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Friday, August 30, 2013
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
How to
understand the opera Opera, to some, might sound intimidating, especially for the novice who thinks it’s just one big song belted out in Italian. But as one famous soprano noted, everything you need to understand an opera is in the music. Whether you are seeing your first or 50th opera, there are some basic things you can do to help your enjoyment of the performance: • Read the plot synopsis in the program so you will have an understanding of the story that you will see onstage. • Use your eyes as well as your ears. The music, choreography, lights, costumes and sets are all integral to the performance and heighten the opera experience. Most likely, there will be English translations called “supertitles” projected above or beside the stage; however, you don’t want to get to absorbed in the supertitles that you miss the action. • If you can, listen to part or all of the opera before attending the performance. You might recognize portions of the music from popular movies, television or even commercials. For the beginner, many opera experts recommend starting with Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” It’s light and comic with upbeat music the non-opera expert can enjoy. Other popular “first” operas are Puccini’s classic “La Boheme,” Verdi’s “La Traviata,” Bizet’s “Carmen” and Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus.” To help ease into the opera consciousness, here’s a quick primer on what one needs to know before taking in the big show: ARIA: A solo piece written for a main character, which focuses on the character’s emotion.
BARITONE: The male singing voice that is higher than bass but lower than tenor: BASS: The lowest male singing voice. BRAVO: Literally, a form of applause when shouted by members of the audience at the end of an especially pleasing performance. Strictly speaking, “bravo” is for a single man, “brava” for a woman, and “bravi” for a group of performers. CADENZA: A passage of singing, often at the end of an area, which shows off the singer’s vocal ability. CHORUS: A group of singers, singing together, who sometimes portray servants, party guests or other unnamed characters; also the music written for them. COMPOSER: A person who writes music. CONDUCTOR: The leader of the orchestra, sometimes called maestro. CONTRALTO: The lowest female singing voice. CRESCENDO: A gradual increase in volume. Orchestral crescendos were one of Rossini’s trademarks. CURTAIN CALL: At the end of a performance, all of the members of the cast and the conductor take bows. Sometimes this is done in front of the main curtain, hence the name curtain call. Often, however, the bows are taken on the full stage with the curtain open. DIRECTOR: A person who instructs the singer-actors on their on-stage movements and in the interpretation of their roles. DIVA: Literally “goddess,” is refers to an important female opera star. The masculine form is divo.
ENCORE: Literally means “again.” It used to be the custom for a singer to repeat a popular area if the audience called “encore” loudly enough. This still is done in the middle of an opera in countries such as Italy, but it is rare elsewhere. Soloists frequently give encores at the end of a concert but not an opera. ENSEMBLE: Two or more people singing at the same time, or the music written for such a group. FALSETTO: A method of singing above the natural range of the male voice. Often used in opera for comic effects such as a man imitating a woman. FINALE: The last musical number of an opera or the last number of an act. GRAND OPERA: Strictly speaking, opera without spoken dialogue. It is usually used to refer to opera which uses a large orchestra and chorus and grand themes. Puccini and Verdi are commonly referenced a composers of grand opera.
INTERLUDE: A short piece of instrumental music played between scenes or acts. LIBRETTO: The text or words of an opera. MAESTRO: Literally “master;” used as a courtesy title for the conductor. The masculine ending is used for both men and women. MEZZO-SOPRANO: The middle female singing voice, lower than soprano, but higher than contralto. OVERTURE: An orchestral introduction to an opera. (French: ouverture; German: ouverture; Italian: sinfonia). PIT: A sunken area in front of the stage where the members of the orchestra play. PRELUDE: Usually a short introduction that leads into an act without a break, as opposed to an overture which is longer and can be played as a separate piece. Wagner called his introductions preludes even though some are quite long. PRIMA DONNA: Literally “first lady”; the leading woman
singer in an opera. Because of the way some have behaved in the past, it often refers to someone who acts in a superior and demanding fashion. The term for the leading man is primo uomo. PRINCIPAL: A major single role, or the singer who performs such a role. RÉPERTOIRE: Stock pieces that a singer or company has ready to present. Often refers to a company’s current season. SCORE: The written music of an opera or other musical work. SOPRANO: The highest female singing voice. TENOR: The highest common adult male singing voice. (Countertenors are uncommon.) TROUSER ROLE (also known as a pants role): A role depicting a young man or boy but sung by a woman, usually a mezzo-soprano. VIBRATO: A natural wavering of frequency (pitch) while singing a note.