The Opera Master of Music Programs

The Opera Master of Music Programs is a summer music intensive for young vocalists ages 10-18. This is a highly competitive program that takes place at the world-renowned Manhattan School of Music.

About 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 word “opera”) is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librettist and incorporates a number of the performing arts, such as acting, scenery, and sometimes dance or ballet.

What is 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. Opera is essential part of the Western classical music tradition, and has long been performed throughout the world. It originated in Italy in the late 16th century, and soon spread through the rest of Europe: opera houses were built in Naples, Venice, London, Dresden, Munich and Vienna during the 17th century. In the 18th century, Italian opera continued to dominate most of Europe except France, where Italian opera clashed with native French traditions. Italian opera seria was extremely popular in Europe throughout the 18th century.

A Brief History of Opera

Opera is a form of theatre in which music has a leading role and the parts are sung. It is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting.

Opera originated in Italy in the late 16th century, and was popularised in France by the composer Jean-Baptiste Lully in the 17th century. It quickly became one of the most important forms of theatre in Europe, especially following the founding of the Opera Buffa, which blended comedy with music.

During the 18th century, Italian opera became increasingly popular throughout Europe, particularly in UK, where it gave rise to English ballad opera. In the 19th century, opera continued to evolve with composers such as Wagner and Verdi creating works that are still performed today.

The Different Types of Opera

There are various types of opera that are enjoyed by music lovers all over the world. Each type of opera has its own distinct style and flavor. The most popular types of opera are grand opera, comic opera, and tragedy.

Grand Opera

The first grand opera was Jean-Baptiste Lully’s “Alceste” which was first performed in 1674. Lully, an Italian by birth, was the court composer to King Louis XIV and is credited with developing the French operatic style. Lully’s operas were in five acts and were usually based on tragedies (such as “Alceste” which is based on Euripides’ play of the same name). The musical style of grand opera is characterized by long solo arias interspersed with ensembles, recitative (speech-like singing) and lavish spectacle (including elaborate costumes and stage sets).

Other important early composers of grand opera include George Frideric Handel (whose operas “Rinaldo” and ” Giulio Cesare” are still performed today), Antonio Vivaldi (“Orlando furioso”, first performed in 1727) and Niccolò Piccinni (“Barber of Seville”, first performed in 1782).

The height of the grand opera period was the 19th century. The most important composer of grand opera during this time was Giacomo Meyerbeer whose operas “Robert le diable” (1831), “Les Huguenots” (1836) and “Le prophète” (1849) were all huge hits with audiences. Meyerbeer’s operas were known for their impressive staging, with massive sets and crowds of extras on stage. Other important composers of grand opera during the 1800s include Giuseppe Verdi (“Don Carlos”, 1867), Charles Gounod (“Faust”, 1859) and Richard Wagner (“Der Ring des Nibelungen”, 1876).

While grand opera continues to be composed, it is not as popular as it once was. Many modern opera companies have trouble finding the resources to stage a grand opera due to the high cost of producing one. Nevertheless, there are still several companies which specialize in performing grand opera, such as Opera Australia, Opera North in England and The Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

Comic Opera

One of the most popular forms of opera is comic opera. This type of opera is characterized by its light and cheerful nature, as well as its often-humorous plotlines. Gilbert and Sullivan’s operettas are some of the most well-known examples of comic opera. Other forms of opera can also be humorous, but comic operas are specifically designed to make the audience laugh.

Opera Buffa

Opera buffa, (Italian: “comic opera”), plural Opera Buffe, or Opere Buffe, 17th- and 18th-century comic opera characterized by fairy-tale plots, an air of exoticism, and frequent use ofaudi ible local colour in the form of topical allusions and popular tunes. It is distinguished from opera seria by its simpler plots, mixed cast of professional and amateur performers (often including a basso buffo, or comic bass), generally happy ending, and often farcical action.

Opera Seria

Opera seria (literally, “serious opera”) is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and “serious” style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 17th to the 18th centuries. The popular rival to opera seria was opera buffa (“comic opera”), which reflected prevailing trends in the appreciation of other contemporary theatrical forms such as commedia dell’arte.

The Different Opera Programs

Music programs have been an essential part of the opera for centuries. In the early days, these programs were used to attract people to the opera. Today, they are used to inform the audience about the opera performance. There are different types of opera programs, each with its own purpose.

