Opera

1. Opera A western classical music/theater drama -sometimes includes dance - Most often dramatic stories, but sometimes comedy

2. Elements of Opera • Shares many elements with spoken theater and instrumental music like: • Acting, scenery, costumes, storytelling, plot, • Elements of music are many: singing, symphony/orchestra, melody, harmony, rhythm, etc

3. Elements of Opera Opera singers are specifically trained for a vocal range of pitch These are classified from high to low sounds, these singers are called -soprano -alto -tenor -baritone -bass

4. History • The first opera was written and performed around 1600 in Italy -it was trying to resemble ancient Greek theater by combining storytelling/singing /music It developed mostly in Italy, Germany, France, And Britain

5. History • originally performed for european royalty • By 1650 opera was being staged before large public audiences usually in an ‘opera house’ • Styles changed over the years with major time periods in the late 18th, mid 19th, and 20th centuries.

6. Elements Singing: opera has evolved unique singing styles -’recitative’ is a plot based style, tries to exaggerate sounds of speaking -sometimes replaced with spoken words -’aria’ formal and structured melody, using tones/pitches/scales to express emotion -Choruses (groups of singers) often used to provide commentary/narrative

7. Famous Figures • Mozart – 18th century “The marriage of Figaro” “Don Giovanni” • Richard Wagner- mid 19th century “Tristan and Isolde” • Puccini- early 20th century “Madame Butterfly”, “La Boheme” • Philip Glass-late 20th century “Einstein on the Beach”,