opera retry 1 Flashcards
*talk about strophic variation in l’orfeo, provide an example and talk about it
- vary repetitions of strophic form, to reflect elements of the text
- elements could be accentuation
- elements could be meaning of text
- could vary the durations of harmonies for example
- possente spirto is an example
- important aria
*talk about an important recitative from the opera l’orfeo, by monteverdi
- tu se’morta
- more lyric and expressive for that time
- bitter feelings are expressed by the dissonances
coronation of poppea
*coronation of poppea, basic facts
- writen near the end of monte life
- about an affair with roman emperor nero
- considered his masterpiece
- lacks varied instrumentation of orfeo, due to constraints of the court
- depicts human character
- depicts human passions
- styles change frequently to express the changing feelings,
- dissonances happen when poppea pleads with nerone
- aria styles with ritornellos, often in triple time, for declarations of love
- passages that lie somewhere between recitative and aria style, often called recitative arioso.
*where did the first comic operas happen
- where did the first comic operas happen
- rome in 1620
*describe comic opera in its earliest stages
- describe comic opera in its earliest stages
- light subjects
- spoken dialogue
- simple musical forms
*the most prolific librettist from rome 1620, and an example, with composer
- rospigliosi
- sant alessio
- set to music by landi
*general characteristics from rome in 1620
- spectacular stage effects
- two distinct types of solo music
- recitative and aria
- recitatives more speechlike than peri and monteverdi
- arias became more melodious and strophic
- more melodious than tu se’morta, for example
- vocal ensembles were common
- castrati
- -they took female roles
first opera house
*general characteristics of venetion opera in the 17th century
- plots had wide range of emotions
- dramatic conflicts
- striking stage effects
- number of arias increased
- arias more melodious
- arias didn’t follow the text declamation
*who were the leading venetian opera composers
- cavalli
- c’esti
*when was the first opera house opened in venice? how many more opened by the end of the century
- 1637
- nine more
cavalli and c’esti
- most celebrated opera of cavalli, and the first opera, and a later opera
- giasone
- first is the wedding of peleus and thetis
- a later opera is ercole amante
*talk about cavalli
-arias exemplify the lyric style
-lived 1602-1676
-italian
-smaller orchestra than monteverdi
-melodious arias
-sometimes grotesque humor
-wrote 41 operas
-
*Talk about an opera written by C’esti
- orontea
- 1656
- most frequently performed of the sevententh century (one of the most i shouldl say)
- epitomizes the changes made
expansion of italian opera after 1650
- when and where were opera houses established outside of venice
- 1650’s
- naples
- florence
*list genres that had influence on early opera
- ancient greek dramas
- morality plays
- miracle plays
- ballet
- pastoral dramas
- courtly dances
- intermedios
- liturgical dramas
- madrigal cycles
*talk about the florentine camerata
-this type of monody practiced in early 17th centuries, most influential on peri and caccini, though i would guess that it ultimately influenced later composers like monteverdi in some ways. Monteverdi featured monody in his works, along with other genres.
*define intermedio
- musical interlude performed between acts of a play,
- influenced early opera
- usually linked by a common theme
*what are subjects of intermedio
- allegorical
- pastoral
- mythological
*why were intermedios initially used?
-renaissance theatres lacked curtains, they needed a way to divide different moments of the play from one another.
*how many intermedios were there, usually, over the course of a play
-usually there were six, performed before and after 5 acts
*early composer that set out to recreate ancient greek dramas in the way they believed they were originally performed, not caccini or peri. Who sponsored these people?
- rinuccini
- bardi sponsored them
*one of the first operas sponsored by bardi, and performed in 1598
- peri and rinnucini worked together
- rinnucini was a poet
- dafne
*a contemporary of peri, this guy produced a morality play, why was it significant and what was it called, who was this person
- cavalieri
- representation of soul and the body
- longest entirely musical stage work
*what is the first performance of the earliest surviving opera
- peri
- l’euridice
*who else wrote an setting of the pastoral drama libretto, for l’euridice, distinguishing features also
- caccini
- lyrical
*significant ballet written by caccini, when was it written, describe it’s significance and relation to opera
- the liberation of ruggiero from the island of alcina
- written 1625
- opening sinfonia, common with opera
- prologue
- recitatives
- arias
- choruses
- instrumental ritornellos
- elaborate staging
*talk about peri and recitative
- peri invented recitative style
- continuos and diastematic singing of ancient greeks
- combined the two
- imitates speech
- consonance with the bass on stressed syllables
- compatible with modern practice, also compatible with greek style
*why is monteverdi important as an opera compoers, and general info
- gave opera a place in history
- first widely known opera composer
- late 16th, early 17th
- stile concitato
- rapid repetition of single note
- wrote only vocal works
*attributes of the compositional style of monteverdi
- music suited the text
- combined many styles
- contrasts between the styles, shaped the music and drama
*three works that he wrote monteverdi
- l’orfeo
- l’arianna
- the return of ulysses
- the coronation of poppea
talk about l’orfeo
talk about l’orfeo
- basic facts of l’orfeo
- first opera by monteverdi
- librettist was striggio
- larger and more varied group of instruments than peri
- wider range of styles than peri, these reflect the moods.
