Mid Flashcards
What does opera mean?
Opera means “work” in Italian
It originated in time and place
Italy in the last decade of the 16th century.
Opera originated with endeavors of
the Florentina Camerata to recreate of conditions of Greek drama.
What Distinguishes an Opera From a Musical?
They are both made up of several songs, or musical pieces, connected by lines of dialogue; this is usually spoken in a musical, whereas in an opera it is performed as a «recitative» in which the dialogue transpires in a melodic or musical pattern. In older operas the music was mostly recitative and arias
What Distinguishes an Opera from an Oratorio?
They are both made up of several songs, or musical pieces, connected by lines of dialogue. Opera it is performing art write decor and costume. Oratorio is performing for concerts.
What are the basic components of an opera?
Overture Recitative Aria Ensembles Chorus Ballets
Overture
: In French “opening” The overture is the main instrumental music.
Recitative
: The dialogue transpires in a melodic or musical pattern.
Aria
: It is a song sung by one person.
Ensembles
Any extended musical passage performed by more than one player. Very often they are all singing different words and different musical lines. Duets, trios, and choruses are all ensembles.
What is the libretto ?
Italian for “little book”. Used to describe the words of an opera or operetta.
What was the first true opera?
“Dafne” (1598) by Jacopo Peri and libretto by Ottavio Rinuccini.
Where was the first opera preformed
Florence.
Female Voices
Soprano
mezzo soprano
Alto
Soprano
: The highest female voice.
Mezzo-soprano:
A mezzo-soprano is a female singer who sings with a higher range than a contralto but a lower range than a soprano.
Alto
: Low and deep female voice
Male Voices
Tenor Baritone Bass Counter tenor Castraro
Tenor
: A male singer with a high voice.
Baritone
A man with a singing voice that is lower than a tenor but not as low as a bass.
Bass
: A man’s singing voice with a low range.
Counter tenor:
Very rare male voice, a naturally produced tone, consisting almost exclusively of head voice.
Castrato
Boys sexual organs were modified before puberty to preserve and develop a soprano or contralto vocal range. «Male soprano»
Opera librettos are set on
famous plays, histories, mythological epics, historical events and persons.
WESTERN MUSIC EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS
ANCIENT MUSIC ERA: (4.000 B.C.E.-476 C.E.)
•MIDDLE AGE (5th –14th Century)
•RENAISSANCE PERIOD (14th -17th Century) •BAROQUE PERIOD (17th-18th Century) •CLASSICCAL MUSIC PERIOD (18th- 19th Century) •ROMANTIC PERIOD (19th-20th Century)
•20TH AND 21TH CENTURY MUSIC PERIOD
THE BIRTH OF OPERA”
End of RENAISSANCE PERIOD (14th -17th Century)
Intermezzo or intermedi
: It was the closest relative to the opera. These short musical episodes were used between the four to five acts of straight plays. Eventually became more popular than the plays themselves between 16 to 18 centuries. In this small musical play topics were secular and mostly comic.
The usual term for a Baroque Italian opera libretto, especially of a serious or herotic kind, mostly from ancient Greek or ancient Rome mytologies.
Dramma (drama) per Musica
Opera emerged in
Count Giovanni Bardi’s house in Florence. Count Bardi was a person and the most wealthy person who was an art lover.
Camerata de ‘Bardi” or “Florentine Camerata” in history.
palace room for professional musicians, poets and writers. Opened by count bardi
Euridice” (1600) opera
survived by Peri and Caccini.
Plot is from ancient Greek myth Orpheus .
Libretto : by Ottavia Rinuccini
1st perf. In Florence, on 6 Oct in 1600.
Early operas were only
half-song with vocal passages separated by orchestral
interludes. That could be used for dramatic purposes. It was a blend of spoken recitation and singing. Early operas referred to as “drama per musica”.
Orfeo” Opera
24 feb 1607 By C Monteverdi Plot was legend of Orpheus. Libretto:by A.Striggio the younger 4 acts
Among the operas written in Renaissance period, Monteverdi’s «L’Orfeo» opera is the first work to
combine solos, duets, choruses, madrigals, dance and orchestra.
Bel canto
Beautiful English
Opera seria
Serious opera
was the first composer who worked in “opera seria” genre.
Aleksandro Scarlatti
The first conservatory is established in the city of
Naples in Italy
C.W. Gluck, the composer of the opera “Orfeo ed Euridice” (1762) also known as
opera seria reformer, but has no success
the genre of “opera buffa” in English “comic opera» appeared i
Western Europe in 1730
Examples of buffa
La Serva Padrona” Opera (1733) by G. B. Pergolesi -“Le Nozze di Figaro” Opera (1786) by W. A. Mozart -“The Barber of Seville” Opera (1816) by G. Rossini.
W.A.Mozart is well-known … period composer
classic
Wa mozart member of
Vienna music school
SOME OF W.A.MOZART’S OPERAS
DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL” (ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO) OPERA (1782) - Singspiel opera
-“DON GIOVANNI” OPERA (1787)- Dramma-Giaccoso opera
Singspiel opera genre:
A German play with music.
Mozart’s “Bastien und Bastionen”, “
Die Entführung aus dem Serail”,”Die Zauberflöte” are singspiel operas.
Dramma-Giaccoso opera genre.
It is an Italian opera genre. It includes both “opera-seria” (serious opera) and “opera buffa” (comic opera) music genres traditions. An important example is Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” opera
Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) and his opera art
- «Orfeo ed Euridice» Opera (1762)
* «Iphigenia in Tauris» Opera (1779)
W. A. Mozart (1756-1791) and His Opera Art.
“Abduction from The Seraglıo Opera” (1782)
“Le Nozze di Figaro” (1876) Opera
“Don Giovanni”(1787) Opera
Best buffa wruitter
Rosini
