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Opera

Opera. How Did Opera Begin. Florence, Italy in about 1600 Camerata “The group that meets in the room” Wanted to start a new kind of music They combined poetry and music which led to opera Orfeo Written by Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi in 1607 Oldest opera that is still performed

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Opera

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  1. Opera

  2. How Did Opera Begin • Florence, Italy in about 1600 • Camerata • “The group that meets in the room” • Wanted to start a new kind of music • They combined poetry and music which led to opera • Orfeo • Written by Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi in 1607 • Oldest opera that is still performed • The very first opera house opened in Venice in 1637

  3. Italian Operas • Had two kinds of music • Recitative • The characters are telling the story by having a conversation or describing an event • Singing that imitated the way people talk • Aria • One person is expressing his/her feeling about what is happening • Has a more elaborate melody

  4. French Operas • Had more ballet and instrumental music • French composer • Jean-Baptiste Lully

  5. English Opera • Began with masque • A combination of poetry, songs, instrumental music, dancing, and acting performed in the royal court. • Greatest English opera composer was Henry Purcell • Dido and Aeneas

  6. Coming to America • Came from England to South Carolina in the early 1770s • Ballad opera • Dialogue was spoken rather than sung, and the audience knows the tunes

  7. Italy in the 1700s • Opera Seria- Serious opera • Opera Buffa- Comic opera

  8. German Opera • Singspiel • Literally means “sing speak” • Spoken dialogue rather than recitative • The Magic Flute • The most famous singspiel • By Mozart • Richard Wagner • Changed opera by having the orchestra play continuously and the singers sing throughout

  9. Who writes the words • Libretto • The words to an opera • Means a “little book” • Librettist • The person who write the libretto • Decides what will happen in each scene and what words the singers will speak or sing

  10. Who writes the music? • Composer • Writes the music • Sometimes writes the words too • Takes the words from the librettist and sets them to music that lets us know what the characters are feeling and what kind of people they are • Decides • Size of the orchestra • What instruments to use • What voices to use • How many singers

  11. What are they based on? • Fairy Tales • Cinderella • Hansel and Gretel • Novels • Billy Budd by Herman Melville • Carmen by Prosper Merimee • Events • Julius Caesar • Boris Godunov • Myths • Tristan and Isolde • Bible Stories • Amahl and the Night Visitors

  12. What can you expect in opera stories? • Suspense • Comedy • Madness • Love • Tragedy • Horror • War

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