the little opera is one of the best specimens of opera buffa produced in Italy after the time of Rossini.  The other men who devoted themselves to opera buffa during this period my be briefly dismissed.  Carlo Pedrotti (1817-1893), whose comic opera ’Tutti in Maschera,’ after a brilliant career in Italy, was successfully produced in Paris, and Antonio Cagnoni (1828-1896), were perhaps the best of them.  A version of the latter’s ‘Papa Martin’ was performed in London in 1875, under the name of ‘The Porter of Havre.’

CHAPTER VIII

MEYERBEER AND FRENCH OPERA

HEROLD—
­MEYERBEER—­BERLIOZ—­HALEVY—­AUBER

The romantic movement was essentially German in its origin, but its influence was not bounded by the Rhine.  As early as 1824 Weber’s ‘Freischuetz’ was performed in Paris, followed a few years later by ‘Oberon’ and ‘Euryanthe.’  French musicians, always susceptible to external influences, could not but acknowledge the fascination of the romantic school, and the works of Herold (1791-1833) show how powerfully the new leaven had acted.  But Weber was not the only foreigner at this time who helped to shape the destiny of French music.  The spell of Rossini was too potent for the plastic Gauls to resist, and to his influence may be traced the most salient features of the school of opera comique which is best represented by Auber.  Herold, though divided between the camps of Germany and Italy, had individuality enough to write music which was independent of either.  Yet it is significant that his last two works—­the only two, in fact, which have survived—­represent with singular completeness the two influences which affected French music most potently during his day.  ‘Zampa’ has been called a French ‘Don Giovanni,’ but the music owes far more to Weber than to Mozart, while the fantastic and absurd incidents of the plot have little of the supernatural terror of Mozart’s opera.  Zampa is a famous pirate, who, after having dissipated his fortune and made Italy, generally speaking, too hot to hold him, has taken to the high seas in self-defence.  In his early days he had seduced a girl named Alice Manfredi, who after his desertion found a home in the house of a Sicilian merchant named Lugano.  There she died, and there Lugano caused a statue to be set up in her honour.  When the story of the opera begins, Lugano is a prisoner in the hands of the redoubtable Zampa.  The pirate himself comes to Sicily to obtain his prisoner’s ransom, bringing directions to Lugano’s daughter Camilla to pay him whatever he may ask.  Zampa at once falls a victim to the beaux yeux of Camilla, and demands her hand as the price of her father’s safety.  Camilla loves Alfonso, a Sicilian officer, but is prepared to sacrifice herself to save her father.  At the marriage feast, Zampa, recognising the statue of the betrayed Alice, jokingly puts his ring upon her finger, which immediately closes upon it.  The opera ends by the statue claiming Zampa as her own, snatching him from the arms of Camilla, and descending with him into the abyss.