1. Chapter 17: Romantic Opera Early Romantic Opera

2. Key Terms Early Romantic opera Italian opera Bel canto opera German Romantic opera

3. 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)

4. 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

5. 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

6. Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) Dominated bel canto opera after Rossini Preferred simple, sentimental arias Lot of blood-and-thunder “action” music Enormously prolific – more than 60 operas Many tragic bel canto operas Most famous was Lucia di Lammermoor on novel by Sir Walter Scott Also wrote opera buffa Don Pasquale & L’elisir d’amore, for example

7. Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835) Preferred serious, tragic bel canto operas Wrote in a refined, elegant, melodic style Influenced Chopin’s nocturnes Verdi often expressed admiration for Bellini More “Romantic” sound than Rossini or Donizetti Norma is his most famous work Demands expressive singing, coloratura fireworks, & great acting – all at the same time!

8. Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) Founder of German Romantic opera Der Freischütz is his most famous work Has the quality of a German folktale or ballad put to music Nature & the supernatural figure prominently Mix of spiritual Romantic arias, folk-song hunters’ choruses, & devilish conjuration Orchestra plays a much more significant role in establishing mood & telling the story