas have...
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Jonathan Huff replied to María Jaimes
Where are you based, Maria? Opera houses often have certain schemes etc which provide cheaper tickets. If you're ever in/near London, the Proms series often mounts semi-staged operas during the summer which are excellent.
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Jonathan Huff replied to Douglas Perry
Great comment, Douglas! Clearly you're a big fan of post-Wagnerian, integrative opera. How does pre-Wagnerian opera compare in your eyes?
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Really interesting perspective, Rachel! I particularly like the comparison with the Olympic ceremonies.
It's also worth remembering that many 17th, 18th, and 19th C operas were also directly relevant to contemporary issues of the time- take Beethoven's 'Fidelio' for example, or Mozart's 'Marriage of Figaro'! Both composers deal rather sensitively (in such a...
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Jonathan Huff replied to Ian Jones
Ian and Sandra- angular vocal lines are melodies which leap around rather a lot without conforming to the usual style of stepwise/smooth movement up and down as the melody progresses. In the context Roger mentions them, he means to suggest that the characters are almost 'declaiming' rather than singing their words- certainly adds emphasis!
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Jonathan Huff replied to Sue U
Fantastic- another excellent opera! Also a collaboration between Meyerbeer and Scribe, incidentally. Enjoy!
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Linda- might I recommend an updated edition of Barry Millington's 'Wagner' (1993)? I found it very useful as a broad overview with attention given to more in-depth matters too.
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Jonathan Huff replied to Ann T
Plenty of axle grease, one would hope!
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Jonathan Huff replied to Sue U
Very interesting point! I think it's certainly the composer's reputation which draws us to explore operas unfamiliar to ourselves. You're spot on.
However, I'm not so sure that its always the case that the music is the predominant feature- there are many compelling operas of love, betrayal and loss which are first-class dramas in their own right. My mind...
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Beethoven's Fidelio also springs to mind!
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Interesting thought, Michael! What do you think makes the heroine's death more tragic in Aida/Tosca?
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Fair point, Lucia! Thanks for your contribution. I think it's important to remember that Bettina is expressing a personal opinion, and I can well understand how one might sometimes 'feel' that way. But you are certainly correct to say that "many things will be shocking for our current sensibilities"! The important question which follows on-if something...
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Anne- how about Bizet's 'Carmen'? Carmen herself is a mezzo! This may be the one for you...
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Jonathan Huff replied to Terry Monks
Very interesting food for thought, Terry!
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Very interesting, everybody! You make excellent points.
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Jonathan Huff made a comment
For those requesting a glossary, perhaps this will help in the meantime?
https://www.operaamerica.org/Applications/Notes/glossary.aspx
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I saw Peter Grimes semi-staged at the proms, Lucy! Loved it. What do you think are the pros and cons of semi-staged, aside from the evident practicality of a simpler performance?
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Jonathan Huff replied to Terry Monks
This is a very interesting point, Terry. Of course it's difficult to know exactly what/how the Greeks performed their dramas, but Aristotle's accounts have proven very useful and there certainly seems to be a heavy Aristotelian influence on our (relatively more) recent theories of opera. If this is of interest to you, there is a cracking volume on Ancient...
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Jonathan Huff replied to Scott Curland Chase
Very interesting points everyone! I would throw a further spanner in the works by pointing out that there are genres of opera which feature spoken dialogues extensively, like French opera-comique. Perhaps we could think of difference more in terms of style? What do you think?
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Jonathan Huff replied to Jennifer D
Good question, Jennifer! I would totally agree with Simon and Chris: style is such an important consideration, and some operas/musicals could definitely be considered to overlap.
However, you could gleam some information here: https://dallasopera.org/learn/opera101/
Nevertheless, this doesn't fully resolve the issue. And maybe this is a question that we...
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Jonathan Huff replied to Ceri Keene
Hi Ceri! It's great that you enjoy the 'fantastic' aspects of opera so much- you can certainly be spoilt for choice when it comes to enjoying flights of fantasy at the opera. You're absolutely right that opera is also a modern phenomenon. Peter Grimes is one of my favourite operas! How did you find it? Do you think you would go to watch an opera even more...
