=Characteristics of the Early German Opera=.—The Hamburg opera house was opened in 1678 with a Biblical _Singspiel_ (literally song-play) of an allegorical nature, _Adam und Eva; oder der erschaffene, gefallene und wieder aufgerichtete Mensch_ (Adam and Eve; or the Created, Fallen and Redeemed Man) by =Johann Theile= (1646-1724) a noted organist of the day and a pupil of Schütz. This was the first performance of a German opera on a public stage. The _Singspiel_ corresponds to the English ballad opera in being a series of songs, ensembles, etc., mainly of a simple nature, connected by spoken dialogue. The curious taste of the time is shown by the choice of subject; the work itself was a survival of the Miracle Plays and Mysteries of the Middle Ages. It begins with the creation of the earth, which is formed out of chaos by characters representing the four elements; the Almighty descends by means of a flying machine and calls man into being; Lucifer succeeds in his temptation of Eve to the great joy of demons who sing an exulting chorus, etc. As the Italians took the subjects for their early operas from classical mythology, so the _Germans took_ theirs from _Bible history_. _Adam and Eve_ was followed by a series of similar _Singspiele_: _Michal and David_, _The Maccabean Mother_, _Esther_, _Cain and Abel_, and many others. =Change of Character=.—In time, however, these gave way to operas in the Italian style. The chief agent in this change was =Reinhard Keiser= (1674-1739) who, as composer and manager, brought the Hamburg opera to its highest point. Associated with him was =Johannes Mattheson= (1681-1764), a man of many and varied gifts as singer, composer, conductor, scholar and diplomat, now chiefly remembered by his close relations with =George Frederic Handel= (1685-1759). The latter at the age of eighteen came from his native city, Halle, to Hamburg, then the musical centre of Germany, to continue his studies. Mattheson recognized the youth’s genius and opened the way for the performance of his first opera, _Almira_.