OPERA in the

Y10 IGCSE
CLASSICAL ERA
WHAT IS OPERA?

• DRAMATIC
work in one or
more ACTS -
written for
vocalists and
instrumentalists
STARTER:
• Look at the following images from
OPERAS, and discuss how this
GENRE is different to the other
ones we have been discussing.

• HOW does this contribute to

OPERA being so popular?
OPERA in the
CLASSICAL ERA
• A lot of VOCAL MUSIC was
written for use in the church, BUT

• OPERA attracted the most interest.

• MOST IMPORTANT
COMPOSERS for OPERA in the
Classical Era was

• MOZART and

• Christoph Williebald GLUCK

(1714-1787)
OPERA in the CLASSICAL ERA
• Was enjoyed by ARISTOCRACY and MIDDLE CLASS

• TWO TYPES - OPERA SERIA (serious) and OPERA BUFFA (comedic)

• ARIAS (sung , always describes the emotion of the scene)

• RECITATIVE (spoken, tells the story)

• Mostly in ITALIAN, but Mozart wrote a few OPERAS in GERMAN

• Music was often composed to suit the SINGERS, but this started to
change in the CLASSICAL ERA.

• Music was not more important than the story any longer
GLUCK OPERA
GLUCK - ORPHEO ED EURIDICE

• Based on a Greek legend of Orpheus and Euridice

• Tragic LOVE STORY

• Orpheus and Eurydice are madly in love, she gets bitten by a

snake and dies. Orpheus then goes to the UNDERWORLD to
try and get her back. Unfortunately, everything does not go to
plan and Orpheus ends up coming out of the underworld
alone and dies of grief.
TASK 1:
• Listen to Orfeo’s ARIA: “Che
Faro” ( What is life to me without
thee?)

• What qualities are there in this aria

(both melody and orchestral
accompaniment), which identify
the music as CLASSICAL?
MOZART OPERA
MOZART - THE MAGIC FLUTE

• The Magic Flute - SINGSPIEL - a type of opera where

singing is mixed with spoken dialogue

• Characters in Mozart’s operas are very lifelike and warm -

based on human stories

• Arias help to carry the story forward

• The final scenes in his operas include the whole ENSEMBLE

singing at once (but expressing their own opinions)- quite
elaborate
THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO
HOMEWORK:

• ASSIGNMENT 52:

• Find out about the story of Mozart’s DON GIOVANNI

• Then listen to Leporello’s “Catalogue” ARIA in which he

gives an account of his master’s many previous loves

• A - Which type of voice sings this aria?

• B - How does MOZART bring a light-hearted, joking mood

to this aria?