Chapter 9: Opera

Question 1

What was the acceptance of the italian opera slowed by?

Answer 1

the amount of singing
length of performance time
comprehensibility of sung text
politics
participatory vs. viewed entertainment

Question 2

What was the genre of the masque?

Answer 2

It was a mixture of declaimed poetry, songs, scenery, dance and instrumental music. Similar to the Florentine intermedi

Question 3

What was the main form of French musical theatre?

Answer 3

The ballet de cour

Question 4

What were some elements of the ballet de cour?

Answer 4

Combined song, dance, and instrumental music. Featured classical mythology and chivalric romances

Question 5

What were some components of a “Tragedie en musique”

Answer 5

French overture: slow introduction with dotted rhythms, followed by fast imitative section

Allegorical prologue

Five acts, each divided into scenes

In the acts, divertissements (interludes) to display dance, choral song, instrumental “symphonies”

Question 6

What is Opera seria?

Answer 6

“serious opera” which has tragic content in contrast to the later opera buffa

Question 7

What were some characteristics of the opera seria?

Answer 7

Draws subject matter from classical antiquity.
Rulers are placed in favourable light

Action scenes sung in recitative, reflection scenes as arias

Question 8

What is a da capo aria?

Answer 8

A form the large majority of the arias in the typical opera seria are in.

Question 9

What is the form of the da capo aria?

Answer 9

ABA. the A section must end in the tonic and the second time, the A section is to be embellished.

Question 10

What is a cadenza?

Answer 10

A soloistic moment where there is no accompaniment from the orchestra at all. The soloist give s the appearance of improvising or actually improvises

Question 11

What two types was the recitative divided into?

Answer 11

Recitativo simplice and recitativo accompagnato

Question 12

What is recitativo simplice

Answer 12

“simple recitative” accompanied only by the basso continuo. Used in long passages of prose. Moves through a lot of text quickly

Question 13

What is recitativo accompagnato?

Answer 13

“accompanied recitative” with full orchestra. Used in moments of high emotion and high drama

Question 14

What is the staging device known as the exit convention and why was it used?

Answer 14

It was that after finishing an aria, an opera seria character almost always exits. It allowed for curtain calls and also prevents one singer from stealing the stage from the next

Question 15

What is the castrato?

Answer 15

When young boys with promising voices were castrated to prevent change of voice at puberty. Importainnt male roles with to the castrato.

Question 16

What were semi-operas?

Answer 16

plays with a large portion of musical numbers, both vocal and instrumental.

Question 17

What does the term cantata apply to?

Answer 17

It was applied to mnay different kinds of vocal works, from sacred to secular.

Question 18

What does cantata mean?

Answer 18

It was used to denote both small and large scale works. It could be single movement or multiple movements

Question 19

what is the “passus duriusculus” and what piece does it appear in?

Answer 19

The “painful passage” was a descending chromatic fourth that was used in Bach’s “jesus, who my soul”