THE OPERA !!!

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THE OPERA !!!
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What is an Opera?

• An opera is a drama told through acting, singing
  and instrumental music. The dialogue
  (conversation) in an
• opera is usually sung.
• In most operas an orchestra accompanies the
  singers. Sometimes there is music for the
  orchestra alone
• Dancing is also an important part of many operas.

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Operas are usually staged.

• A stage production includes costumes, scenery and
  lighting.
• It is divided into scenes and acts, with plenty
  of dramatic action.

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Two types of Operas

• Comic Opera
• Example
• Act I Boy meets girl.
• Act II Boy and girl fall in love.
• Act III Boy and girl are separated
• Act IV They find each other and everyone lives
  happily ever after.

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• Tragic Opera
• Example
• Act I Boy meets girl.
• Act II Boy and girl fall in love.
• Act III Boy and girl are separated
• Act IV They never find each other and everyone
  dies!

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3 Forms of Singing in Opera

• The Aria This is a solo, usually sung by a lead
  character. It expresses the characters feelings
  and personality.
• The Ensemble This is when two or more characters
  sing together. (duet, trio and so on)
• The Recitative This is a form of talking on
  several pitches. The main purpose is to keep the
  storyline moving by telling the audience
  something important about the characters or plot.

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Who is involved in writing an opera?

• The Librettist This is the person who writes
  the libretto, which is the words of the story.
• The Composer This is the person who writes the
  music.
• Many changes may be necessary in both the
  libretto and the music before they fit together!

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Operas have been written and performed for almost
400 years!

• There are hundreds of famous operas, many of them
  performed year after year by the worlds great
  opera companies.

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Lets see what you remember.

• What is an operatic solo?
• What is the result when two or more characters
  sing together?
• What is an ensemble for four singers called?
• What type of singing is like talking on
  different pitches?
• Who writes the words of the story?
• Who writes the music of the production?

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There are SO MANY parts that make up an opera!
Opera is one of the most extensive and expensive
art forms today.
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WHAT ARE THE PARTS OF THE OPERA???
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THE LIBRETTO and LIBRETTIST

• The Libretto is the story.
• The Librettist writes the words to the story.

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THE COMPOSER

• The composer writes the actual music, based on
  the libretto.

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THE SINGERS

• The actors and actresses who use their voices to
  sing the music the composer writes based on the
  libretto.

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THE CHORUS

• The many actors and actresses that portray large
  scenes with their voices that were set by the
  composer based on the libretto.

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THE ORCHESTRA

• A group of musicians that play the music that the
  composer wrote based on the libretto. Orchestral
  players sit in the pit in front of the stage.

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THE CONDUCTOR

• He or she tells everybody when they sing and
  play. They have to watch the action on the stage
  and coordinate it all!

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THE CHOREOGRAPHER

• The person who teaches the performers the dances
  in the show.

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THE DANCERS

• Once in a while, the beautiful and elegant
  dancers appear on stage. They usually always
  move in packs

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THE STAGE DIRECTOR

• This is truly the person who runs the show. Their
  job is to tell EVERYONE what to do and to worry
  that it will all come together after much
  practice!

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THE SCENERY

• The artists that make the scenery spend months on
  it. They have to paint and build and design and
  decorate and make it look real.

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THE COSTUMES

• Costumes are made by professional sewers. First,
  they draw a picture of what they want, then they
  pick out fabric and cut it to fit on a mannequin.
  Then they call in the singers for a try-on.
  Costumes come in all shapes and sizes! They can
  be modern or old fashioned.

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• An example of costumes for the opera. This one
  is I Pagliacci.

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• This opera is Gianni Schicchi.

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• This opera is La Boheme.

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• This Operetta (almost like an opera!) is called
  Boccaccio.

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MAKE-UP

• The Make-Up artists have lots to do. Sometimes
  they have to attach beards, or mustaches, or wigs
  to the singers. Then, they put on the facial
  make-up, including false eyelashes. Some times
  they turn a young person into an old one!

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PROPS

• In the prop room there are rows and rows and rows
  of THINGS! Swords, cups, trays, guns, ropes,
  balls, fireworks YOU NAME IT.
• The props are the items the singers use to make
  the play look more real.

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LIGHTING

• The lighting people make sure that the audience
  can see the action.

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CREW

• The backstage crew makes sure that sets get moved
  on and off and that the props are in the correct
  place. The whole show would fail if they werent
  there!

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PUBLICITY

• These are the people who get the word out about
  the upcoming production. They also make the
  program including the synopsis (plot) and the
  cast.

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Opera Terms

• Opera a large play set to music in which all
  parts are sung.
• Overture music played before the opera begins.
• Aria a vocal solo.
• Acts how the opera is broken up.

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• Duet musical passage for 2.
• Trio musical passage for 3.
• Quartet musical passage for 4.
• Ensemble a small group.
• Ballet a story told in dance.

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Kinds of Voices

• Soprano, the highest female. Usually the lead
  character.
• Mezzo Soprano, the middle female. The leads
  best friend or rival.
• Alto, the lowest female. The older characters or
  the villainess.

• Tenor, the highest male. Usually the lead
  character.
• Baritone, the middle male. Usually the villain.
• Bass, the lowest male. Older and powerful
  characters.