THE EVOLUTION OF THE COURT MASQUE OF THE PERIOD OF THE ENGLISH REVOLUTION OF 1640-1660 AND THE RESTORATION OF THE STUART DYNASTY

Abstract

It was established that the court Masque, as a genre, had a significant influence on the formation of the English national opera, while the opera genre in England, unlike the musical art in Europe, was unclaimed for a long time. It was revealed that the protectorate of O. Cromwell negatively related to the traditional royal court entertainments, which were known for luxury goods and excessive financial costs for the state treasury of England. Many scholars have noted that Puritans were hostile to the theatre and to  drama. However, the relationship of Puritans and art in general such a simplified form. The Puritans made a great contribution to English art, associated cannot be viewed in with a surge of interest in the simplified and luxury-free interior of the Masques genre, for example, «Cupid and Death» by James Shirley, as well as the staging of the first public English opera «Siege of Rhodes» by the English composer William Davenant.

It is indicated that after the restoration of the monarchy in England, interest in opera productions remained limited.