The Nature of Music in Opera: Wagner vs. Everyone Else
What is the nature of music in opera? This is a question that has been debated for centuries, with no clear answer. However, there are two main schools of thought on the matter: Wagnerian opera, and everyone else.
The Basics of Opera
Opera is a genre of art that is very misunderstood. In its simplest form, it is a play that is sung instead of spoken. The lyrics are sung to an instrumental accompaniment, and this combination is what we call an opera.
What is Opera?
In the most general sense, opera is a type of theatre in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text (called a libretto) and musical score. Opera originated in Italy in the 16th century and quickly spread throughout Europe. It reached its height of popularity in the 19th century with the works of such composers as Giuseppe Verdi, Richard Wagner and Johann Strauss II. Today, opera companies exist throughout the world and operas are performed in many different languages.
A Brief History 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 a “work” (the literal translation of Italian opera) is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librettist and incorporates a number of the performing arts, such as acting, scenery, costumes, and sometimes dance or ballet. The performance is typically given in an opera house.
Opera emerged from the Italian China court theater in the late 16th century and soon spread through the rest of Europe: late 17th-century French opera had considerable success in Germany. Opera seria was the most prestigious kind of opera until Mozart’s day, when comic opera (“opera buffa”) started to become more fashionable; his greatest comic opera were The Marriage of Figaro (1786), Così fan tutte (1790), and Don Giovanni (1787). In the 19th century, Verdi became one of the pre-eminent makers of Italian opera with works such as Rigoletto (1851), Il trovatore (1853), La traviata (1853), and Aida (1871). Wagner was another important composer in this form who created works like The Flying Dutchman (1843), Tannhäuser (1845), Lohengrin (1848), The Valkyrie (1859–60), Siegfried (1871–74) et Twilight of the Gods or Götterdämmerung( 1876).
The Nature of Music in Opera
Music has always been an integral and defining part of opera. It has the ability to stir emotions, paint pictures, and tell stories. Music can be beautiful, tragic, or comic. It can be complex or simple. It can be loud or soft. But what is it about music that does this? What is the nature of music in opera?
The Wagnerian Approach
Wagnerian opera is characterized by its use of leitmotifs. A leitmotif is a recurrent musical figure that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. In Wagner’s works, leitmotifs are often associated with characters, emotions, or events. For example, the motive that represents the Ring of Power in Wagner’s Ring Cycle appears whenever the ring plays a significant role in the action.
The Verismo Approach
Instrumentation, tonality, and orchestration are central to the music of an opera. The ability to evoke different feelings and emotions in the characters and audience is what separates great opera composers from the rest. Each opera composer has their own unique style that is often influenced by the time period they lived in as well as their nationality. Two of the most influential and controversial opera composers are Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi.
Wagnerian opera is known for its long, drawn-out melodies and its use of leitmotifs (recurring musical themes that represent specific characters, places, or objects). Wagner was also one of the first composers to use chromaticism (the use of notes that are not in the scale), which gives his music a more complex feel. Verdi, on the other hand, favored a more melodic approach with shorter phrases and a greater focus on the text. His operas often contain verismo (realistic) elements that were designed to appeal to a wider audience.
Both Wagner and Verdi were incredibly influential in the development of opera as a whole. However, their different approaches often resulted in conflict. Wagnerian opera was seen as too cerebral and intellectual, while Verdi was accused of pandering to popular taste. It is this debate between art and entertainment that still exists today.
The Bel Canto Approach
The bel canto style of opera singing emerged in the early 19th century and reached its zenith in the 1830s. This style was characterized by a light, agile voice with a wide range and beautiful, expressive phrasing. The best-known exponent of this style was the Italian singer Maria Malibran, who popularized it in both France and England.
In contrast to the bel canto style, the Wagnerian approach to opera singing is heavier and more forceful. This style emerged in the late 19th century with the works of German composer Richard Wagner. Wagner wrote operas that were much longer and had more complex musical scores than earlier works in the genre. As a result, his singers had to be able to project their voices over a large orchestra and sustain long phrases without getting tired.
The two approaches to opera singing are still evident today. Many opera companies specialize in one style or the other, and many singers train specifically for one type of role. However, there is a growing trend towards versatility, as Opera companies increasingly expect their singers to be able to perform both types of repertoire.
Wagner vs. Everyone Else
The Wagnerian Approach vs. The Verismo Approach
In music, as in all other arts, there are different styles and approaches that defined different eras. In opera, two of the most prevalent and well-known styles are the Wagnerian approach and the Verismo approach.
The Wagnerian approach, also called “German Romanticism”, was developed by German composer Richard Wagner in the mid-19th century. This style is characterized by its use of leitmotifs, or recurring themes that are associated with specific characters, emotions, or objects. Wagnerian opera is also known for its long spoken dialogue sections and its incorporation of myth and legend into its storylines.
The Verismo approach, on the other hand, was developed in Italy in the late 19th century. This style sought to bring opera back to its roots by focusing on stories about real people in realistic settings. Verismo operas often deal with controversial topics such as poverty, crime, and unrequited love. Musically, Verismo operas are characterized by their use of melodrama and Verdianism (a style named after Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi).
Both Wagnerian and Verismo opera have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. In general, Wagnerian opera is more complex and cerebral, while Verismo opera is more emotional and accessible. Ultimately, it is up to the individual listener to decide which style they prefer.
The Wagnerian Approach vs. The Bel Canto Approach
In opera, as in all the arts, there is no single correct way to do things, but there are competing approaches, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The German composer Richard Wagner (1813-83) developed a new approach to opera which came to be known as the Wagnerian approach. This approach was very different from the traditional Italian or Bel Canto approach, and it had a major impact on the development of opera in the nineteenth century.
The Bel Canto Approach:
The traditional Italian or Bel Canto approach to opera emphasized beauty of melody and elegant vocal performance above all else. This approach reached its peak in the early nineteenth century with composers such as Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) and Vincenzo Bellini (1801-35). The typical Bel Canto opera was short (usually less than three hours), with a simple plot based on love and misunderstanding which was resolved in the end by beautiful singing.
The Wagnerian Approach:
Wagner disliked the Bel Canto style, which he felt was artificial and superficial. He wanted to create a new type of opera which would be more emotionally powerful and spiritually uplifting. To this end, he composed operas which were much longer than traditional operas (often over four hours), with complex plots involving mystical or mythical themes. He also emphasized the role of the orchestra, using it to create a “unity of mood” which would support and intensify the emotional power of his music.
The Verismo Approach vs. The Bel Canto Approach
In the early 1800s, two distinct schools of thought about the nature of music in opera emerged: the Verismo approach and the Bel Canto approach. The Verismo approach, associated with Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, held that music should be expressive of the characters’ emotions and that it should move the plot forward. The Bel Canto approach, championed by composers such as Vincenzo Bellini and Rossini, emphasized elegant vocal performance and carefully crafted melodies.
In the middle of the 19th century, a third approach to opera began to take hold, pioneered by German composer Richard Wagner. Wagner’s operas were much longer than either Verdi’s or Rossini’s, and they incorporated elements of both the Verismo and Bel Canto approaches. Wagner also emphasized the importance of music in creating a sense of atmosphere and mood.
Today, all three approaches to opera are still in use, though Wagner’s influence is by far the most widespread. While there are many operas in which one or two of the approaches predominate, there are also many works that make use of all three approaches in different ways.
