Cheap opera: is it possible for us to-day? How is it managed in Germany and Italy? What is the expense of opera in New York, in great salaries, scenery, costumes, etc.?
Give an idea of some famous opera-houses in Paris, St. Petersburg, Berlin, Milan, Buenos Ayres, and elsewhere, illustrating with photographs. Tell of great opera-singers and their careers; mention Patti, Christine Nilsson, Calvé, the De Reszkes, Caruso, and others; have records of such voices, if possible. Discuss the opera music of to-day: Is it on the whole melodious, or is there a tendency to return to the old style recitative? Are the airs as marked as those of a decade ago?
CHAPTER VIII
The World's Great Painters
I—THE ITALIANS (PART I)
1. Italy: the Birthplace of Modern Painting—The influence of Byzantium; the intellectual awakening of Europe; the development of commerce.
2. The Early Painters—Cimabue, Giotto, Fra Angelico, Botticelli.
3. Art Patrons of the Renaissance—Lorenzo de' Medici; Leo X.
Leonardo da Vinci: The Father of Modern Painting—Story of his life; his versatility; the Last Supper; the Mona Lisa.