Transcript History of Opera

HISTORY OF OPERA
The Affections, L’Euridice, and L’Orfeo
KEY TERMS
 Baroque
 Ritornello
 Affections
 Libretto
 Recitative
 Librettist
 Aria (ca. 1600)
 Strophic
 Sinfonia
 Through-composed
BA RO QU E : T H E T E R M A N D
THE TIME PERIOD
 1600-1750; begins in Florence
 Baroque: French term from the Portuguese barroco, meaning
“misshapen pearl”
 Exaggerated, in bad taste, unnatural, bizarre
 Originally a derogative term
• Nineteenth century-theorists preferred the newer, simpler style
• Unfavorable opinion of the Baroque Period
 Opinions changed when critics studied Baroque art, then architecture
WHAT IS BAROQUE
STYLE?
There is actually no definite “Baroque
Style” because many different styles
of music developed over the 150 year
time span known as the Baroque.
The Baroque is a period: a period of
change, a period of innovation. These
changes were driven by the desire to
create musical drama.
G E T T I N G “A F F E C T I O N ” - AT E
 If Baroque composers prized music for its dramatic power, what
did they hope for this drama to achieve?
 Move the affections: emotions such as sadness, joy, anger, love,
fear, excitement, wonder
• Thought to be stable states of one’s soul
• Once set into motion by external stimuli through the senses,
conveyed motions to the soul, thus bringing out specific emotions
• René Descartes, The Passions of the Soul (1645-6)
CHARLES LE BRUN, 1689
PERI’S L’EURIDICE
 1600, Florence
 Requested for a Medici family wedding
• Overshadowed by the horse ballet
 One important musical innovation: Recitative
 Recitative: speech-like song that is a halfway point between spoken
dialogue and sung songs
• Similar to the style thought to be used for reciting Greek heroic poems
 Recitative could convey emotion quite effectively
 Met the demands of dramatic poetry
R E C I TAT I V E F RO M L’ E U R I D I C E
Notice the block chords in
the bass and the vocal line
moving freely above them.
Recitatives featured irregular
rhythms meant to mimic
natural speech.
They did not have a strict
tempo: musical speed.
Singer could interpret the
notes and sing with
appropriate emotion.
OTHER INNOVATIONS
 Sinfonia: generic term used throughout the seventeenth century
for an abstract ensemble piece
 Ritornello: instrumental refrain
 Used in conjunction with recitative and arias
 At this time, arias are poetic songs set in a strophic style
• (But this will be changing in about 20 years)
 Recitative and Aria are both styles of monody
W H Y O R P H E U S A N D E U RY D I C E ?
 Ultimate testament of music being able
to impact the emotions
 Orpheus + Eurydice
•
•
Married
Eurydice dies on wedding day
 Orpheus is the most gifted musician
around
 Gains entrance to the Underworld
through the power of song
 Charms Hades with his lyre/singing
 Saves Eurydice
MONTEVERDI’S L’ORFEO
 Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
• Born in Cremona, Italy
• Worked as a composer for the Gonzaga family in Mantua, Italy
 Libretto by Alessandro Striggio
• Libretto: “little book” poetic text set to music in an opera
• A librettist writes libretto
 L’Orfeo premiered in Mantua, Italy in 1607
• Opera is on the move! Spreading from Florence to Rome, Mantua,
Venice, etc.
L’ORFEO
 More effective than L’Euridice—why?
 Monteverdi drew on a wider range of musical styles and genres
 Used greater musical contrasts to shape music, drama, and express the text
• This is another important innovation—more next week!
 Five acts, one aria for Orfeo in each act
• Chorus closes each act by commenting on the situation
 Larger, more varied orchestra
 Arias, recitatives, duets, dances, ensemble madrigals
• Madrigal: through-composed
L’ORFEO EXCERPT
 Aria: “Vi ricorda o boschi ambrosi”
• Orfeo singing at his wedding
• Celebratory
 Recitative: “Ahi, caso acerbo”
• Messenger arrives to tell of Euridice’s death by snakebite
NEXT WEEK…
 Prima and Seconda Pratica
 Aria
 Arioso
 Recitative
 1620s and beyond