airy creation arose the distinctively
Marie Antoinette art and style; she caused artists to exhaust their
fertile brains in devising the most curious and magnificent, the
newest and most fanciful creations, quite regardless of cost--and
this while her people were starving and crying for bread! The angry
murmurings of the populace did not reach the ears of the gay queen,
who, had she been conscious of them, might have allowed her bright
eyes to become dim for a time, but would have soon forgotten the
passing cloud.

There was constant festivity about the queen and her companions, but
no etiquette; there was no household, only friends--the Polignacs,
Mme. Elisabeth, Monsieur, the Comte d'Artois, and, occasionally, the
king. To be sure, the amusements were innocent--open-air balls, rides,
lawn fetes, all made particularly attractive by the affability of
the young queen, who showed each guest some particular attention; all
departed enchanted with the place and its delights and, especially,
with the graciousness of the royal hostess. There all artists and
authors of France were encouraged and patronized--with the exception
of Voltaire; the queen refused to patronize a man whose view upon
morality had caused so much trouble.

Music and the drama received especial protection from her. The triumph
of Gluck's _Iphigenie en Aulide_, in 1774, was the first victory of
Marie Antoinette over the former mistress and the Piccini party. This
was the second musical quarrel in France, the first having occurred
in 1754, between the lovers of French and Italian music, with Mme. de
Pompadour as protectress. After Gluck had monopolized the French opera
for eight years, the Italian, Piccini, was brought from Italy in
1776. Quinault's _Roland_ was arranged for him by Marmontel and was
presented in 1778, unsuccessfully; Gluck presented his _Iphigenie en
Aulide_, and no opera ever received such general approbation. "The
scene was all uproar and confusion, demoniacal enthusiasm; women threw
their gloves, fans, lace kerchiefs, at the actors; men stamped and
yelled; the enthusiasm of the public reached actual frenzy. All did
honor to the composer and to the queen."

Marie Antoinette, however, also gave Piccini her protection. Gluck,
armed with German theories and supporting French music, maintained for
dramatic interest, the subordination of music to poetry, the union
or close relation of song and recitative; whereas, the Italian opera
represent