P P OperaOpera a a

You Know More Than You You Know More Than You Think You KnowThink You Know

Opera in...Opera in...

Commercials → British Airways, Commercials → British Airways, Chocolate, Spaghetti Sauce/PizzaChocolate, Spaghetti Sauce/Pizza

British Air

Chocolate

Opera in...Opera in...

Movie Soundtracks → Pretty Woman, Movie Soundtracks → Pretty Woman, Philadelphia, Apocalypse NowPhiladelphia, Apocalypse Now

Philadelphia

Apocalypse Now

Opera in...Opera in...

Lord of the Rings → Ring Cycle (All-Lord of the Rings → Ring Cycle (All-powerful ring, invisibility, gods powerful ring, invisibility, gods fighting, leaving home at the end)fighting, leaving home at the end)

Television → soundtrack, kids shows, Television → soundtrack, kids shows, learninglearning

Rabbit of Seville

Pigoletto

Renee Flemming

Habanera

What’s Opera, Doc?

Admission: Admission:

If you don’t know what’s If you don’t know what’s going on, opera can be going on, opera can be

boring. boring.

So...be prepared!So...be prepared!

Read synopsis Read synopsis before you beginbefore you begin

Perhaps listen to Perhaps listen to the recording or at the recording or at least some of the least some of the major piecesmajor pieces

Read the librettoRead the libretto Dress comfortablyDress comfortably

Get a good night’s Get a good night’s sleep sleep

Pee first!Pee first! Allow extra timeAllow extra time Read the program Read the program

(extras: libretto (extras: libretto book & souvenir)book & souvenir)

Opera TerminologyOpera Terminology

Libretto – Italian for Libretto – Italian for “little book” (same “little book” (same as as script/screenplay)script/screenplay)

Opera Seria – Opera Seria – serious operaserious opera

Opera Buffa – Opera Buffa – comic operacomic opera

What’s With All The What’s With All The Languages?Languages?

Italian → original language of opera, Italian → original language of opera, easiest to singeasiest to sing

German German FrenchFrench Translation → doesn’t convey subtle Translation → doesn’t convey subtle

emotions, doesn’t line up with melody or emotions, doesn’t line up with melody or accents, rhymes don’t fit, word painting is accents, rhymes don’t fit, word painting is offoff

Supertitles very useful! Originated on TV, Supertitles very useful! Originated on TV, graduated to opera housesgraduated to opera houses

Example (Weber’s Der Freischütz)

“Leise, leise, fromme Weise, schwig’dich auf zum Sternenkreise!”

means:“Soft, soft devout melody; vibrate up

to the circle of stars!”closest translation in English:

Holy, holy meek and lowly, Rise my soul, where stars swing slowly.”

Stars swinging?

So how do you pronounce So how do you pronounce these things?these things?

It’s not over ‘till the fat lady It’s not over ‘till the fat lady sings. sings.

Looks secondary to Looks secondary to voice type when voice type when casting an operacasting an opera

Big helps! Big helps!

Big ≠ FatBig ≠ Fat

Larger instrumentLarger instrument

More soundMore sound

More resonation (chest cavity, large More resonation (chest cavity, large bones)bones)

““The Voice”The Voice”

Breath controlBreath control

Chest & Head voiceChest & Head voice

Vocal breaksVocal breaks

Voice TypesVoice TypesSopranoSoprano

Contralto (Alto)Contralto (Alto)

TenorTenor

BaritoneBaritone

BassBass

Soprano ($)Soprano ($) Coloratura → highest, most agileColoratura → highest, most agile Lyric → sweet, youngLyric → sweet, young Soubrette → cutie pies or streetwise Soubrette → cutie pies or streetwise

servantsservants Spinto → like lyric but more powerful Spinto → like lyric but more powerful

(“pushed”), suffering, victimized(“pushed”), suffering, victimized German Dramatic → horns & helmets, German Dramatic → horns & helmets,

stamina, powerful, warmstamina, powerful, warm Mezzo → “half”, spicier roles: tramps, Mezzo → “half”, spicier roles: tramps,

vamps, witches (dramatic); britches (lyric). vamps, witches (dramatic); britches (lyric). Sometimes music is just as high as sopranoSometimes music is just as high as soprano

ContraltoContralto

RarestRarest

Maids, mothers, grandmothersMaids, mothers, grandmothers

CastratiCastrati

Alessandro Moreschi (1858-Alessandro Moreschi (1858-1922)1922)

Tenor ($)Tenor ($)

Lyric → sweet, pure, vunerableLyric → sweet, pure, vunerable

Spinto → heroic, emotional, juicySpinto → heroic, emotional, juicy

Heldentenor → German rolesHeldentenor → German roles

Countertenor → falsettoCountertenor → falsetto

BaritoneBaritone

MediumMediumLyric → fun, comicLyric → fun, comic Italian Dramatic → (rare!) villainousItalian Dramatic → (rare!) villainousHeldenbaritone → German rolesHeldenbaritone → German rolesBass-baritone → depth of bass, Bass-baritone → depth of bass,

quality of baritone (he-men!)quality of baritone (he-men!)

BassBass

Lowest notes the human voice can Lowest notes the human voice can reachreach

Priests, fathers, DevilPriests, fathers, Devil

Terminology!Terminology!

RecitativeRecitative

““Sung speech’Sung speech’

Advances actionAdvances action

Doesn’t rhymeDoesn’t rhyme

No beatNo beat

AriaAria

““Air” or “song”Air” or “song”

ShowstopperShowstopper

Great emotion, no actionGreat emotion, no action

AriettaArietta

““Little aria”Little aria”

ShortShort

LightheartedLighthearted

CadenzaCadenza

Vocal fireworks at the end of the ariaVocal fireworks at the end of the aria

Show off!Show off!

Orchestra silent, singer out of timeOrchestra silent, singer out of time

AriosoArioso

Cross between aria and recitativeCross between aria and recitative

melodic advancing of plotmelodic advancing of plot

DuetDuet

Aria for two (awwww....♥)Aria for two (awwww....♥)

Also duo, duetto Also duo, duetto

TrioTrio

Aria for three, not necessarily to each Aria for three, not necessarily to each otherother

Also terzetto, terzettAlso terzetto, terzett

Quartet → 4Quartet → 4

Quintet → 5Quintet → 5

Sextet → 6Sextet → 6

Etc...Etc...

ChorusChorus

Big number with everybody Big number with everybody

FinaleFinale

Last number of the actLast number of the act

Usually everyoneUsually everyone

FinFin