Sammartini in Milan gave prominence to string quartets. There was much stress laid on technical proficiency and arias. The dances became better than the vocal music, for the arias especially were monotonous and forced, and overloaded with ornament and contained practically no counterpoint. The overture, customarily in three parts, was separated from the opera itself. The arias were in bravura style with long and prolix ritornelli. The dramatic airs were absolutely spoiled by florishes.

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Gluck freed the opera from many of these forms. He maintained that the function of the music was to support the poetry without interrupting action or disfiguring by superfluous ornament. The dramatic action was given more importance and the concerted pieces with stereotyped de capo were discarded. He was criticized for sacrificing music to drama, which would often have been better with. . . Read More