Opera

➢ became increasingly popular

during the Romantic Period.
➢ a performance in which actors
sing all or most of the words of a
play with music performed by an
orchestra.
➢ a musical composition.
Components of an Opera
1. Libretto – book or story of the opera.
(text)
2. Score – a document showing all the
notes, words and ideas to help the
performers tell the story.
3. Recitative – declamatory singing, used
in the prose part and dialogue of
opera.
4. Aria – an air or solo singing part sung
by a principal character.
➢ this song is what the public will
remember best when leaving the
opera house
Types of voice
For the male voice:
1. Tenor – highest male voice
2. Baritone – middle male voice, lies between
Bass and Tenor voices.
➢ the common male voice
3. Bass – lowest male voice
For the female voice:
1. Soprano – highest female voice
2. Coloratura – highest soprano voice
3. Lyric – bright and full sound
4. Dramatic – darker full sound
5. Mezzo-Soprano – most common female
voice and strong middle voice
6. Contralto – lowest female voice
Musical terms:
Dynamics and vocal embellishments
were used to further affect the way
singers sing.
1. A capella – one or more singers
performing without
instrumental accompaniment.
2. Cantabile – in a singing style
3. Copo – head, the beginning
4. Coda – closing section appended
to a song
5. Falsetto – a weaker and more airy
voice (higher pitch ranges)
6. Rubato – Slight speeding up or
slowing down of the tempo
at the discretion of the
soloist
The Two
Famous
Operas
La Traviata
➢ music by Giuseppe Verdi (1813 – 1901)
➢ categorized as a Romantic tragedy
➢ Set in Paris, France during 1850