Writing plays "in the sing-song way": Henry Fielding's ballad operas and early musical theater in eighteenth-century London

Restricted until 2 Aug. 2009. This study examines the ballad operas of Henry Fielding (1707-1754), known primarily as one of the greatest novelists and satirists of eighteenth-century England. Fielding's works are fundamental to any comprehensive examination of the genre of ballad opera, and his technical and dramatic contributions are considerable. His eleven operas span many styles, ranging from full-length pieces similar to John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera" to short one-act works with newly composed music that resemble later mid-century English burlettas. Many of his inspired theatrical and musical works briefly eclipsed other London entertainments in popularity and were among the best-loved stage pieces of the century.; Chapter I outlines London's theatrical world during this period and takes a look at Fielding's career writing for the theater. Chapter II explores the production of the ballad operas and the relationships between Fielding and his collaborators. In Chapter III, the genre of ballad opera is reexamined, from its influences on the English stage and French theatrical traditions (particularly those of the Théâtre de la Foire) to its intimate relationship with the theater-going audience of the era. Chapter IV is concerned with the production of the music in the ballad operas, and provides new insight into the size and composition of the orchestra for these pieces. The important role of incidental music is discussed, and in Chapter V the tunes used in Fielding's ballad operas are examined further, from their sources in both popular and high-art music of the day to their various uses in the operas for burlesque and satire. In addition, Case Studies are included for two exceptional ballad operas, "The Grub-Street Opera" and "The Lottery"; these studies explore the musical construction of each opera in greater depth in order to give a larger picture of Fielding's development as a writer in this genre. Chapter VI makes some general observations about the importance of these ballad operas, some of which were revived well into the nineteenth century, and introduces some interesting associations with the rising young English opera composer Thomas Augustine Arne. An edition of the music for Fielding's "The Lottery" (1732) is appended.本数据集相关研究内容于2009年8月2日前处于限制访问状态。本研究聚焦亨利·菲尔丁（Henry Fielding，1707-1754）的民谣歌剧（ballad opera）创作——菲尔丁本人作为18世纪英国最负盛名的小说家与讽刺作家之一而为世人熟知。菲尔丁的民谣歌剧作品是全面研究该体裁的核心基础，其在创作技法与戏剧表达层面的贡献极为显著。他共计创作11部歌剧，风格涵盖多元范畴：既有与约翰·盖伊（John Gay）的《乞丐歌剧》（"The Beggar's Opera"）风格相仿的长篇作品，也包含以原创配乐为特色的短篇独幕剧，后者与18世纪中后期英国的小歌剧短剧（burletta）形制相近。他诸多兼具创意的戏剧与音乐作品，曾在短期内凭借极高的受欢迎度超越伦敦同期其他演艺节目，跻身18世纪最受观众喜爱的舞台剧目之列。第一章梳理了该时期伦敦的戏剧行业生态，并回顾了菲尔丁投身戏剧创作的职业历程。第二章探讨了菲尔丁民谣歌剧的创作实践，以及他与各合作者之间的协作关系。第三章重新审视民谣歌剧这一体裁：从其对英国戏剧舞台的影响、与法国戏剧传统（尤以市集剧场Théâtre de la Foire为代表）的渊源，到其与当时戏剧观众群体的紧密联结。第四章聚焦民谣歌剧的音乐制作环节，为这类作品的管弦乐队规模与编制提供了全新的研究视角，并探讨了配乐的核心作用；第五章则进一步分析菲尔丁民谣歌剧中所使用的曲调，梳理其源自当时流行音乐与高雅艺术音乐的创作源头，以及这些曲调在歌剧中用于滑稽模仿与讽刺的各类应用场景。此外，本研究针对两部极具代表性的民谣歌剧《格布街歌剧》（"The Grub-Street Opera"）与《彩票》（"The Lottery"）设置了专题案例研究，通过深入剖析两部作品的音乐架构，完整呈现菲尔丁在该创作领域的成长脉络。第六章对这些民谣歌剧的研究价值进行了总结性评述——其中部分剧目直至19世纪仍有复排演出——并介绍了其与当时崭露头角的英国青年歌剧作曲家托马斯·奥古斯丁·阿恩（Thomas Augustine Arne）之间的有趣关联。文末附录了菲尔丁1732年创作的《彩票》的乐谱版本。