Great Singers First Series

By: Ferris, George T.

Book Excerpt: supported Cuzzoni: "Old poets sing that beasts did danceWhenever Orpheus played: So to Faustina's charming voiceWise Pembroke's asses brayed."The two fair cantatrices even forgot themselves so far as to come toblows on several occasions, and the scandalous chronicle of the timeswas enlivened with epigrams, lampoons, libels, and duels in rapidsuccession. This amusing but disgraceful feud was burlesqued in afarce called "Contretemps, or The Rival Queens," which was performed atHeidigger's theatre. Faustina as the Queen of Bologna and Cuzzonias Princess of Modena were made to seize each other by the hair, andlacerate each other's faces. Handel looks on with cynical attention, andcalmly orders that the antagonists be "left to fight it out, inasmuch asthe only way to calm their fury is to let them satisfy it."The directors of the opera finally solved the difficulty in thefollowing manner: Cuzzoni had solemnly sworn never to accept a guinealess than herRead Mo

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN13: 9798714683138
• Release Date: January 1
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 8.5" x 11.0"