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Chapter 17: Romantic Opera

Chapter 17: Romantic Opera. Early Romantic Opera. Early Romantic opera Italian opera Bel canto opera German Romantic opera. Key Terms. Romantic Opera. Transcendence of artistic barriers Romantic era fused music & poetry (the Lied) as well as music & literature (program music)

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Chapter 17: Romantic Opera

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  1. Chapter 17:Romantic Opera Early Romantic Opera

  2. Early Romantic opera Italian opera Bel canto opera German Romantic opera Key Terms

  3. Romantic Opera • Transcendence of artistic barriers • Romantic era fused music & poetry (the Lied) as well as music & literature (program music) • Also committed to union of music & drama • 19th century a golden age for opera • In Germany, France, Italy, Bohemia, Russia • If music is the most profound of all arts – • Composers must take the “message” seriously • Opera subjects taken from highly regarded novels (Scott, Dumas) & plays (Shakespeare)

  4. Early Romantic Opera • Made its serious start in the 1820s • After the Viennese Classical period ended • Comic opera remained popular at first • Especially Italian operas of Rossini & Donizetti • In the 1820s tastes shifted to more serious, even tragic operas • French grand operas by Meyerbeer & Rossini • Tragic Italian operas by Bellini & Donizetti • German Romantic operas by Weber

  5. Gioacchino Rossini(1792-1868) • Best known for his opera buffa • Crisp, elegant – style not far from Mozart • Barber of Seville is his most famous work • Admired equally for his serious operas • Set the style & form of Italian Romantic opera • Called bel canto – glorifies beautiful singing • Full of coloratura arias for virtuoso singers • Gave up opera entirely in 1829! • After success of William Tell, a grand opera

  6. Gaetano Donizetti(1797-1848) • Dominated bel canto opera after Rossini • Preferred simple, sentimental arias • Lot of blood-and-thunder “action” music • Enormously prolific – more than 60 operas • Many tragic bel canto operas • Most famous was Lucia di Lammermoor on novel by Sir Walter Scott • Also wrote opera buffa • Don Pasquale & L’elisir d’amore, for example

  7. Vincenzo Bellini(1801-1835) • Preferred serious, tragic bel canto operas • Wrote in a refined, elegant, melodic style • Influenced Chopin’s nocturnes • Verdi often expressed admiration for Bellini • More “Romantic” sound than Rossini or Donizetti • Norma is his most famous work • Demands expressive singing, coloratura fireworks, & great acting – all at the same time!

  8. Carl Maria von Weber(1786-1826) • Founder of German Romantic opera • Der Freischütz is his most famous work • Has the quality of a German folktale or ballad put to music • Nature & the supernatural figure prominently • Mix of spiritual Romantic arias, folk-song hunters’ choruses, & devilish conjuration • Orchestra plays a much more significant role in establishing mood & telling the story

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