1720-Xourias

= 1720 =

The major events that were on the mind of a Londoner in 1720 were widespread. From war to major economic shifts, the international community constantly provided newspapers with topics for communication. The War of the Quadruple Alliance bled into 1720 from previous years, but finally concluded on February 17th (“Quadruple”). The treaty negotiations were communicated through the end of February, due to the slower pace at which information traveled in the 18th century. Another crucial event in 1720 was the stock market crash, largely brought about by the South Sea Company. The crash officially happened in April of 1720, but newspapers were consistently reporting stock fluctuations and drops. In addition, the East India Company was a major source of news, since it was a major importer for England at the time. International happenings were not the only news events making headlines either. Plenty of local London news appeared in every issue of //The Daily Courant//, the newspaper I chose to research. Seeing as social life and class were very important aspects of 18th century England, //The Daily Courant// also included events that were newsworthy.
 * Key Events**

//The Daily Courant// ran its first issue on March 11th, 1702. It was first published by Elizabeth Mallet, but she sold it to Samuel Buckley, who owned the paper for the majority of its publication. The first issue stated the newspapers purpose: “This Courant…will be publish’d daily: being designed to give all the material news as soon as every post arrives” (//Courant).// It kept to its word, and successfully became the first daily newspaper. It initially published translations of international news, but began adding local news as well as advertisements and events as it gained popularity. The paper’s final publication was on June 28th, 1735, when //The Daily Gazetteer// took over daily circulation.
 * The History of //The Daily Courant//**



Similar to most daily newspapers, //The Daily Courant// was organized into sections. Though there were no headings (i.e. “World” or “Local,” as with //The Washington Post//), locations were listed above each entry to tell the reader whether it was a large-scale event or something more specific to London. The paper opened with international headlines. As stated above, these most often related to negotiations towards the Treaty of Hague, the East India Company, and the South Sea Company. There were a few entries discussing Russian tension with the Ottoman Empire in what would be modern-day Eastern Europe. These international stories often took the form of letters and dispatches from other countries, so the stories were not written directly by //The Daily Courant.// The countries were letters came from most often included Spain, France, Germany, and Italy. Following this international “section” was a series of local news entries, including the stock listings of the South Sea Company (this becomes of extreme importance in April of 1720). Following this was the Brunswick Lottery numbers for that round. This concluded on February 26th, 1720, and did not resurface in the rest of the period I researched. The Classifieds section included events, items being sold, and new books published. In terms of the modern day newspaper, it seemed to be a fusing of the Style section and Classifieds section. The King’s Theatre in the Haymarket and the Royal Theatre at Drury Lane were mentioned almost daily in this section. //The Daily Courant// appeals to an audience of middle- to upper class individuals, as literacy was a skill mostly held by the educated. In addition, the events and items for sale in the Classifieds section would only be of value to people who could afford them. Though the paper was relatively cheap itself and attempted to be more accessible with its daily circulation, it was still widely a commodity of the privileged.
 * The Format of //The Daily Courant//**

Though theatre seasons divide the year into halves, I focused on the 1719-1720 season because the play I research opened at in this half of 1720 as opposed to the latter half. //The London Stage// mentioned that Drury Lane and Lincoln’s Inn Fields maintained a monopoly over the theatre season this year as well as previous years, and it was not an exaggeration. These two playhouses each had a performance almost every day. The King’s Theatre was the third venue with the highest number of performances. According to //The Daily Courant//, the only events at the King’s Theatre in February were dances and balls, most definitely held for the upper echelons of society. When cross-referenced to //The London Stage//, the entries on the days the balls took place indicate that there were performances that went along with the festivities. Under the February 4th entry, //The London Stage// mentioned a touring French group: “There is upon the Road from Paris, thither, a Company of French Comedians, which, ‘tis said, are to perform at the Theatre in the Hay-Market twice every Week the Remainder of this Season” (Scouten 566). This French group brought much attention to the King’s Theatre, which continued to rise in prominence with the introduction of opera into the 1719-1720 season. The first to be presented in a few years, the Italian opera //Numitor// opened in April at the King’s Theatre and established a trend of opera performance. During this season, there were battles between newspapers as well as the theatres themselves. //The Daily Post// claimed monopoly over the theatre advertisements, but //The Daily Courant// managed to resume publishing the advertisements as well in January 1720. Richard Steele (whose name may seem familiar, seeing as he wrote //The Conscious Lovers//) managed the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane until 1720, when he fell out of favor with the administration. He was supposed to then begin a relationship with Lincoln’s Inn Fields, but this never came to fruition. Overall, the 1719-1720 season was not simply one of conflict, but one of innovation. media type="custom" key="25694598"
 * The Theatre Season: 1719-1720**

