501:
86:"typical bits and snatches of commonplace, second-hand information" and "misunderstandings that would be characteristic of an Englishman who really knows very little about Venice." The speaker, more interested in science than the arts, even gives Galuppi the wrong first name ("Baldassaro" for the correct "Baldassare", an error perpetuated by some literary critics).
77:
Browning's subjective interpretation produces "not just a commentary on music, but a complex portrait of the person attempting to interpret the music." The critic Robert C. Schweik argues that the poem does not require the reader to know
Galuppi's music, and that Browning does not provide any description of what the music is really like.
85:
The poem is written in the first person, but the voice is not that of
Browning himself: the speaker, unlike the poet, has never been out of England, and is picturing life in 18th-century Venice through his response to Galuppi's music. Schweik comments that the speaker's remarks on Venice include
89:
After the speaker's fanciful and superficial evocation of old Venice, in stanzas I to IX, the voice goes on to muse on the nature of immortality, first of art and then of life itself. In stanza X, the speaker ponders on the deaths of
Galuppi's original audiences, and in the following stanzas he
76:
writes of the poet's precise grasp of fine musical detail in this work. David
Parkinson identifies "a link between each syllable of the poem and the musical notes of a scale." Stephen H. Ford contends that the whole poem is constructed "on a double octave form". Marc R. Plamondon argues that
19:
71:
Commentators have remarked on the musicality of the poem. Browning was trained extensively in music, both in composition and musical theory. Professional musicians and musicologists have been dismissive of his use of musical terms, but the music scholar
64:" were less clearly differentiated than they later became, and were used interchangeably. A number of Galuppi's sonatas have been suggested as Browning's inspiration, but as Charles van den Borren wrote in
68:, "every poet has the right to evade the prosaic minutiae of fact", and it is impossible to state with confidence that one Galuppi piece has more claim than another to be the inspiration for the poem.
789:
90:
contemplates his own mortality. By the final stanza, XV, the speaker has come so far from his original complacency as to have real empathy with the people of 18th-century Venice.
585:
674:
710:
808:
803:
400:
644:
177:"'What do you mean by your mountainous fugues?': A Musical Reading of Browning's 'A Toccata of Galuppi's' and 'Master Hugues of Saxe-Gotha'"
625:
317:
518:
868:
612:
565:
344:
35:
541:
797:
393:
690:
604:
576:
440:
122:
60:
It is not known whether
Browning was thinking of any one piece by Galuppi; in Galuppi's time, the terms "toccata" and "
617:
456:
334:
98:
The poem inspired a 1989 setting, in modern idiom but with musical quotations from
Galuppi's works, by the composer
831:
783:
581:
448:
386:
839:
629:
748:
633:
597:
815:
660:
464:
52:. The poem consists of fifteen rhymed tercets; its prevailing meter is trochaic octameter catalectic.
653:
534:
108:
873:
480:
682:
49:
526:
367:
350:
340:
778:
589:
424:
99:
561:
556:
548:
409:
31:
649:
593:
147:
103:
862:
569:
500:
40:. The title refers to the fact that the speaker is either playing or listening to a
488:
472:
432:
247:"Art, Mortality, and the Drama of Subjective Responses in 'A Toccata of Galuppi's'"
73:
204:
Parkinson, David (1986). "'A Toccata of
Galuppi's' – Even the Title's an Octave",
18:
621:
847:
112:
on the poem, using many of the words and theme as a basis for her own lyrics.
354:
740:
336:
Dominick
Argento's "A Toccata of Galuppi's": A critical analysis of the work
371:
269:
246:
176:
106:
based her song "Galuppi
Baldassare", the first track of her 2006 album
41:
289:
151:
61:
45:
378:
17:
217:
Ford, Stephen H. (1986). "The
Musical Form of Robert Browning's
382:
290:"Browning's 'A Toccata of Galuppi's' How Venice Once Was Dear"
296:, New Series, Vol. 41, No. 164 (November 1990), pp. 496–509
756:
Parleyings with Certain People of Importance in Their Day
276:, Vol. 15, "Meeting the Brownings" (1987), pp. 123–129
270:"Art, Artist, and Audience in 'A Toccata of Galuppi's'"
253:, Vol. 15, "Meeting the Brownings" (1987), pp. 131–136
790:
Clasped Hands of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning
824:
771:
508:
416:
784:Armstrong Browning Library, collections and papers
586:How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix
675:Prince Hohenstiel-Schwangau, Saviour of Society
126:– the title is a quotation from this poem
34:, originally published in the 1855 collection
394:
8:
711:Pacchiarotto, and How He Worked in Distemper
401:
387:
379:
183:, Vol. 37, No. 3 (Fall 1999), pp. 309–332
142:
140:
136:
339:. University of Southern California.
