4.09 Quiz: Opera Music Quizlet

How much do you know about opera music? Take this quiz to find out! This quiz covers material from 4.09 Quiz: Opera Music Quizlet.

Introduction

Opera is a form of theatre in which music has a leading role and the parts are taken by singers, but is distinct from musical theatre. The opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance.

What is Opera?

Opera is a form of theatre in which music has a leading role and the parts are taken by singers. Opera originated in Italy in the late 16th century and soon spread through Europe. In Opera, Music, Theater, and Emotion: The Angel in the House (2011), Carrie J. Preston writes that “In opera, the Time factor is variable – it can be present as actual time (that is, Plot Time), as dreamed time (what we might refer to as Memory Time), or as representation of an emotional state or feeling”.

What is the difference between Opera and Classical Music?

Opera is a form of theatre in which music has a leading role and the parts are taken by singers, but is distinct from musical theatre. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance. The performance is typically given in an opera house, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble, which since the early 19th century has been led by a conductor.

The Three Types of Opera

Opera is a classical form of music that is often associated with grandeur and high society. It can be traced back to the 16th century, and is typically characterized by its use of grandiose sets and costumes, and its highly emotional storytelling. There are three main types of opera: tragic, comic, and mixed. Let’s take a closer look at each.

Opera Buffa

Opera buffa is a comedic form of opera that originated in Italy in the early 1700s. The first opera buffa was Pergolesi’s La serva padrona, which was first performed in Naples in 1733. Opera buffa reached the height of its popularity in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Many of the most popular opera buffas were written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, including Così fan tutte and The Marriage of Figaro.

Opera buffa is characterized by its light, cheerful tone, simple plot, and relatable characters. The music is often tuneful and catchy, with a strong emphasis on vocal display. Comic moments are often punctuated by interpolated musical numbers known as “aria di bravura.”

While opera buffa was once one of the most popular forms of opera, it has since fallen out of favor with modern audiences. Nevertheless, several opera buffas continue to be performed each year, and they remain an important part of the operatic repertoire.

Opera Seria

Opera seria (‘serious opera’) is an 18th-century form of opera, associated with the Italian musical tradition. The name itself was first used in Italy in the late 17th century, although the genre began to attract critical attention at the start of the 18th century. Opera seria was largely supplanted in Italy by opera buffa (‘comic opera’) by the end of the 18th century. Outside Italy it persisted longer, as French Grand-Guignol and German Singspiel. It also found a toe-hold in England thanks to Italian emigre composers such as Nicolas Spinelli, Thomas Arne and Florian Leopold Gassmann (who introduced it to Vienna).

The main characteristics of opera seria are:

· Aria-dominated vocal style

· Three or four principal roles for male singers with significantly smaller roles for female singers and male speaking parts

· Recitative used sparingly to advance the plot or develop characterisation

· No chorus

· Rigid adherence to the three unities (of action, place and time) – meaning that the action should take place in one day/night at one location

Opera Buffa

Opera buffa, or comic opera, arose in Naples in the early 1700s. It featured simple, relatable plots with characters from everyday life set to music. This type of opera was very popular at the time and is still performed today.

The History of Opera

Opera is a form of musical theatre that originated in Italy in the seventeenth century and quickly spread throughout Europe. It is opera’s ability to tell a story through music, drama, and spectacle that has made it one of the most popular forms of entertainment for centuries.

The Origins of Opera

Opera is a form of theatre in which music has a leading role and the parts are taken by singers, but is distinct from musical theatre. Such “sung drama” is sometimes called “opera semiseria”. The first real opera, Dafne by Jacopo Peri was produced in Florence in 1598. Opera then spread to Rome ( 1600), Venice (1637) and other cities. It reached Northern Europe in the 17th century, England in 1656, Spain in 1700 and Russia in 1731.

The Spread of Opera

Opera, a staged drama set to music in its entirety, created during the Renaissance (15th–16th century) in Florence, with roots in earlier theatrical traditions of the 14th century. Mannerist writers in the late 16th century had tired of what they perceived as artificiality in dramatic structure and characterization. Opera was seen as a natural vehicle for exploring realistic emotions and situations.

Opera spread from its birthplace in Italy throughout Europe during the 17th century. Its progress was furthered by two factors: the first opera houses, which appeared early in the 17th century, and castrati—male singers with high voices produced by castration—whose singing added a new dimension to vocal music. The first great public opera house was Venice’s La Fenice (The Phoenix), opened in 1637. Another early theatre was Rome’s Teatro Argentina, which drew large audiences despite its low admission price of one grosso (a coin worth 12 denarii). Wealthy patrons were willing to support operatic productions on a grand scale if they could participate in some way. The opening night of Giovanni Francesco Busenello’s La Calisto (1651; Calisto), for example, featured 12 on-stage soloists and an orchestra of 36 players, all directed by Luigi Rossi.

Opera reached Germany toward the end of the 17th century with productions at Hamburg (1678) and Dresden (1667). By 1700 there were theatres specializing in opera in most major German cities. In England it took longer for opera to establish itself. The first attempt to present an Italian opera seria—serious opera—in London occurred in 1600 with Giovanni Gastoldi’s La Pellegrina;poorer reception met Antonio Cesti’s Il pomo d’oro (The Golden Apple; 1668) as well as subsequent Italian operas. English composers working in the continental tradition had some success: Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas(c. 1689) was performed at Josias Priest’s girls’ school at Chelsea, London; John Blow’s Venus and Adonis(1683) was produced at Lincoln’s Inn Fields Theatre; and Nicholas Lanier staged his own Valley of Delight(1662) at Oxford University. These works achieved popularity not for their musical merits alone but also because they included popular songs and other non-operatic items that attracted larger audiences.

The Decline of Opera

Opera as a musical genre began to decline in popularity towards the end of the 18th century. One of the main reasons for this was the rise of other musical genres that became more popular with audiences, such as the symphony. In addition, operas were becoming more expensive to produce due to the elaborate productions that were becoming common. This made it difficult for many people to afford to see operas, which further contributed to their decline in popularity.

Opera Today

Opera is a form of theatre in which music has a leading role and the parts are taken by singers, but is distinguished from musical theatre. Other elements of the production such as acting, scenery, and costumes may be equally important.

The Future of Opera

What does the future hold for opera?

That’s a difficult question to answer, as opera is such a complex and ever-changing art form. However, there are some general trends that we can identify that may give us a hint as to what the future may bring.

One trend that we are seeing is an increase in the number of co-productions between opera companies. This allows for a sharing of resources and knowledge, and helps to bring opera to new audiences.

We are also seeing an increase in the use of technology in opera. This includes everything from using video projections to create virtual sets, to using social media to engage with audiences. Opera companies are realizing that they need to adapt to the way that people are consuming media if they want to stay relevant.

Finally, there is a trend towards more collaborative and innovative approaches to opera composition and production. We are seeing more operas being created by team of composers, librettists, and directors, rather than just one individual. This allows for a more complex and interesting experience for the audience.

It is impossible to say definitively what the future of opera will bring. However, these trends give us an idea of some of the ways that it may evolve in the years to come.