As seen in True Colors, the Elder Races have their own Christmas celebration called the Masque of the Gods, which culminates in The Festival of the Masque, a masked ball on the winter solstice. For the next week, join us in celebrating the Masque with seven days of winter solstice giveaways. Every day you’ll have a chance to enter to win a gift pack that includes one copy of Lord’s Fall, a bookmark, dragon soap made by Thea Harrison, a coupon for 30% off the Elder Race novellas, and a holiday card from Thea. To enter, just comment on the daily posts and then enter your information via the Rafflecopter form (embedded in the post or click on the link). You can gain extra entries by signing up for Thea Harrison’s newsletter and tweeting about the giveaway.
Once again, thank you all for your interest in Thea’s novels and happy holidays!
The Heartbeat of Carnival: Music
The Venetian Carnevale was famous for its art and indulgences, in particular music. Venice is said to be the birthplace of opera, and the first opera house was built there in the seventeenth century. Opera was arguably the perfect Venetian art, combining all the elements of Carnevale that Venetians lived with for months at a time: costume, play, theatricality, music, dancing, sumptuousness, and the commedia dell’arte. As Peter Ackroyd writes in Venice: Pure City, “It was an art of the scenic and spectacular, in a city filled with the energetic display of festival and carnival.” Not only operas, but all public events and festivals were accompanied by music. Gondoliers sang the poetry of Torquato Tasso, men sang sonatas to balconies à la Romeo and Juliet, and Charles Burney (18th-century writer and father of Fanny Burney) wrote that Venetians seemed to converse in song. The order of music represented the order of the heavens and Venice’s control over the elements of the earth. Just like music, Venetian society strived–or at the very least fancied itself to be striving–for harmony and balance. Nietzsche wrote, “when I seek another word for music, I always find only the word Venice.”
Venice was famous for its music schools: the male singing school in St. Mark’s and orphanages for young girls where they were trained in musical arts. Nearly every notable European composer traveled to Venice, including Mozart, Handel, Stravinsky, and Mendelssohn.
The most famous composer of Venice was Vivaldi, a red-haired, mercurial priest who taught at one of the orphanage schools and wrote hundreds of compositions, as well as produced his own operas. He wrote with exuberance and spontaneity, and haggled prices like Pantalone.
Of course, what is music without dancing? Diaries of Venetians from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries suggest there was constant dancing in squares, on barges, at parties and in the street. There were specific dances for women and men, for specific days and dress. Like music, the order and repetition of dancing reflected the order and repetition of Venice and its politics–an idea the state of Venice took care to foster and encourage.
How far does all this go back into Venice’s history? Like Venice, Troy was famous for its labyrinthine streets as well as the dances of its citizens; and Venetians often traced the history of their music and dancing back to Troy. In any case, music was the heartbeat of Venice. As they used to say, Venice will survive while the music lasts.
Tomorrow we’ll look at carnivale in Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans. Today, to enter the giveaway, please comment on this post!
Remember, you must enter using the Rafflecopter form. Winners will be randomly selected and notified December 23rd. All contest entries close December 22nd at 11:59 MST. This contest is open internationally.
I never knew that Venice could trace some of their history and traditions back to Troy!
How romantic to be serenaded while riding on a gondola! I picture people spontaneously bursting out in song any & everywhere.
Music can touch the soul. And it can speak to anyone regardless of wealth or status. I can imagine the wonderful music and dances
I’ve never been much into serenading and romantic gonodola rides. But singing and dancing sounds just like my kind of fun.
I’m really loving these posts because I’m leaning so much new info about Venice. The Troy connection is totally new to me. Thank you.
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I’m afraid my main view of opera is just a load of screeching women , soprano makes my head hurt and any mention of a violin concerto and I’m out the door 🙂
Oh, Venice! Can you believe I’ve been to Venice and missed the carnival by about 3 days. Just not lucky, I guess.
Great post
Oh, Venice! Can you believe I’ve been to Venice and missed the carnival by about 3 days. Just not lucky, I guess.
Great post I’m a huge fan!
Oops, I double commented. Sorry!
Venice seems like an extraordinary place, I’m loving the history with it.
Beautiful! Just beautiful! I love the dress and the dress of this time period! Thank you for sharing!
I am dying to take a trip to Venice now. Thanks for all the great info
I love these stories about Venice. Really looking forward to the Rio de Janiero stories…a plave I have always wanted to visit.~
I love Vivaldi! I like “WInter” best out of his Four Seasons!
Music is important in all of life. I really enjoy it when an author gives a “soundtrack” of songs that she either listened to while writing or that she thinks work well with her book.
I love reading about Venice. It is so neat to be able to tell my husband of the things I have learned(he is a know-it-all)
I love music-it is a passion that I have passed down to all of my children 🙂
Such a cool and different historically-based giveaway you’re doing. Like learning about different time periods and aspects.
Fascinating all those composers visited Venice.
I’ve been to Italy but not Venice. Can’t wait to go back. Music is an important part of any city’s history.
That sounds wonderful. It is amazing how far back some traditions go.
I love Vivaldi, even though it’s not traditional I have the 4 seasons songs on as part of my Christmas music rotation this time of the year.
Wonderful giveaway, It’s great that dancing and music go back that far!!!
Thea thank you for the great posts and all the research you put into them! I love reading about it’s history.
I love Venice. Always wanted to go for Carnivale. Each year we go to New Orleans Mardi Gras since I live so close. Actually planning on ringing in the New Year there.
Man i wish i was travelling right now! lol..
this is so much more exciting then my snow…
thanks for the chance to win!
I never have been to Italy but reading all this wonderful researched history/music/dance stuff, I would love to go to Venice. It is also amazing how far back some traditions go. I love that they are related to Troy, because I like the story of Helena, Paris etc.
What a beautiful history Venice has! I didn’t know it was the birth place of opera. Thanks for the history lesson 🙂
Sounds romantic. But what could one expect really.
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The four seasons are one of my favorite music piece!
Sadly, mentioning Venice and music in the same sentence just reminds me of the Corentto adverts. Gondolier, Cornetto and the signing of the immortal line: “Just one Cornetto, from Walls ice cream!”.
They don’t make TV (adverts) like that any more…
(^_^)
Thank you for putting so much effort into making these posts about Venice and Carnivale fascinating!
I’ve been a piano player and a singer for most of my life and I love this post!!!
Venice = music? I did not know that! Thank you, Thea!
Thanks for the giveaway.
I didn’t realize how old Venice was, or if I did it just never computed.
How very cool, Thea! Thanks for such an incredible week of posts!
Oh, Venice. Oh, music. Le sigh.
I am loving these history lessons!
Now I’m picturing Venetians wandering the streets and canals, singing their hearts out.
I’m not an opera person but to hear it in that setting must have been amazing.
There’s nothing more beautiful than the sound of a human voice raised in song.
I knew some of the history of Venice and Music but not about Troy. Such interesting posts.
I do love Venice!
I love Venice
I love Vivaldi! I also love learning more about Venice and Carnevale.