7:
626:Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came
264:
262:
241:
239:
237:
235:
233:
231:
171:
169:
167:
152:"Round about A Toccata of Galuppi's"
519:Pauline: A Fragment of a Confession
366:. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
14:
566:Soliloquy of the Spanish Cloister
499:
333:Colwitz, Erin Elizabeth (2007).
146:Borren, Charles van den, trans.
542:Johannes Agricola in Meditation
798:The Barretts of Wimpole Street
1:
294:The Review of English Studies
691:Red Cotton Night-Cap Country
605:Christmas-Eve and Easter-Day
577:Dramatic Romances and Lyrics
441:King Victor and King Charles
123:When the Kissing had to Stop
890:
832:Elizabeth Barrett Browning
718:The Agamemnon of Aeschylus
582:Home-Thoughts, from Abroad
274:Browning Institute Studies
251:Browning Institute Studies
869:Poetry by Robert Browning
497:
158:, 1 May 1923, pp 314–316
728:The Two Poets of Croisic
457:A Blot in the 'Scutcheon
449:The Return of the Druses
102:. The singer-songwriter
840:Robert Barrett Browning
298:(subscription required)
278:(subscription required)
255:(subscription required)
185:(subscription required)
160:(subscription required)
668:Balaustion's Adventure
638:A Toccata of Galuppi's
618:"Love Among the Ruins"
362:Cooke, Deryck (1962).
219:A Toccata of Galuppi's
28:A Toccata of Galuppi's
23:
22:Browning in Rome, 1861
816:Pied Piper of Hamelin
698:Aristophanes' Apology
661:The Ring and the Book
364:The Language of Music
21:
654:Caliban upon Setebos
225:in Plamondon, p. 309
208:in Plamondon, p. 309
109:Strange Conversation
44:by the 18th-century
749:Ferishtah's Fancies
245:Schweik, Robert C.
175:Plamondon, Marc R.
683:Fifine at the Fair
509:Poetry collections
465:Colombe's Birthday
318:Galuppi Baldassare
56:Musical background
50:Baldassare Galuppi
24:
856:
855:
844:
836:
535:Porphyria's Lover
156:The Musical Times
66:The Musical Times
881:
842:
834:
793:(1853 sculpture)
779:Browning Society
645:Dramatis Personæ
630:Andrea del Sarto
590:Meeting at Night
503:
481:A Soul's Tragedy
403:
396:
389:
380:
375:
358:
320:
315:
309:
306:
300:
299:
288:Hawlin, Stefan.
286:
280:
279:
268:Turner W. Craig
266:
257:
256:
243:
226:
215:
209:
202:
196:
193:
187:
186:
181:Victorian Poetry
173:
162:
161:
144:
100:Dominick Argento
94:Musical settings
889:
888:
884:
883:
882:
880:
879:
878:
859:
858:
857:
852:
820:
767:
634:Fra Lippo Lippi
598:The Lost Leader
562:My Last Duchess
557:Dramatic Lyrics
510:
504:
495:
412:
410:Robert Browning
407:
361:
347:
332:
329:
324:
323:
316:
312:
307:
303:
297:
287:
283:
277:
267:
260:
254:
244:
229:
216:
212:
203:
199:
194:
190:
184:
174:
165:
159:
145:
138:
133:
118:
96:
83:
58:
32:Robert Browning
30:" is a poem by
12:
11:
5:
887:
885:
877:
876:
871:
861:
860:
854:
853:
851:
850:
845:
837:
828:
826:
822:
821:
819:
818:
813:
812:
811:
806:
794:
786:
781:
775:
773:
769:
768:
766:
765:
759:
753:
745:
737:
734:Dramatic Idyls
731:
721:
715:
707:
701:
695:
687:
679:
671:
665:
657:
650:Rabbi ben Ezra
641:
609:
601:
594:The Laboratory
573:
553:
545:
538:
531:
523:
514:
512:
506:
505:
498:
496:
494:
493:
485:
477:
469:
461:
453:
445:
437:
429:
420:
418:
414:
413:
