Transcript Opera
Opera How Did Opera Begin Florence, Italy in about 1600 Camerata “The group that meets in the room” Wanted to start a new kind of music They combined poetry and music which led to opera Orfeo Written by Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi in 1607 Oldest opera that is still performed The very first opera house opened in Venice in 1637 Italian Operas Had two kinds of music Recitative The characters are telling the story by having a conversation or describing an event Singing that imitated the way people talk Aria One person is expressing his/her feeling about what is happening Has a more elaborate melody French Operas Had more ballet and instrumental music French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully English Opera Began with masque A combination of poetry, songs, instrumental music, dancing, and acting performed in the royal court. Greatest English opera composer was Henry Purcell Dido and Aeneas Coming to America Came from England to South Carolina in the early 1770s Ballad opera Dialogue was spoken rather than sung, and the audience knows the tunes Italy in the 1700s Opera Seria- Serious opera Opera Buffa- Comic opera German Opera Singspiel Literally means “sing speak” Spoken dialogue rather than recitative The Magic Flute The most famous singspiel By Mozart Richard Wagner Changed opera by having the orchestra play continuously and the singers sing throughout Who writes the words Libretto The words to an opera Means a “little book” Librettist The person who write the libretto Decides what will happen in each scene and what words the singers will speak or sing Who writes the music? Composer Writes the music Sometimes writes the words too Takes the words from the librettist and sets them to music that lets us know what the characters are feeling and what kind of people they are Decides Size of the orchestra What instruments to use What voices to use How many singers What are they based on? Fairy Tales Cinderella Hansel and Gretel Novels Billy Budd by Herman Melville Carmen by Prosper Merimee Events Julius Caesar Boris Godunov Myths Tristan and Isolde Bible Stories Amahl and the Night Visitors What can you expect in opera stories? Suspense Comedy Madness Love Tragedy Horror War