- these differences could organize the sections of the music.
- used strophic variation, vary repetitions to reflect aspects of text
- only a fraction survives,
- 1607 production
- elaborate construction
- recitative is more varied than peri
- in addition to monody, monteverdi used
- -dances
- –ensemble madrigals
- —ballettos
- —-range of contrasting styles reflects changeing moods
- story is tragic, many contrasts in mood
- instrumentation reflects the drama as well,
*example of a madrigal cycle (and the composer)
- slopes of parnassas,
- vecchi
*how did madrigals influence early opera
- some madrigals were miniature dramas
- called madrigal cycles, or madrigal comedies
- succession of madrigals that were linked together through the text
*what is the first pastoral poem to be staged, who is it by
- by angelo poliziano
- called favola d’orfeo
- made in 1471
*general features of pastoral drama
- play in verse
- music interspersed
- songs interspersed
- rural settings
- rustic youths
- maidens
- mythological figures
- nostalgia for classical antiquity
- yearning for unattainable earthly paradise
*which ancient greek writers, featured music in their plays, and what is the name of an example of this,
- euripides
- sophocles
- Choruses
*what are predominantly the themes of early opear
-greek tragedy
*basic ideas of enlightenment reform
- design was more natural
- flexible in structure
- more expressive
- less ornamented with coloratura
- more varied in musical resources
- less emphasis on da capo aria
- more flexible alternation between recitative and aria
- greater use of accompanied recitatives
- greater use of ensembles
- singers part of larger purpose
- less emphasis on the vocalist as an individual
*Who wrote something that influenced enlightenment ideas, what was it, describe it
- algarotti
- essay on the opera
*who wer two important figures in the enlightenment reform?
- jommelli
- traetta
*how did early opera composers construct opera from intermedios
- reconstructed the music to allow for dialogue
- drama
- stories
*what was the aim of early opera by peri and caccini
-to recreate in modern terms, the legitimate experience of ancient greek tragedy
*some say early opera is a blend of genres, which genres?
- plays
- theatrical spectacles
- dance
- madrigals
- solo song
*what types of opera did gluck compose?
- italian
- french
*what city did gluck achieve success in?
-vienna
*features of glucks compositional style
- synthesis of french, italian and german operatic styles
- recitatives, arias and choruses mingled in large unified scenes.
- less time between recitative and aria
- don’t want to make the singer stop mid sentence or mid thought, would seem unnatural
*opera by hasse
-cleofide
*when did gluck live?
-18th century
*libretist that worked with gluck, two operas that they produced together
- calzabigi
- orfeo and euridice
- alceste
*aims of glucks reform ideas
- operas more simple
- more natural
- achieved through libretto
- achieved through style of music
- remove abuses that had deformed italian opera
- music should serve the poetry
- advance the plot
- make the overture an integral part of the opera
- lessen the contrast between recitative and aria
- beautiful simplicity
- less vanity
- more natural staging
- including lighting
- more natural acting
- singers to act realistic and natural
*who was influenced by gluck (3 people)
- cherubini
- spontini
- berlioz
*nationality of hasse
-german
*when was hasse successufl
-1720s-1770s
*what genre was hasse a great master of?
-opera seria
*who wrote librettos for hasse?
-metastasio
*when did gluck live?
-18th century
*in what ways do the ramea operas resemble the operas of lully
-recitative mixed with tuneful formally organised airs, choruses and instrumental interludes.
-long divertissements
-
*in what ways do the rameau operas differ from lully
- notions of harmony
- triadic phrases
- harmonic progression clear
*features of the style of rameau
- recitative and air share more similarities
- novel orchestration help depict events in the opera
- dissonance as dramatic force
- chromatic progressions
- clear harmony
- triadic phrases
- long divertissements
- recitative mixed with tuneful formally organized airs,
- -choruses
- –instrumental interludes
- realistic declamation
- -precice rhythmic notation of recitative
- influenced by lully
*when did rameau live
-1683-1764
**list four operas written by rameau
- hippolyte et aricie
- les indes galantes
- castor et pollux
- zoroastre
*what was the most important opera by rameau?