408:
406:
405:
398:
391:
383:
377:
376:
359:
345:
328:
325:
322:
321:
310:
308:Colwitz, p. ix
301:
281:
258:
227:
210:
197:
188:
163:
148:Richard Capell
135:
134:
132:
129:
128:
127:
117:
114:
104:Kris Delmhorst
95:
92:
82:
79:
57:
54:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
886:
875:
872:
870:
867:
866:
864:
849:
846:
841:
838:
833:
830:
829:
827:
823:
817:
814:
810:
807:
805:
802:
801:
800:
799:
795:
792:
791:
787:
785:
782:
780:
777:
776:
774:
770:
763:
760:
757:
754:
751:
750:
746:
743:
742:
738:
735:
732:
729:
725:
722:
719:
716:
713:
712:
708:
705:
704:The Inn Album
702:
699:
696:
693:
692:
688:
685:
684:
680:
677:
676:
672:
669:
666:
663:
662:
658:
655:
651:
647:
646:
642:
639:
635:
631:
627:
623:
619:
615:
614:
613:Men and Women
610:
607:
606:
602:
599:
595:
591:
587:
583:
579:
578:
574:
571:
570:Count Gismond
567:
563:
559:
558:
554:
551:
550:
546:
543:
539:
536:
532:
529:
528:
524:
521:
520:
516:
515:
513:
507:
502:
491:
490:
486:
483:
482:
478:
475:
474:
470:
467:
466:
462:
459:
458:
454:
451:
450:
446:
443:
442:
438:
435:
434:
430:
427:
426:
422:
421:
419:
415:
411:
404:
399:
397:
392:
390:
385:
384:
381:
373:
369:
365:
360:
356:
352:
348:
346:9780549390053
342:
338:
337:
331:
330:
326:
319:
314:
311:
305:
302:
295:
291:
285:
282:
275:
271:
265:
263:
259:
252:
248:
242:
240:
238:
236:
234:
232:
228:
224:
220:
214:
211:
207:
201:
198:
192:
189:
182:
178:
172:
170:
168:
164:
157:
153:
149:
143:
141:
137:
130:
125:
124:
120:
119:
115:
113:
111:
110:
105:
101:
93:
91:
87:
80:
78:
75:
69:
67:
63:
55:
53:
51:
47:
43:
39:
38:
37:Men and Women
33:
29:
20:
16:
796:
788:
761:
755:
747:
739:
736:(1879, 1880)
733:
727:
723:
717:
709:
703:
697:
689:
681:
673:
667:
659:
643:
637:
611:
603:
575:
555:
547:
525:
517:
489:In a Balcony
487:
479:
471:
463:
455:
447:
439:
433:Pippa Passes
431:
423:
363:
335:
313:
304:
293:
284:
273:
250:
222:
218:
213:
205:
200:
195:Cooke, p. 71
191:
180:
155:
121:
107:
97:
88:
84:
74:Deryck Cooke
70:
65:
59:
36:
27:
25:
15:
825:Family life
622:Evelyn Hope
874:1855 poems
863:Categories
848:Casa Guidi
724:La Saisiaz
527:Paracelsus
327:References
809:1957 film
804:1934 film
741:Jocoseria
511:and poems
425:Strafford
355:450110261
48:composer
762:Asolando
664:(1868–9)
648:(1864, "
580:(1845, "
560:(1842, "
549:Sordello
544:" (1836)
537:" (1836)
116:See also
46:Venetian
772:Related
616:(1855,
372:3644275
42:toccata
835:(wife)
764:(1889)
758:(1887)
752:(1884)
744:(1883)
730:(1878)
720:(1877)
714:(1876)
706:(1875)
700:(1875)
694:(1873)
686:(1872)
678:(1871)
670:(1871)
608:(1850)
552:(1840)
530:(1835)
522:(1833)
492:(1855)
484:(1846)
476:(1846)
468:(1844)
460:(1843)
452:(1843)
444:(1842)
436:(1841)
428:(1837)
370:
353:
343:
223:quoted
206:quoted
81:Themes
62:sonata
843:(son)
473:Luria
417:Plays
131:Notes
726:and
652:", "
636:", "
632:", "
628:", "
624:", "
596:", "
592:", "
588:", "
584:", "
568:", "
564:", "
368:OCLC
351:OCLC
341:ISBN
620:, "
221:",
865::
656:")
640:")
600:")
572:")
349:.
292:,
272:,
261:^
249:,
230:^
179:,
166:^
154:,
150:.
139:^
540:"
533:"
402:e
395:t
388:v
374:.
357:.
26:"
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
