Many of the circus clowns (who often performed in blackface in the early part of 
the century) were also minstrel performers or later became minstrel performers.  
There was a significant overlap in the music, too.  Foster, yes, but many, many 
other composers as well.  And opera was one of the favorite targets of 
post-bellum blackface minstrel parody.

Sharon




________________________________
From: Alan Kitty <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Sun, March 17, 2013 8:56:41 AM
Subject: Re: Horse Opera

Presume the music one might hear at a circus of the period might have been c=
alliope music by Stephen foster? It's a guess based on Twain's love of the e=
asily played minstrel tunes by the composer.

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 16, 2013, at 7:22 PM, Robert E Stewart <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> In the first known article signed " Yours, dreamily, Mark Twain," referenc=
e=20
> is made by Twain of his playing the piano. He wrote:  "I sat down  to the=20=

> piano and sang - however, what I sang is of no consequence to anybody. It =
=20
> was only a graceful little gem from the horse opera. "
>=20
> A dictionary today says Horse Opera is "A film or other theatrical  work=20=

> about the American West; a western"
>=20
> The first written "westerns," often later called "Dime Novels" or "Dime =20=

> Westerns" made their appearance in about 1860. But of course, no western =20=

> movies until a long time after that. So what was the music Twain was  play=
ing on=20
> the ivory keys at former California governor J. Neely Johnson's party  in=20=

> Carson City?=20
>=20
> The Sheboygan Journal of May 21, 1857, page one, col. three  says ". . . t=
o=20
> the circus, more tastefully termed the 'horse opera,' which last  is=20
> patronized to a greater extent in this city than any other place of  amuse=
ment." I=20
> found a few other newspaper references confirming it as  a mid-1800s term=20=

> for a Circus.
>=20
> Twain, taught piano by his sister, was tinkling out a piece  of circus=20
> music of the period.
>=20
> Bob Stewart
>=20