-zoroastre
*who did rameau use as an example, in describing his harmonic theory
-corelli
*what genres did rameau write in?
-tragedie, and stage works
*describe audience reaction to rameau
- too influenced by italian styles, preferred lully who was more distinctly french.
- after 1750, they turned against the old ways and he was more successful.
*did spain develop it’s own national style of opera? when did it premiere
- yes
- a spanish opera modeled on the early florentine operas was presented at a spanish royal court in 1627
*who is a famous spanish playwright
-hidalgo
*what is the genre developed by hidalgo, and who helped him? how influential was this genre and for how long?
- zarzuela
- calderon helped
- this genre was the predominant spanish genre for several centuries.
*what was the most succesful genre of purcell?
-dramatic works
*who is the most important librettist of opera seria
-metastasio
*elements of the metastasio opera seria
- conflicts of human emotions
- piting love against duty
- ancient greek tales
- latin tales
- elightenment thought
*General characteristics of opera seria (early classic)
- renewed interest in views of drama found by aristotle/classical writers led librettists to purge comic elements from serious opera.
- intermezzos were included, to provide comic relief
- two or three intermezzos included
- generally in 3 acts
- alternating recitative and aria
- simple and accompanied recitative
- arias are dramatic soliquey, expresses feelings, reacts to a scene
- virtuosic soloists
- castrati
- importance of aria
- separation of aria and recitative
- da capo aria
- arias of the first half of the century, displayed one mood
- exception, a differing idea could be implemented in the b section.
- after 1720s 30s, composers displayed a succession of moods, through many procedures
- intermezzos featured to allow for comic relief,
*who is famous for his intermezzos, and what is an example
- pergolesi
- the maid as mistress
*features of the court ballet, and composer associated with them
- french genre
- lully
- staged
- costumes
- scenery
- members of the court participated
- several acts
- each act composed of a series of entries
- entries included solo songs
- entries included choruses
- entries included instrumental dances
- style of these genres suited the characters.
*general characteristics of opera from the early classical period
- value on beauty of the melody
- ability of the music to portray complex characters
- value of music to portray rapidly changing characters
*general characteristics from comic opera of the early classical period
- when comic elements purged from serious opera, comic opera was allowed to appeal to a broader audience.
- more innovations were allowed
- full length work with sex or more singing characters
- singing throughout
- ordinary people
- arias were in the galant style
- short phrases
- tuneful
- simple harmonies
- organized into periods
- midcentury, the comic opera changed
- allowed woeful and serious plots
- ensemble finale
- all characters sing at the end of an act, reaching during the classic period, comic opera took different forms in different countries.
*leading french opera composer from the classical period, and a piece he wrote, as well as the genre of that piece
- gretry
- richard the lion
- french opera comique
*talk about the aria in voler cio che tu brami
- from opera la griselda
- by scarlatti
- rich contrasts
- a section shows two sides of griseldas character
- 1st is dignity and strength
- 2nd is tenderness and love
- the b section adamantly insists that she will never stop loving him
- coherence and variety
*what are the best operas of Scarlatti
- La Rosaura
- Pirro e Demetrio
*most important scarlatti features of opera
- da capo aria
- overture (fast slow fast format)
*when was english ballad opera popular? when did it peak?
- during the classical period
- peaked in 1730
*general distinguishing features of ballad opera
- spoken dialogue
- interspersed with songs
- these songs set new words to borrowed tunes
- folk songs, and dances
- as it developed, new music added
- mimicked opera comique
*representative ballad opera and composer, arranger
- john gay
- the beggars opera
- music arranged by pepusch
- talk about german opera
- produced since the 17th century
- some composed in the 18th century
- style of italian
- with some french and native elements
*talk about singspiel
- more popular than opera
- spoken dialogue
- musical numbers
- comic plot
- earliest in 1710
- -in vienna
- a principal composer was hiller
- -from 1760’s
*Ballad operas in germany
- poets in northern germany adapted some english ballad operas into german
- after 1750’s, germans provided new music for them.
- when did enlightenment reform take place?
-1750’s
*basic ideas of enlightenment reform
- design was more natural
- flexible in structure
- more expressive
- less ornamented with coloratura
- more varied in musical resources
- less emphasis on da capo aria
- more flexible alternation between recitative and aria
- greater use of accompanied recitatives
- greater use of ensembles
- singers part of larger purpose
- less emphasis on the vocalist as an individual
*describe in detail, the way that the action progressed in handel’s most popular operas
- through dialogue
- dialogue progressed through 2 types of recitative
- these two types are from italian opera of the 18th century.
