Operas changing role in society- Johnson reading (Doug Fennig)

Mid 18th century opera was largely seen as a social haven as opposed to a place of musical excellence. Spectators went to the opera primarily to be seen and to see people. It was considered unfashionable to actually listen to or enjoy the music on stage. According to Johnson “The greatest pastime at the opera was conversation” (p. 28 par. 2). This informality continued for many years, but gradually there was a shift from opera being a social experience, to opera becoming a respected art form. This shift can be attributed to many different factors.
One of the reasons for the shift is because the way opera was socially perceived, depended largely on the way royally (and those with similar stature) viewed the art. Books used to describe etiquette, dating from the 18th century, actually highlighted the fact that if a commoner was “fortuned” enough to be placed next to a “person of quality” at a social event, it is ungraceful for that person to state there opinion before the nobility’s (p. 33 par. 3). Gradually, nobility’s role in opera began to weaken and change.
Another factor contributing to the move toward opera being respected by society concerns the emotion being portrayed in the opera’s music. An opera composer’s music in the mid 18th century was considered dry and stately, but later started using imitation to show expression. At this time music also became more “natural” instead of “artificial” and started “validating the truth of immediate feeling over the whims of opinion” (p.68 par. 4). These ideas were all new concepts, which in many ways began to make the music of operas more interesting and accessible to audiences.
Considering these facts and the many others presented in this article, decide the most important facet of change from mid to late 18th century opera. How did this change come about? What characteristics of this change helped spark the shift of opera as a social experience, to opera as a musical experience?

Questions
Opera and nobility had close ties in the mid 18th century. In many ways, the opera had an influence on who was important and who was not at this time. Likewise, nobility affected opera and its music at this same time. What are some influences nobility had on opera and its music of the mid 18th century?

Gluck played a large role in opera shifting from a completely social experience to a musical one. In what ways was Gluck’s musical style revolutionary to opera in the late 18th century?

The theater’s layout of 18th century opera was very important to its spectacle. In what ways did the layout of opera houses from this era affect the operas atmosphere? How did opera houses burning down change opera in the latter part of the 18th century?