1. Chapter 17: Romantic Opera
Early Romantic Opera

2. Romantic Opera Transcendence of artistic barriers
Romantic era fused music & poetry (the Lied) as well as music & literature (program music)
Also committed to union of music & drama
19th century a golden age for opera
In Germany, France, Italy, Bohemia, Russia
If music is the most profound of all arts –
Composers must take the “message” seriously
Opera subjects taken from highly regarded novels (Scott, Dumas) & plays (Shakespeare)

3. Early Romantic Opera Made its serious start in the 1820s
After the Viennese Classical period ended
Comic opera remained popular at first
Especially Italian operas of Rossini & Donizetti
In the 1820s tastes shifted to more serious, even tragic operas
French grand operas by Meyerbeer & Rossini
Tragic Italian operas by Bellini & Donizetti
German Romantic operas by Weber

4. Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868)
Best known for his opera buffa
Crisp, elegant – style not far from Mozart
Barber of Seville is his most famous work
Admired equally for his serious operas
Set the style & form of Italian Romantic opera
Called bel canto – glorifies beautiful singing
Full of coloratura arias for virtuoso singers
Gave up opera entirely in 1829!
After success of William Tell, a grand opera