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Scandalous By Profession: Opera In Eighteenth-Century Europe, Felicity Moran

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

Opera, as one of the most important art forms of the eighteenth century, bequeathed to its singers a strong position of prestige. And yet, a stigma of social disreputability hung over these same performers. This article examines that paradox first by looking at the importance of opera in the cultural centers of Naples, Paris, and London. From this foundation follows a closer study of the origins of stage performers, and from there, an examination of the on and off-stage behavior of opera singers in the eighteenth century that contributed to the negative image they projected onto society. Finally, the article …