Cultural stereotypes and the reception of Verdi’s operas in Victorian London

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.

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