The use of music in Austrian Jesuit dramas

Abstract

Although music was used with great restrictions in Jesuit dramatic productions in the 16th century, from the following century on, this situation began to change and gradually it became common to find some parts written for solo recitative and aria. From the second half of the 17th century, an increasing number of Jesuit dramas were entirely sung. Furthermore, despite the Austrian elite's fascination with Italian opera and continuous funding of operatic productions, sponsorship of these dramas became a convenient and cheaper alternative to this profane Italian genre. Through the theatrical endeavors of the Society of Jesus, the main Austrian authorities found an alternative way to enjoy the new compositional techniques typical of opera from an artistically and morally uplifting production suitable for virtuous individuals committed to the Counter-Reformation. The article investigates the relationship between Jesuit drama and music in Austria in the 16th and 17th centuries. For this purpose, the historical development of Jesuit dramas, the importance of music as a solution to the challenges of using Latin, internal disputes linked to the incorporation of operatic elements into Jesuit theater, and the role of German composers associated with the Viennese imperial chapel in composing the music of theatrical productions developed by Jesuit dramatists will be evaluated.