Opera terms

Question 1

Bel Canto

Answer 1

“beautiful singing” In Romantic opera, an elegant, improvisatory vocal line was desired. Bellini demonstrated his ability to write lyrical melodic lines in the aria “Casta Diva” from Norma.

Question 2

Rossini crescendo

Answer 2

A method used by Rossini to build excitement or tension in a scene. He achieved this effect by gradually adding instruments and progressing to a higher tessitura.

Question 3

Cavatina/Cabaleta

Answer 3

Two contrasting sections of opera seria arias. Rossini’s “Una voce poco fa” from Il barberries di Siviglia contains a slow vacating followed by a faster Cabaleta section.

Question 4

Impresario

Answer 4

A person in the position at an opera house that chose the opera’s topic, and hired the performers, librettists, and composers.

Question 5

Accompanied recitative

Answer 5

Recitative that uses orchestral accompaniment to dramatize the text

Question 6

intermezzo

Answer 6

a form of comic opera that occurred in segments between the acts of a serious opera. Originated in Naples around 1700. Pergolesi was best known for the intermezzo La serva padrona which utilizes three characters.

Question 7

ensemble finales

Answer 7

comic operas of Logroscino; all characters were gradually brought on stage and leading to a climax.

Question 8

opera comique

Answer 8

French version of opera used spoken dialogue and began around 1710 as popular entertainment at fairs and used popular tunes.

Question 9

Singspiel

Answer 9

German “singing play” containing spoken dialogue, musical numbers and a comic plot originally appeared in the early 1700s.

Question 10

recitative style

Answer 10

Peri used this to imitate speech in L’Euridice. The basso continuo held steady notes while the voice moved liberated from harmonic rules.

Question 11

castrati

Answer 11

Males who were castrated before puberty to preserve their high vocal range for church and operatic singing.

Question 12

prima donna

Answer 12

“first lady” the lead soprano in an opera

Question 13

Gesamtkunstwerk

Answer 13

total artwork. Wagner believed that through connecting poetry, scenic design, staging, action, and music in one work.

Question 14

Leitmotiv

Answer 14

The use of a musical motive to represent a subject at each appearance on the opera stage. Wagner used many throughout the Ring cycle.

Question 15

verismo

Answer 15

An operatic parallel to realism in literature. Puccini

Question 16

lyric opera

Answer 16

A version of opera between light opera comique and grand opera. Gounod - Faust

Question 17

opera bouffe

Answer 17

Romantic genre in France that emphasized the satirical elements of opera comique. Offenbach -

Question 18

tempo di mezzo

Answer 18

A middle section between the cavatina and cabaleta which is a transition to alter the situation or character’s mood.

Question 19

tempo d’attacco

Answer 19

An opening section, preceding a cavatina of a duet in which the characters trade melodic phrases.

Question 20

stretta

Answer 20

In 19th century Italian opera, a fast section that concludes the finale at the end of an act.

Question 21

reminiscence motive

Answer 21

In an opera, a motive, theme or melody that occurs in a later scene, in order to recall the events and feelings with which it was first associated.

Question 22

Grand opera

Answer 22

Opera designed to appeal to the middle-class. Many stories were of romantic love and incorporated many elements into the opera. Rossini - Guillaume Tell

Question 23

melodrama

Answer 23

A genre of musical theater that combined spoken dialogue with background music. Weber - Wolf’s Glen Scene - Der Freischutz

Question 24

ballad opera

Answer 24

spoken dialogue and songs that set new words to borrowed tunes in vernacular in England in the 18th century

Question 25

coloratura

Answer 25

florid vocal ornamentation common in arias