ABSTRACT

In the period spanning the years 1845–1901, Verdi came to be understood not only as the most influential representative of Italian opera worldwide, but also as the symbol of a musical tradition that was said to be in a constant state of decline. On the other hand, in Victorian London, Italy was still nostalgically portrayed as the country whose very language was music, where the gondolieri chanted the stanzas of Tasso to self-invented tunes, where singing came naturally even to the musically uneducated, and opera-goers cherished their favourite diva to the point of dragging her carriage home and serenading her until sunrise. By exploring the response of the London press to the invasion of Verdi’s works, this article investigates if and to what extent such cultural stereotypes affected the critical reception of Italian opera in Victorian London.

摘要

在1845年至1901年的这段时间里，威尔第不仅被理解为世界范围内意大利歌剧最有影响力的代表，而且被理解为一种音乐传统的象征，据说这种音乐传统一直处于衰落状态。另一方面，在维多利亚时代的伦敦，意大利仍然被当成是语言本身就是音乐的国家，在那里，贡多列里（gondolieri）歌颂塔索（Tasso）的节来创作自己的音乐，甚至在没有音乐的人和歌剧演奏家中自然而然地唱歌旅客珍惜自己喜欢的女主角，以至拖着她的马车回家并为她小夜曲直到日出。通过探究伦敦媒体对威尔第作品入侵的回应，本文研究了这种文化成见是否在何种程度上影响了维多利亚女王时代伦敦对意大利歌剧的批判性接受。