WHAT IS OPERA?
WHAT IS OPERA?
An Opera is a theatrical piece that tells
a story totally trough the music.
-The style evolved in Italy around 1600
and was unrealistic, mainly a chance
for soloists to show off.
ROMANTIC OPERA
Opera became increasingly
popular during the Romantic period. It is
a story told by the composers through
music while using the words of the
librettist. The book that the composer
and librettist put together is called a
score. During each act, the story
unfolds through the music that the
singers sing.
ROMANTIC OPERA
Different roles in the operas are
created taking into account different
types of voices. Most dialogues are
sang or in recitative style. Certain aria or
solo singing part is what the public will
remember best when leaving the opera
house.
Components of an Opera
[Link] – the text of an opera.
Librettist and the composer work
closely together to tell a story.
[Link] – the book that the
composer and librettist put
together. The score has all the
musical notes, words and ideas to
help the performers tell the story.
Components of an Opera
[Link] – declamatory singing, used
in the prose parts and dialogue of opera.
Different roles in operas are created
taking into account different types of
voices. Each role requires a different type
of singer, not only able to sing a given
vocal range but also with certain voice
characteristics, color and power.
Components of an Opera
4. Aria – an air or solo singing part sung
by a principal character. This song is
what the public will remember best when
leaving the opera house. Properly and
well sung, a beautiful aria can bring an
audience to its feet and decide the fate
of an entire opera.
VOICE CLASSIFICATION
MALE VOICES:
[Link] – the highest male voice
2. Baritone – middle male voice, lies
between Bass and Tenor voices. It is the
common male voice.
3. Bass – lowest male voice.
VOICE CLASSIFICATION
FEMALE VOICES:
[Link] – highest female voice
[Link] – highest soprano voice.
[Link] – Soprano – most common female
voice; strong middle voice, tone is darker or
deeper than the soprano
[Link] – lowest female voice and most
unique among female
Vocal Music of the
Romantic Period
Vocal Music of the Romantic Music
The parallelism of music and
literature were clearly evident in all
forms of vocal music during romantic
period.
Composers interpret poems mood,
atmosphere and imagery into music.
Vocal Music in this period requires
singers to perform a greater range of
tone, color, dynamics, and pitch.
Vocal Music of the Romantic Music
The birth of Opera Houses
It was the place where all the arts
converged.
Vocal Music of the Romantic Music
In France, Lyric opera represented
a merger between grand opera (serious
drama with spectacular effects) and
opera comique (comic opera with
spoken dialogue). They also marked the
pinnacle of the bel canto style.
Opera Composers of the
Romantic Period
Franz Peter Schubert
-Born on the 31st of January 1797 in
Austria
-He is considered the last of the classical
composers and one of the romantic ones.
-His famous vocal music works/lieder
were:
Gretchen am Spinnrade
Ellens Gesang III
Unfinished Symphony
Giuseppe Verdi
-Verdi was born in Italy on October 9,
1813
A name associated with Romantic Opera
is that of Verdi.
-He wrote operas with political overtones
and for middle-class audience
-His first opera “Oberto” was performed in
La Scala.
- The most influential composer of operas
of the nineteenth century.
Giuseppe Verdi
-Almost all of his works are serious love
story with unhappy ending.
-His much acclaimed works are:
La Traviata
Rigoletto
Fastaff
Otello
Aida
Giacomo Puccini
-Puccini was born in a poor family on
December 22, 1858 in Lucca, Italy
-He belonged to a group of composers
who stresses realism.
-Puccini’s famous operas were:
La Boheme
Tosca
Madame Butterfly
Turandot
Richard Wagner
-Wagner was born in Leipzig, Germany on
May 22, 1813
-He was very much inspired by Ludwig
van Beethoven
-Wagner introduced new ideas in harmony
and in a form including extremes of
chromaticism
-He was an advocate of a new form of
opera called “Music Drama”.
Richard Wagner
-He developed a compositional style in
which the orchestra has of equal
importance in dramatic role as the singers
themselves.
-His famous works are:
Tristan and Isolde
Die Walkyrie
Parsifal
-His work influence modern film scores
(Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings)
George Bizet
-Bizet was born October 25, 1838 in Paris,
France.
-He became famous for his operas.
-His most famous opera is “Carmen”.
