Was “Music for the Theater” an Opera?

Many people are familiar with the works of Giuseppe Verdi, especially his operas. But did you know that he also wrote a piece called “Music for the Theater”? Was this an opera? Let’s take a closer look.

Introduction

On May 7th 1928, Alban Berg’s “Music for the Theater” premiered in Baden-Baden. The piece was conducted by Erich Kleiber and starred the famous German actor Ernst Deutsch in the lead role. It was an instant success with the audience, but was met with mixed reviews from the critics. Some praised Berg for his innovative use of atonality and expressionism, while others derided the work as being too difficult to follow and understand. Despite the mixed reaction, “Music for the Theater” quickly became a staple of the avant-garde music scene and has been performed numerous times since its initial premiere.

So what exactly is “Music for the Theater”? Is it an opera? A play? A ballet? The truth is, it’s all of these things and more. Berg designed the piece to be a “total work of art”, meaning that it encompassed all forms of art in order to create a unified whole. In this sense, it is similar to Wagner’s “Ring Cycle” or Richard Strauss’ “Salome”. However, unlike these works, “Music for the Theater” does not have a traditional narrative arc. Instead, it is a series of tableaux that each represent a different character or emotion. This makes it more akin to a Symbolist poem or a painting by Pablo Picasso than anything else.

Despite its lack of a traditional plot, “Music for the Theater” is still an incredibly powerful and moving work of art. The music is both beautiful and harrowing, often within the same breath. If you have never heard it before, I highly recommend seeking out a recording. You will not be disappointed.

What is an opera?

An opera is a type of musical theatre that includes singing and acting, and is usually performed in an operahouse. Operas are usually written in a specific musical form called “opera seria” or “heroic opera”, which is based on a series of stock characters that were developed in the 17th century. In order to be considered an opera, a work must have two things: 1) recitative, which is a type of sung dialogue that sounds like natural speech, and 2) at least one set piece, which is a type of sung performance that is more structured and choreographed than recitative.

The first known opera was written in 1597 by Jacopo Peri, and was entitled “Dafne”. However, the first truly popular opera was written by George Frideric Handel in 1711, entitled “Rinaldo”. Since then, operas have been written in every conceivable genre, from comic operas to grand operas. One of the most famous and influential operas of all time is Richard Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen”, which premiered in 1876.

“Music for the Theater” as an opera

Music for the Theater, also known as MftT, is an opera by Philip Glass. The work was commissioned by the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. It was first performed in 1988, with a libretto by American playwright David Henry Hwang.

The piece is in three acts, with a running time of approximately two hours. The first act, titled “The Audition”, is set in a rehearsal room where a director and his assistant are auditioning singers for an upcoming production. The second act, “The rehearsal”, takes place during a dress rehearsal for the opera. The third and final act, “The Performance”, is set during the actual performance of the opera.

MftT is considered to be one of Glass’s most accessible works, and has been praised for its humor and humanity. It is not usually classified as an opera, as it does not conform to many of the traditional conventions of that genre. However, it has been described as an “anti-opera” or a “post-modern opera”, due to its deconstruction of traditional operatic forms.

Conclusion

After careful consideration of the evidence, it is our considered opinion that “Music for the Theater” was not an opera. While it may have contained some elements of opera, such as singing and music, it did not meet all of the necessary criteria.