The Met Opera

The Metropolitan Opera is one of the world’s leading opera companies, and its programming is syndicated to more than 70 U.S. radio stations. The Met Gold program features 12 live broadcasts of Metropolitan Opera performances each season, as well as behind-the-scenes interviews and commentary by host Lisa Simeone.

The San Francisco Opera

The San Francisco Opera is an American opera company based in San Francisco, California. The Company has been a resident opera company of the War Memorial Opera House since 1932, and is the second largest opera company in North America. The Company presents about thirteen weeks of live opera per year during its Fall/Winter and Summer seasons.

The Summer season traditionally runs from late June through early August, and features a shorter operatic repertoire than that of the Fall/Winter season. The company’s primary venue during the Summer season is the 1,763-seat outdoor VERDI Amphitheatre located at the base of San Francisco’sGGNRA Lands End headland. The Fall/Winter season traditionally runs from early September through May, with performances mainly given at the 3,146-seat War Memorial Opera House.

The Lyric Opera of Chicago

The Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to producing artistically excellent opera with a wide variety of programming that engages and serves a large and diverse audience. The company seeks to fill the stages of two theatres with fresh productions of both standard repertoire operas and new works, while also expanding the reach and engagement of opera through educational and community initiatives. The Lyric Opera is also home to one of the world’s great orchestras, the Lyric Opera Orchestra, which performs all opera productions at the company.

The Different Roles in Opera

The different roles in an Opera can be difficult to keep track of. There are the four solo roles, called the “principals”, then there are the “chorus” roles, and finally, there are the “supporting” or “small” roles.What’s more, some roles are double-cast, meaning that more than one singer is hired to sing the role during the course of the Opera’s run.

The Conductor

The conductor is the leader of the orchestra and the opera company. He or she is responsible for maintaining the tempo, interpreting the composer’s instructions, and cueing the singers and instrumentalists. The conductor also works closely with the stage director to ensure that the opera is performed musically and dramatically.

The Soprano

The Soprano is the highest female voice in opera. It usually covers the range from middle C to high C. The soprano has the ability to sing both loud and soft, with a vibrato that is unique to the voice type. They often take on the lead roles in operas, as their voices can be heard over the rest of the cast.

The mezzo-soprano is a lower female voice than the soprano. It usually covers the range from A below middle C to high C. Mezzo-sopranos often take on supporting roles in operas, as their voices are not as strong as the sopranos. However, they can still sing both loud and soft, with a vibrato that is unique to the voice type.

The Mezzo-Soprano

The mezzo-soprano is the middle female voice and the most common of the female singing voices, which tend to be divided into three types: soprano, mezzo-soprano, and contralto. Mezzo-sopranos generally sing in the lower range of the soprano. They often sing backup for the lead soprano and can also take onleading roles themselves. A mezzo-soprano has a range from about the G below middle C to the A two octaves above (G3–A5).Chest voice predominates in this range but head voice is used extensively as well, especially at the upper end of the range.

The Tenor

One of the higher male voice types, the tenor sits above baritone and bass. With its root in Italian, the word tenore means “holder,” as in the holder of the tune. Beyond vocal range and weight, there are several types of tenor voices, each with their own subcategories.

The main types are lyric tenor, dramatic tenor, heroic tenor, Spinto tenor, heldentenor, and leggero tenor. Lyric is the most common type of tenor and is known for singing beautiful melodies with little vibrato. They have a light tomedium vocal weight and are able to show a wide range of emotion. Dramatic tenors have a heavier voice that is able to project over an entire opera house. They can sing powerful high notes without losing the quality of their voice. Heroic or spinto tenors have a strong voice that is able to carry over an orchestra but aren’t as common as lyric or dramatic tenors. Heldentenors are a German type of heroic tenor and have an even heavier vocal weight than other heroictenors. They specialize in Wagnerian operas. Leggero tenors have a very light vocal weight and are known for their agility and dexterity.

While all these types of voices are considered “tenor” there is quite a range within the larger groupings. As you can see from this list, not all opera singers fit perfectly into one category or another but will instead display qualities from multiple types. The best way to get to know an opera singer’s voice is to listen to them sing!

The Baritone

In vocal range, baritones are the second-highest voice type after the tenor and before the bass. They are the most common male voice. Like tenors, they can reach the high C (two octaves above middle C), although some baritones find this difficult. The typical baritone range is from A2 (the second A below middle C) to A4 (the A above middle C).

