Disguise, Deception and the Development of Haydn's Dramatic Voice in the Comic Operas of 1766 ...

235 Pages·2013·2.79 MB·English

Disguise, Deception and the Development of Haydn’s Dramatic Voice in the Comic
Operas of 1766-1777

A Dissertation

Presented to

The Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Brandeis University

Department of Musicology

Michael McGrade, Advisor

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy

by

Erin Walker Jerome

August 2011
The signed version of this form is on file in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

This dissertation, directed and approved by Erin Walker Jerome’s Committee, has been
accepted and approved by the Faculty of Brandeis University in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of:

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Malcolm Watson, Dean
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Dissertation Committee:

Michael McGrade, Department of Music

Allan Keiler, Department of Music

Peter Hoyt, Department of Music, University of South Carolina
Copyright by
Erin Walker Jerome

2011
Acknowledgments

My entire dissertation writing process would not have been possible without the
support of a vast network of friends, colleagues, mentors, and family. I might be the
official author of this work, but, as my colleagues have often pointed out, writing a
dissertation is a team effort. Unfortunately, I do not have the space to single out every
person who merits thanks, but there are a few people who must get special mention.
First and foremost, I have to express my gratitude to my dissertation advisor,
Michael McGrade. He patiently worked with me as I gradually narrowed my topic from
“something to do with the influence of Italian comic opera on Classical style” to
“something to do with Haydn’s operas” to the finished product. While his close readings
of all of my drafts in their various states of completion were certainly beneficial to the
shaping of this work, it was our meetings and discussions that turned this dissertation into
what it is today. He never hesitated to ask thought-provoking and often seemingly
unanswerable questions that in turn made me return to my analyses and re-think my
original hunches. This dissertation would not even be half of what it is today without
him. Furthermore, I would not be half the scholar I am today without him.
Thank you to my other committee members, Professors Peter Hoyt and Allan
Keiler. I had the privilege of working with Peter as an undergraduate at Wesleyan
University and he was the one who inspired me to pursue a graduate degree in
Musicology. Like Michael, Peter never hesitated to ask me impossible questions that
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have also helped shape the way I think about this topic and about eighteenth-century
culture in general. Despite his aversion to Haydn’s operas, I am grateful that Professor
Keiler was willing to be my second reader. I hope that this dissertation will make him
give these works a second chance. Thanks must also go to Professor Eric Chafe for
suggesting that I look at Haydn’s operas when I began to flounder with my original topic.
Cheryl Nalbach and Mark Kagan also helped ensure that this entire process proceeded as
smoothly as possible.
While I opted not to pursue an early music topic, Professor Sarah Mead did not
make that decision an easy one. She has profoundly changed the way I think about and
the way I perform music. Sarah introduced me to the thriving early music world here in
the Boston area and I am grateful for all of the performance and teaching opportunities
that she has given me. Not only is she a gifted teacher, but she is also a great friend.
Lois Widmer of LTS has gone from being my boss to being a close friend and
confidant. She has tirelessly advocated for me, opening new employment opportunities
and keeping me gainfully employed along the way. Her generosity never ceases to
amaze me.
Of course my Brandeis and non-Brandeis friends deserve thanks as well. Alex
Ludwig and Georgia Luikens helped with the proofreading of the final draft, unearthing
all sorts of embarrassing typos. Rob Pearson proved himself capable of sparking
infuriatingly challenging musicological debates, being an excellent running partner, a
special friend, and a highly skilled procrastination enabler. Michael Park provided wise
counsel – both intellectual and technological. Ian Gendreau supplied the positive energy,
new music, new experiences, and, most importantly, fun, during the final few months of
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dissertation writing. Simon and Clyde worked tirelessly as my editorial assistants. Jill
Rogers, Elizabeth Perten, Deidra Garcia, Rachel Cama, Mu-Xuan Lin, Joanna Fuchs,
Jacquelyn Sholes, Amanda Gadrow, Laura Shechter, and Amie Stewart have all been
there when I needed them.
As for my parents, Ginny and Joel Jerome, I do not know where to begin. Little
did we know that my first piano lesson at the age of five would lead to a lifelong study of
music. They have been my greatest supporters throughout this entire endeavor. Whether
I required some tough love, an outlet to vent, last minute proofreading, or financial
support, they were there. I certainly could not have finished this degree without them and
I hope that they know that.
This dissertation is dedicated to three women who I know would have been
thrilled to share in this stage of my life: Aurora Stone, Lee Jerome, and Claudia
Kowarsky.
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ABSTRACT
Disguise, Deception, and the Development of Haydn’s Dramatic Voice in the
Comic Operas of 1766-1777

A dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Arts and
Sciences of Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts

