CLASS: Jan 25th, 2019: French opera comique, Ballad Opera, and Opera Reform Flashcards
1
Q
Review Questions
- Compare and contrast Venetian Comic Opera, and Neapolitan Opera Seria, Italian Comic Opera, and Frenchtragedie lyrique.
A
Review Questions
- Compare and contrast Venetian Comic Opera, and Neapolitan Opera Seria, Italian Comic Opera, and Frenchtragedie lyrique.
2
Q
Review Questions
- What was the Querelle des bouffons? Who was on each side and what was the conflict all about? Who were the buffoons?
A
Review Questions
- What was the Querelle des bouffons? Who was on each side and what was the conflict all about? Who were the buffoons?
3
Q
French Opera comique
- Included ______ dialogue
A
French Opera comique
- Included spoken dialogue
4
Q
French Opera comique
- ______: simple melodies imitating popular tunes
A
French Opera comique
- Vaudevilles: simple melodies imitating popular tunes
5
Q
French Opera comique
- Later eighteenth-century:
- serious plots based on _____ issues
A
French Opera comique
- Later eighteenth-century:
- serious plots based on social issues
6
Q
Meanwhile in England: Ballad Opera
- Similar to French opera comique:
- ______ dialogue
A
Meanwhile in England: Ballad Opera
- Similar to French opera comique:
- spoken dialogue
7
Q
Meanwhile in England: Ballad Opera
- Similar to French opera comique:
- Songs setting new texts to the melodies of _____ songs and ______ (contrafacta)
A
Meanwhile in England: Ballad Opera
- Similar to French opera comique:
- Songs setting new texts to the melodies of folk songs and dances (contrafacta)
8
Q
The Beggar’s Opera (1728)
Gay/Pepusch
- Libretto (text and story) by John Gay
- Music arranged by Christoph Pepusch
- In ENGLISH!
- Simple, popular, folk-like melodies
- Satirical Plot
- Mocked pretentious London society
- Mocked opera seria’s characters
Opera Reform: 1750s
- Reflected Enlightenment thought
- Wanted opera to be more “natural”
- Less ornamented
- More expressive
- Flexible structure
- Free flow between aria and recitative
- The Drama is Primary
- Virtuosity is Secondary
- Merged national styles
Opera Reform: The Major Players
- Nicolo Jommeli (1714-1774) PHOTO
- Blended Italian melody and French declamatory recitative
- Tommaso Traetta (1727-1779) PHOTO
- Integrated aspects of French tragedie lyrique (choruses, ballets, etc) in Italian opera seria
- Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) PHOTO
- Synthesized French, Italian, and German operatic styles
- Removed the “abuses”
- Aimed for “beautiful simplicity”
A
The Beggar’s Opera (1728)
Gay/Pepusch
- Libretto (text and story) by John Gay
