In music, a ''pasticcio'' or ''pastiche'' is an opera or other musical work composed of works by different composers who may or may not have been working together, or an adaptation or localization of an existing work that is loose, unauthorized, or inauthentic.
Etymology
The term is first attested in the 16th century referring both to a kind of pie containing meat and pasta (''see
pastitsio'') and to a literary mixture; for music, the earliest attestation is 1795 in Italian and 1742 in English. It derives from the post-classical
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
''pasticium'' (13th century), a pie or pasty.
['']Oxford English Dictionary
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a c ...
'', March 2008 revision, ''s.v.'' pasticcio
In opera
In the 18th century,
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
''pasticcios'' were frequently made by composers such as
Handel, for example ''
Oreste'' (1734), ''
Alessandro Severo'' (1738) and ''
Giove in Argo'' (1739), as well as
Gluck
Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck (; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of the Holy Roman Empire, he ...
, and
Johann Christian Bach. These composite works would consist mainly of portions of other composers' work, although they could also include original composition. The portions borrowed from other composers would be more or less freely adapted, especially in the case of
aria
In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...
s in ''pasticcio'' operas by substituting a new text for the original one. In late 18th-century English ''pasticcios'', for instance by
Samuel Arnold Samuel Arnold may refer to:
*Samuel Arnold (composer) (1740–1802), English composer and organist
* Samuel Arnold (Connecticut politician) (1806–1869), U.S. Representative from Connecticut
* Samuel Arnold (conspirator) (1834–1906), co-conspira ...
or
William Shield
William Shield (5 March 1748 – 25 January 1829) was an English composer, violinist and violist. His music earned the respect of Haydn and Beethoven.
Life and musical career
Shield was born in Swalwell near Gateshead, County Durham, the son o ...
, the "borrowed" music could be Irish or British folksongs.
In instrumental music
Instrumental works would also sometimes be assembled from pre-existing compositions, a notable instance of this being the first four
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
concertos of
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. These concertos (
K. 37, 39–41) were assembled almost entirely from keyboard
sonata movements by contemporary composers, to which the boy Mozart added
orchestral parts supporting the keyboard soloist.
See also
*
Pastiche
*
The Enchanted Island (opera)
Notes
References
*"Pasticcio" in Don Michael Randel, ed., ''The New Harvard Dictionary of Music.'' Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of
Harvard University Press
Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retir ...
, 1986 (), p. 614.
*Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera'', 782 pages,
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Opera genres
Opera terminology
Italian words and phrases