Baritones with exceptional range might sing from G2 (the second G below middle C) to G4 (the G above middle C). While most baritones have aname for their instrument overall, some have specific terms for different registers, such as “chest voice” and “head voice.”

The word “baritone” comes from the Greek βαρύτονος (barýtonos), meaning “heavy sounding.” This is a reference to the fact that their voices are heavier and darker than those of other men’s voices, such as the tenor.

The Bass

The bass is the lowest male voice and has a range from E2 to E4. In operas, the bass usually plays older characters or villains. Notable bass opera singers include Paul Robeson, Samuel Ramey, and James Morris.

The Different Opera Composers

There are many great opera composers that have made their mark on the music world. But who are they? We will take a look at some of the most famous and popular opera composers of all time.

Giuseppe Verdi

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian opera composer. Verdi was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, and developed a musical education with the help of a local patron. Verdi came to dominate the Italian opera scene after the era of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Gioachino Rossini, whose works significantly influenced him. By his 30s, he had become one of the pre-eminent opera composers in history.

In his early operas Verdi demonstrated a sympathy with the Risorgimento movement which sought the unification of Italy. He also participated briefly as an elected politician. He surprised the musical world by returning, after his success with “The Force of Destiny” in 1842, with three major masterpieces: “I Lombardi alla prima crociata” (“The Lombards on the First Crusade”, 1843), “Ernani” (1844), and “Attila” (1846). His next operas, “Macbeth” (1847) and “Otello” (1887), were also immensely successful and are considered two of the greatest operas ever written.

During the 1850s Verdi achieved unparalleled popularity in Rome and throughout Italy with a series of highly successful operas that included: “Rigoletto” (1851), “Il trovatore” (1853), and “La traviata” (1853). These decade-defining masterpieces continue to dominate their respective repertoire more than 150 years after they were first performed.

Following these monumental successes, Verdi continued to write operas at a feverish pace until his retirement at age 87—unusual for any composer—with his final work being “”Falstaff”” in 1893. His total output amounts to 26 completed works for the stage including two ballets; however, several projects on which he was working at various stages of development at his death were not completed.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 – 1791) is among the most significant and enduring figures in Western music. His remarkable natural affinity for the medium of opera has resulted in some of the most beloved and timeless works in that genre, including The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, andCosì fan tutte.

Mozart’s operas are characterized by their perfect blend of dramatic action, beautiful melodies, and deft comic touches. In addition to his mastery of the traditional opera form, Mozart was also a pioneer in the development of German opera, or Singspiel. This new form emphasized spoken dialogue over recitative, making it more accessible to a wider audience. Among Mozart’s Singspiel works are The Magic Flute andThe Abduction from the Seraglio.

While best known for his operas, Mozart was also a highly accomplished composer of instrumental music. His catalogue includes some of the most famous concerti ever written, such as his Piano Concerto No. 21 (“Elvira Madigan”) and Violin Concerto No. 5 (“Turkish”). In addition to his many concerti, Mozart also wrote a number of Divertimenti—light-hearted works meant to be performed at social gatherings—and serenades, such as his highly popular Eine kleine Nachtmusik.

Richard Wagner

Wagner was born in Leipzig in 1813, the ninth child of Carl Friedrich Wagner, a clerk in the Leipzig police service, and his wife Johanna Rosine (née Paetz), the daughter of a baker. In 1815 Carl Friedrich Wagner retired to knapsack on his back. Richard’s mother died of typhus six months later in Leipzig. The future composer was raised by his father’s second wife, Johanna Wilhelmine “Minna” Planer (1788–1866), a great-niece of Lutheran theologian Johann Philipp Boston marathon April 15th – (The New York Times)
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Giacomo Puccini

Giacomo Puccini is one of the most popular opera composers of all time. His works are characterized by beautiful melodies, expressive harmonies, and rich orchestration. Puccini’s operas are some of the most frequently performed in the world.

Puccini was born in Italy in 1858. He began his musical training at a young age and composed his first opera, Le Villi, when he was just 26 years old. While this work was not a success, Puccini persevered and went on to compose some of the most beloved operas in the repertoire, including La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly.

Puccini’s music is greatly influenced by Italian folk music and popular songs. He frequently uses themes from these sources in his operas, infusing them with his own unique harmonic and melodic spin. As a result, Puccini’s music is both accessible and sophisticated – a perfect combination for opera lovers of all levels of knowledge and experience.