By Erin Walker Jerome

In this dissertation, I explore the development of Haydn’s dramatic voice by
examining moments of self-conscious performance and deception in four operas: La
canterina, Lo speziale, L’incontro improvviso, and Il mondo della luna. These moments
of deception shine a spotlight on the artifice of the operatic experience, while also
illustrating Haydn’s ability to musically represent a character’s development over the
course of an opera. My analyses show that the characters who succeed in their acts of
deception are those who are the most self-aware, and this conclusion offers a new
approach to ideas surrounding eighteenth-century self-perception. They also give us a
new appreciation for the subtlety and sophistication of Haydn’s musical
characterizations.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments iv
Abstract vii
List of Musical Examples ix
Introduction 1
Chapter One
Farce, Fraud, and Status Anxiety in Haydn’s La canterina 7

Chapter Two
Lo speziale: Unmasking the Fool 40

Chapter Three
L’incontro improvviso: Deceitful Dervishes, Hungry Servants,
and Seria Characters in Disguise 89

Chapter Four
Inner Space as Outer Space: The Imaginary
Music of the Moon 137

Chapter Five
Casting a Fool’s Utopia in Haydn’s
Il mondo della luna 173

Conclusion 211

Bibliography 217
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LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES

1.1a Haydn's "Io sposar" (mm. 31-37) 21!
1.1b Piccinni's "Io sposar" (mm. 3-6) 21!
1.3 Haydn's "Io sposar" (mm. 42-47) 23!
1.4 Haydn's "Io sposar" (mm. 51-53) 24!
1.5 Haydn's "Io sposar" (mm. 77-85) 26!
1.6 La canterina Act I quartet, (mm. 32-39) 28!
1.7a “Non v’è chi mi aiuta” (mm. 11-17) 33!
1.7b “Non v’è chi mi aiuta” (mm. 22-26) 33!
1.8 “Non v’è chi mi aiuta” (mm. 35-39) 34!
1.9 “Non v’è chi mi aiuta” (mm. 61-75) 37!
2.1a “Caro Volpino amabile” (first version, mm. 24-38) 51!
2.1b “Caro Volpino amabile” (second version, mm. 1-18) 52!
2.2a “Caro Volpino amabile” (first version, mm. 39-47) 54!
2.2b "Caro Volpino amabile" (second version, mm. 18-24), Grilletta's suffering 55!
2.3 Lo speziale Act II finale (mm. 8-11) 63!
2.4 Lo speziale Act II finale (mm. 12-20) 64!
2.5 Lo speziale Act II quartet (mm. 40-46) 66!
2.6 “Salamelica, Semprugna cara” (mm. 1-15) 81!
2.7 “Salamelica, Semprugna cara” (mm. 30-37) 83!
3.1 “Castagno, castagna” (mm. 12-28) 109!
3.2 “Castagno, castagna” (mm. 29-36) 111!
3.3 “Noi pariamo Santarelli” (mm. 1-7) 116!
3.4 “Noi pariamo Santarelli” (mm. 19-27) 121!
3.5 “Castagno, castagna” (duet, mm. 66-67 127!
3.6 “Ecco un splendido banchetto” (mm. 6-12) 132!
4.1 Il mondo della luna Act II sinfonia (mm. 8-10) 153!
4.2a Il mondo della luna Act II sinfonia (mm. 1-15) 154!
4.2b Il mondo della luna Number 25 (mm. 1-8) 155!
4.3 “Che mondo amabile” (mm. 1-4) 165!
4.4 “Che mondo amabile” (mm. 41-43) 166!
4.5 “Che mondo amabile” (mm. 43-49) 167!
4.6 “Che mondo amabile” (mm. 51-55) 168!
4.7 “Che mondo amabile” (mm. 56-61) 169!
5.1 “Begli occhi vezzosi” (mm. 66-74) 187!
5.2 “Se lo comanda” (mm. 66-72) 197!
5.3 “Se lo comanda” (mm. 78-82) 199!
5.4 “Se lo comanda” (mm. 115-131) 202
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!

INTRODUCTION

Eighteenth-century opera buffa plots tend to center around acts of deception in
which characters assume disguises or particular idiosyncratic behaviors, ranging from the
employment of sentimental or seria “damsel in distress” behavior to dressing up as a
Turkish emissary in an attempt to get rid of a romantic rival. These acts of deception are
almost always motivated by romantic aims.
Haydn’s operas are certainly products of their time, but a close study of his Italian
comic stage works introduces us to characters who possess a sophisticated sense of
interpersonal discourse. Haydn’s comic characters continually “perform” for each
other—that is to say, they dissemble, impersonate, and deceive one another by taking on
and casting off a range of musical styles along with their physical disguises. And they do
so with greater and lesser degrees of self-awareness, thus interacting with both the
audience and their fellow characters through complex, multi-layered meta-performances.
For the purposes of this dissertation, I define a meta-performance as a
performance about performance. It is a performance by a character or group of
characters, and the intended audience is another character or group within the world of
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