Long-Haired Iopas: Old Chapters from Twenty-Five Years of Music-Criticism
1927
Edward Prime-Stevenson
Florence : by the press of "The Italian Mail"
American
Nonfiction
426pp
Queer Theory, Uranian, Nonfiction, Gay Men
Open Access
We listen to your re-incarnations, night by night, in our lyrics halls and our drawing-rooms; more or less with at least an aural deference to such successors, who so often, by their learning in suffering, are trying to teach us something in song.
Summary
A collection of updated and new musical criticism, essays, and related literature. Privately printed in 133 numbered and signed copies. The copy I referenced from the New York Public Library is number 96.
More Info
"Overture"
"('As If......')"
"Long-Haired Iopas: A Reconstruction"
Dedicated to Harry Harkness Flagler. A character study of Iopas from Vergil's Aeneid, and, by extension, a celebration and analysis of all musicians.
"After Hearing 'Don Giovanni'"
"Four Musical Sons Of Vienna"
"Prince Bedr's Quest"
Dedicated to Mary Severn Perry. A narrative interpretation of Beethoven's 9th symphony shared between an unnamed speaker and his friend Oswald—almost certainly referring to the protagonists of Imre: A Memorandum (1906). Prince Bedr of Persia believes he is in possession of complete happiness until a dervish encourages him to seek true happiness. Bedr journeys to find the answer—seeing happiness in life, nature, companionship, and the love of a princess—but is finally guided to the truth: God as the source of existence and tandem joy in all the universe.
"(On the Nibelungen Tetralogy: I-II)"
"Wagner As Fabulist And Realist"
Originally published as "Wagner as Fabulist and Realist" (Feb 22, 1900) in The Independent.
"(On the Nibelungen Tetralogy: III-IV)"
"The Illogical Wagner"
Dedicated to Xavier Mayne. A critique of Wagner's Tetralogy and other works as clumsy, contradictory, and unworthy of their wide praise.
"Where the Mastersingers Sang"
"The Wagnerian Dragon"
Originally published as "The Wagnerian Dragon" (Feb 11, 1899) in Harper's Bazar.
"Bayreuth: Performances and Promises"
"A Star Sets: Max Alvary (♱ 1898)"
"≪Parsifal in New York?≫"
Originally published as "Parsifal in New York?" (Dec 17, 1903) in The Independent.
"(From An Address By Gaetano Negri, 1892)"
"The Unfamiliar "Il Trovatore""
"Verdi: And Theme-Structure of "Aida""
"Italian "Stile Nuovo" In Opera"
"(French Music .... Nationalist In Art)"
"Gounod's "Faust" Considered Thematically"
Possibly originally published as "Thematic and Other Significances in Gounod's 'Faust'" (Mar-Apr 1896) in Music: A Monthly Magazine. Part 1. Part 2.
"Gounod's "La Rédemption." And Of Biblical Oratorios"
"Four Current Opera-Writers: De Lara, Massenet, Mancinelli, Goldmark"
"(Violinismo)"
"Women And The Violin: Lady Hallé (Wilda Neruda): "The Grand Style."
"Chopin"
Expanded from "Frederick Chopin" (Oct 26, 1899), originally published in The Independent. Dedicated to Vernon Lee. A lauding summary of Chopin as a genius who championed the piano to greater affect than any other musician. Prime-Stevenson argues that Chopin has not been succeeded as a pianist, then summarizes Chopin's influences and artistic traits. An anecdote about Chopin's temper by a former pupil concludes the essay.
"Moritz Rosenthal, Emil Sauer: And Modern Pianism"
"The Patent Virtuoso"
"Speaking-Actors And Singing-Actors"
Originally published as "Speaking-Actors and Singing-Actors" (Jan 26, 1899) in The Independent.
"A Fairy-Tale Untold: Rubinstein — A Last Look"
"Imagination and Realism In Magic: Richard Strauss."
Excerpt published in Disques (Sep 1932).
[Further contents unavailable.]
Also see:
Ghosts in the Archives: The Queer Knowledge and Public Musicology of Vernon Lee, Rosa Newmarch, and Edward Prime-Stevenson (2018) by Kristin Franseen.
Content & Trigger Warnings
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Editions
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