Seeing as this season most notably included the return of opera, I decided to read //Numitor//, the first full-length Italian opera opened in over 10 years at the King’s Theatre. It was performed by the Royal Academy of Music, written by Paolo Antonio Rolli and Roberto Clerici, and composed by Giovanni Porta. The document in itself is interesting because it includes both the Italian and English versions combined (each Italian page is translated on the following page, switching off).media type="custom" key="25690130" align="right" It opens with “The Argument,” which establishes the given circumstances and general plot summary of //Numitor//. Following this, the editor addresses a mistake — including a page that he mentions should have been placed between the second and third scenes of Act Three. After this brief interruption, the document presents the Dramatis Personae followed by the script and its translation. The plot follows the rise of Romulus and Remus, the first Kings of Rome. The throne of their grandfather, Numitor, is usurped by his brother, the tyrant Amulius. What results is a redistribution of power and the tyrant King deserting Romulus and Remus as children. Romulus and Remus are raised by a Shepherdess, Dorilla. The play itself opens after Amulius has taken the throne. Rhea Silvia, the boys’ mother, is banished to a cave. Romulus finds her as he makes his way towards the city with guards. In time, they reach Alba (the setting of the play) and take part in the Lupercalia festivities (the ancient St. Valentine’s Day). At the events, they are ambushed by Amulius’ army and imprisoned. Amulius attempts to woo Lidia, another female character in the play, and she asks to be given poison. He tricks her and gives her a liquid to make her sleep. She wakes up and devastatingly realizes she is not dead. Remus and Romulus incite another uprising, in which Amulius is killed. Numitor returns to the throne. The god Mars descends and tells the brothers of their destiny. The opera cannot simply be classified as a comedy, romance, or tragedy, as it has aspects of all three.
 * The Play**

The year 1720 in England opened with a very developed international consciousness, particularly because of The Treaty of Hague, which established a resolution to The War of Quadruple Alliance. Spain desired more power and attempted to both reclaim territories in Italy and usurp the French throne. In response, England, Austria, France, and the Dutch Republic established an alliance to combat the threat. //Numitor// seems to arise out of numerous themes we have discussed in class. Similar to //The Rover//, this opera attempts to reconcile tensions regarding power and territory — who owns what as well as the usurpation of inheritance. Though Amulius and Numitor are brothers from the same city, Romulus and Remus occupy roles as foreigners. Whie they were both born in Alba, a woman who was not their mother raised them outside of the city. Similar to Indiana in //The Conscious Lovers//, these brothers struggle to find that sense of “home.” They do not feel comfortable in the pastures, so they decide to journey back to the city. Ultimately, they are restored to their rightful roles. Even though Amulius dies, //Numitor// adopts concepts of sentimental comedy. Instead of the revealing the faults in human nature and having a more cynical tone, this opera shows that good triumphs over evil. The natural order is restored in the end. While not strictly sentimental comedy, it flows in the direction of that genre by appealing to virtue and positive moral values. Another similarity between //Numitor// and //The Conscious Lovers// is the reuniting of family. In the end of //The Conscious Lovers//, Sealand realizes Indiana is his lost daughter. Similarly in //Numitor//, Rhea Silvia becomes aware that Remus and Romulus are her sons. Though //Numitor// opened a few years before Steele’s play, it emphasized that sense of righteousness that would have been present in the aftermath of the Treaty of Hague. In class we have also discussed the role of feminine agency in these plays. What is interesting is that //Numitor// was created completely by males, yet it contains very strong female characters. Though Rhea Silva and Lidia both complain of their situations, both are able to defend themselves in a dangerous, military setting of men. Dorilla may have had a husband she raised the children with, but she represents their pastoral upbringing. Her own voice represents their past, as opposed to her husband’s voice. He is not even present in the play. Lidia is the only female character sexualized in the opera, but only by the antagonist, Amulius. In a certain sense, the opera portrays female objectification as a vile thing, which is very progressive given the plays we have read this semester. Overall, //Numitor// seems to be an opera that is very cognizant of current events. It establishes itself as a part of that international consciousness and fight for power, but also progressively explores themes such as female agency and righteousness.
 * Analysis and Conclusion:**

Works Cited //The Daily Courant// [London] 1720: n. pag. //17th and 18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers//. Web. 18 Apr. 2014. "Quadruple Alliance." //Encyclopaedia Brittanica//. Encyclopaedia Brittanica, Inc., 2014. Web. 19 Apr. 2014. . Rolli, Paolo. //Numitor. An opera. As it is perform'd at the King's Theatre in the Hay-Market. For the Royal Academy of Musick//__.__ London, 1720. __Eighteenth Century Collections Online__. Gale. University of Maryland College Park. 21 Apr. 2014 . Scouten, Arthur H. "Season of 1719-1720." //The London Stage//. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois Univ. Pr., 1961. 547-85. Print.