Opera and Oratorio Flashcards
What is opera?
Drama sung to a musical accompaniment, without any spoken parts
What are the two creative energies behind an opera?
The composer and the librettist
What does the composer do?
Writes the music
What does the librettist do?
Creates the story
What does opera contain?
Many different moods, unlike chamber music which has a unity of mood
What were the Camerata?
A group of noblemen, poets and composers who began to meet regularly in Florence in the late 1500s
What was the aim of the Camerata?
To create a new style of music that followed the natural patterns of speech
What did this vocal style become known as?
Recitative and was sung by a soloist and with only simple choral accompaniment
Why did the Camerata reject all ideas of polyphony?
They believed it obscured the all important text
What is the oldest known opera?
Euridice by Jacob Peri, 1600
What is considered the first great opera?
Orfeo by Monteverdi, 1607
What is a basso ostinato?
The ground bass, which is repeated over and over again
Where and when did the first public opera house open?
Venice, 1637
What was much baroque opera composed for?
Ceremonial occasions and a display of magnificence and splendour
What was an oratorio?
A piece of music with a dramatic narrative, performed by orchestra, choir and soloist