- dry/accompanied recitative=accompanied only by basso continuo
- speechlike as possible
- other type is accompanied recitative,
- orchestral outbursts to dramatize the tense situations.
- help express rapid change of emotion
*what did he pattern the overtures and the dances after (handel)
-french styles
*an example of how handel blended national styles
- set the recitative in German, and the arias in Italian,
- so the audience could follow the plot.
*when did handel live?
-1685-1759
*name two operas by handel, and which of these was the first opera that he wrote
- the first opera that handel wrote, is almira
- another opera is Giulio Cesare
*describe arias of handel’s opera
- wide variety of aria types
- brilliant coloratura, ornamentation
- contrasted with the slow, suspended pathetic types
*describe the english masque
- had instrumental music,
- dancing
- songs
- choruses
- costumes
- scenery
- stage machinery
- more akin to rench court ballets
- triumph of peace is one example
- with music by william lawes
*nationality, and location of lully
-italian, but lived in france
*what did lully foster?
-the modern orchestra
*when did lully create the tragedie lyrique
-1670s
*how long did the tragedie lyrique last?
-over a century
*what academy did lully establish?
-academie royale de musique
*composer from 17th century that wrote comedies ballets
-lully
*features of the comedies ballets
-blended ballet and opera
*Talk about don giovanni
- nobility in opera seria style
- commoners in opera buffa style
- duplicitous character of don giovanni travels from one to the other,
- dark subject
- mozart uses multiple styles in Don Giovanni, the person that chases someone sings in opera seria style, but a person that observes the chase, hiding, comments in opera buffa style
- unusual for someone to die in opera buffa, this is characteristic of late style of comic opera, which allows for serious events like this.
- don giovanni delves deeply into a persons character and personality
*what are two operas written by mozart in his later years
- the magic flute
- the mercy of titus
*talk about style of mozart, including opera buffa
-style of mozart (personality)His music projected personalities, and moods
-characteristics of mozarts late opera buffa
Librettos deal with everyday people, not greek mythology
two lovers, and interactions with people around them
*english opera of the 17th century
-at first, it was done in private, public performances were not allowed
*describe early english opera
- it was not opera in the italian sense
- mixture of elements from spoken drama, and the masque
- dances
- songs
- recitatives
- choruses
*only 17th century masque whose music survives complete, and descbie it
- cupid and death
- music by matthew locke
- music by christopher gibbons
*why did opera take a while to take hold in France?
- French preferred ballet
- language not conducive
*what genre influenced french opera?
-italian opera
*distinguishing features conventions of french opera from the beginning
- notes inegales
- agrements=ornaments
- propaganda of the french court
- -choruses singing praises to the king
- french overtures,
- in french, ornaments were more likely to be written out, in italian they were more improvised.
- association with ballet,
*what’s the name of mozarts famous singspiel in english?
-the abduction from the seraglio
*list of topics to include about Mozart
- when he lived
- style of mozart (personality)
- characteristics of mozarts late opera buffa
- first opera buffa
- his best work of opera seria
- his most famous singspiel
- another italian comic opera, (thus do all women)
- librettos by ponte
- marriage of figaro
- don giovanni
- later works
- mozart mimicks old styles
*talk about Idomeneo
- 1781
- best opera seria of mozart
- dramatic and pictoral music
- accompanied recitative
- conspicuous use of chorus and
- inclusion of spectacular scenes
- shows reformist tendencies
- shows influence of french opera
*describe librettos by ponte. Which composer used them
- mozart
- gave great depth to the characters
- addressed social tensions
*talk about marriage of figaro
-exchanges between nobility and commoners
-they thought it was risque
-
*features of italian opera from the middle of the seventeenth century
- solo singing rather than ensembles, and instruments
- seperation of recitative and aria
- use of varied styles
- poetry is servant of the music
- more interested in visual elements, scenery costumes,
- focus on arias,
- focus on the stars
L orfeo outline
Facts. Peri form. Style. 4333
Glucks aims chart
7 2. Style form
Comic early class outline
Facts. Style. Form. 422
Comic early class outline
Facts. Style. Form. 422
Court ballet outline
Facts. Form. Style. 831
Out of rameau style
Style form orchestra. 731
Opera seria early classic
Form. Style. Facts. 431
Opera seria early classic
Form. Style. Facts. 431
