Opera Vocabulary

Opera- the story is told through singing Camerata- the group that began opera Recitative- singing that imitates the way people talk Aria- one person is expressing his or her feelings about what is happening.

Ballad Opera- English opera where dialogue is spoken rather then sung Opera Seria- serious opera Opera Buffa- comic opera Singspiel- “sing-speak”; has spoken dialogue rather then a recitative

Libretto- the words to an opera Librettist- the person who writes the text of an opera Composer- the person who writes the music Conductor- the person who directs the musicians

Diva- a female singing star Divo- a male singing star Bel Canto- beautiful singing

Ballet- performers who dance and don’t sing Chorus- the singers who support the principal singers Supernumeraries- people who play walk-on roles like guards, priests, soldiers, etc…

Opera Facts

1. Opera began about ____________ in Florence, _____________. 2. The oldest opera that is still performed today is _______________. 3. The first opera house opened in ____________________.

4. The three main languages that operas are written in are _________________________, ________________________, and _____________________. 5. The first opera brought to America came from _____________ in the early 1770s and was called _______________________; the dialogue was ____________________ rather than sung.

6. Toward the end of the 19 th century ____________________________ changed opera by having the orchestra play continuously and the singers sing throughout. 7. Stories for operas come from ______________________, ________________, ______________________________, and _________________.

Opera Stories

Carmen By- Bizet Takes Place- 19 th century Seville, Spain Plot- Carmen gets arrested for being in a fight and her guard Don Jose falls in love with her and lets her escape. Two months later Don Jose arrives at Carmen’s gypsy camp where Micaela (his girlfriend) begs him to return to his ill mother. Don Jose pleads with Carmen to stay with him but she tells him she is now with Escamillo, a bullfighter. Don Jose then stabs Carmen.

Faust By- Gounod Takes Place- 16 th century Germany Plot- Faust wants to be young. Mephistopheles offers to make him young again in return for his soul. Faust falls in love with the beautiful Marguerite. After a while Faust leaves Marguerite who has had his child. Valentin, her brother, attacks Faust. Faust kills him with Mephistopheles’ help. Marguerite is put in prison for killing her child where Mephistopheles tries to make a deal with her. She refuses when she realizes that he is the devil and angles carry her to heaven while Faust must remain with Mephistopheles.

Cosi Fan Tutte By- Mozart Takes Place- 18 th century Italy Plot- Ferrando and Guglielmo are engaged to two sisters. Don Alfonso makes a bet with them that their fiancées can’t be faithful. The men pretend to go off to war and then return disguised as Albanians. They say they are in love with the opposite sister and the girls agree to marry them after they threaten to kill themselves. Ferrando and Guglielmo return as themselves and the girls panic. Don Alfonso tell them that the Albanians were really their sweethearts and they are reunited.

The Barber of Seville By- Rossini Takes place- 17 th century Seville, Spain Plot- Count Almaviva is in love with Rosina. Figaro, the town barber, offers to help Almaviva win Rosina. Disguised, Almaviva serenades Rosina and they fall in love. Almaviva arrives at Rosina’s house posing as a music teacher to give her singing lessons. The real music teacher arrives and tells her that Almaviva is an imposter. Not knowing who Almaviva is, Rosina agrees to marry someone else. When Almaviva tells her who he is, they get married.

Aida By- Verdi Takes place- Egypt in the time of pharaohs Plot- The Ethiopian princess Aida is captured and enslaved to Amneris, the daughter of the king of Egypt. Aida and Radames, the leader of the Egyptian military, fall in love. Amneris also loves Radames. The king of Egypt decides that Radames will marry Amneris. Aida and Radames try to flee but are caught. When Radames refuses to marry Amneris, he is condemned to die in a tomb with Aida.