Baroque Opera: A Multimedia Extravaganza Flashcards
Baroque Opera
- Drama (characters sing instead of speak).
- Music vs. libretto.
- Most influential Baroque art form.
Libretto
Book is written by someone other than the composer. Written by playwrights.
Baroque opera marked the shift from court (private) to…
Public entertainment.
What is the Baroque aesthetic?
- Individual emotivism.
- Extravagance and control.
- Mix of art forms.
- Organized according to rigid themes (recitative and aria).
What instruments are typically used in Baroque opera?
Mostly strings. Woodwinds, percussion, and brass added for special occasions.
Rhythm of recitative:
Free, speech like. No meter, no consistent tempo, varied in length.
Recitative
- Advances the plot.
- Some text in the style of prose.
- Non-poetic, is grammatical.
- Rhythms are free, speech-like.
2 types of recitative:
Secco and accompagnato.
Secco Recitative
- Dry.
- Continuous accompaniment.
- Fosters freedom and spontaneity.
- Barely any accompaniment.
Accompagnato Recitative
- Accompanied.
- Whole orchestra accompaniment.
Aria translated:
Air, song.
Aria
Reflects on the action, respite from non-stop dramatic action. Expresses single emotion and reflects the character’s state of mind.
Aria is equivalent to ___.
Soliloquy.
Aria includes ___ text.
Poetic.
Aria often had ___.
Repetitions.
Are arias accompanied by the orchestra?
Yes.
What is the form of an aria?
Clear, as opposed to recite. Musically elaborate, coherent. Clear beat and meter.
Claudio Monteverdi
- Leading figure in Italian music at the turn of the 17th Century.
- Radical as far as harmony, texture, and rhythm.
Claudio Monteverdi wrote ___ as the first great opera.
Orfeo.
What did Claudio Monteverdi do to the madrigal?
Turned madrigal into intensely felt emotional outcries that were almost mini-operas.
The Coronation of Poppea
Femme fatale, mistress plots to overthrow Nero’s wife Ottavia and Seneca.
Musical characteristics in The Coronation of Poppea:
- Treble voices (no men).
- Emotive vocal, melodic, harmonic effects.
- No discernible form.
Henry Purcell
- Greatest English Baroque composer.
- Output: sacred, instrumental, theatre.
- Combined French and Italian styles with English music.
Dido and Aeneas
- First English opera.
- Story from Virgil’s epic Latin poem, The Aeneid.
- Aeneas flees from Troy, and meets Queen of Carthage. Witches trick Aeneas into leaving her, and the Queen of Carthage kills herself.
Musical features of Dido’s Lament:
- Ground bass vs. material above.
- Growing emotional expression.
Opera Seria
Serious opera that was noble, often tragic. Plots taken from ancient history, mythology. Far-fetched, stilted, long. Powerful, exaggerated emotions.
Who are the performers in Opera Seria
- Performers still mainly sopranos and mezzo-sopranos.
- Including castrati.
- Tenors and basses subordinate.
- Solo dominated, few duets or choruses.
What is the purpose of Da Capo Aria?
To show off the individual singer.
What is the standard form of the Italian Baroque Aria?
Da Capo Aria.
Da Capo Aria
ABA (really, ABA’ because of performer’s embellishments).
Opera Buffa
Comic opera that is light, lively, fast-paced, and funny. Gained traction in the early 18th Century.
What are the plots based on in Opera Buffa?
- Plots based on contemporary subjects.
- Ordinary, middle, and lower-class folk replace heroes and historical figures. More life-like.
What are the characters like in Opera Buffa?
Realistic, relatable characters interact believably in unrealistic situations.
Opera Buffa often includes…
Pointed social commentary mind with non-stop entertainment.
What voice is championed in Opera Buffa?
Bass voice.
Musical features of Opera Buffa:
- Arias longer.
- Ensembles given more prominence.
- Multiple sentiments presented simultaneously by different characters.
- Dynamic, plot-advancing.
Librettist of Don Giovanni:
Loreno Da Ponte.
Musical characteristics in Don Giovanni:
- Characterizations through melody.
- Aria, recitative, duet.
