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act
A formal subdivision of an opera,
indicated as such by the composer, often further subdivided into
scenes or tableaux. Each act usually constitutes an integral
dramatic whole, and often has a climax of its own.
apron
The front part of the stage; the area
between the curtain and the orchestra pit.
aria (AH-ree-yah)
A song for solo voice (occasionally two
voices) with instrumental accompaniment, from the Italian word for
“air.” An aria generally expresses a state of
mind rather than propelling the action forward.
ballad
opera
A form of English operatic entertainment
made popular in the early 18th century, combining spoken
dialogue, popular tunes and dances. The most typical example
is John Gay’s The Beggars Opera. Ballad opera
was particularly popular in Dublin. Mozart’s The
Abduction from the Seraglio (which Opera Pacific will perform
in January of 2003) is considered a “singspiel” which
is a German form of ballad opera. Modern operas that are
considered part of this genre include Vaughan William’s
Hugh the Drover, and Weill’s The Three Penney
Opera.
banda (BAHN-da)
An onstage instrumental group, often
appearing in ballroom scenes and processions.
barcarolle
From the Italian barca meaning
boat. Vocal or orchestra piece imitating the song of a
Venetian gondolier, as in Offenbach’s The Tales of
Hoffman.
baritone
The middle category of the natural male
voice, which lies between the low bass and high tenor
registers.
Baroque
The period of music following the
Renaissance, usually dated between 1600 and 1750, starting with the
rise of opera and oratorio and ending around the time of the deaths
of Bach and Handel. Baroque operas were highly stylized
presentations, with elaborate vocal requirements and fanciful
plots.
bass
Also “basso;” the lowest male
voice, pronounced like the word “base” rather than like
the fish.
basso
buffo (BAH-so BOO-foe)
One of the categories of the bass voice;
the basso buffo is a singer who specializes in comic characters,
notable in the comedies of Mozart, Rossini and Handel. Doctor
Bartolo in The Barber of Seville is a good example of this
category.
basso
cantante (BAH-so Con-TAHN-teh)
Another category of the bass voice, with
the word “cantante” implying a melodic singing quality
rather than a comic or very serious one.
basso
profundo (BAH-so Pro-FOON-doe)
The most serious of the bass voices.
Sarastro in The Magic Flute is considered a basso profundo
role. Can also mean a bass of exceptionally low range.
bel
canto (bell CON-toe)
Literally “beautiful song” or
“beautiful singing.” The traditional art of
Italian singing, which emphasizes beautiful tone, elegant phrasing
and flawless technique. The period of bel canto opera
flourished in the middle of the 19th century in the
works of Rossini, Donizetti and especially Bellini.
blocking
The moving about of people on stage; in
opera rehearsals the stage director creates the patterns of
movement that occur while the opera progresses. The process of
establishing these patterns is called the blocking.
bravo
The Italian exclamation of approval
shouted by audience members at the end of a particularly exciting
aria, scene, act or performance. A female performer is
accorded “brava” and multiple performers
“bravi.” The superlative form is
“bravissimo.”
cabaletta (cah-bah-LET-tah)
A brisk aria in Italian opera, generally
following a more solemn, thoughtful one; the cabaletta frequently
refers to a contradictory or complimentary state of mind, and may
even lead towards impassioned action from the character on
stage. The term itself comes from the Italian
“cavallo” which means horse: the accompaniment of the
cabaletta frequently resembles the animal’s galloping
gait.
cadenza (cah-DEN-zah)
A musical flourish often extemporized by
the performer, which occurs when an aria or section of an aria
seems to be coming to a close (coming to a cadence.) Also
heard in solo instrumental works. Until the time of Verdi,
cadenzas were almost always improvised by the performer and were
seldom written out by the composer.
camerata (cahm-er-AH-tah)
A term in vogue in the 16th
century, often used as an alternative for academy, but
usually denoting a somewhat smaller body. The
“Florentine camerata” (of the late 16th
century) was a gathering of musicians and writers who met in the
homes of Florentine aristocrats Giovanni de Bardi and Jacopo
Corsi. Vincenzo Galileo, the astronomer’s father, was
among them. Their discussions led to the emergence of the new
form of musical drama soon to be recognized as opera. Many
contemporary chamber music groups use the word camerata as
part of their names today.
cantabile (con-TAH-bee-lay)
An expression (taken from the Italian
“cantare”, meaning to sing) which asks the performer to
sing or play in a sweetly singing manner. The term refers to
a smooth and even style of singing or playing.
cantata (con-TAH-tuh)
A musical form, generally for chorus,
orchestra and soloists: based on a primarily narrative text. The
most famous cantatas are those by Bach, all of which are
based on scriptural texts.
cantilena (con-tee-LAY-nah)
Italian for “lullaby”. A
lyrical melody line, meant to be sung or played
“cantabile”. Also used to describe a
singer’s ability to sing smoothly, flowingly and
melodiously.
canzone (con-ZONE-eh)
A short lyrical operatic song;
outside the dramatic situation, reflecting the singer’s state
of mind rather than the action. Cherubino’s voi che
sapete in the Marriage of Figaro is an example of a
canzone.
castrato (cah-STRAH-toe)
A male singer whose career as a soprano
has been extended beyond puberty by surgical means. The
practice of castrating boys so as to provide adult sopranos and
contraltos was justified by the Roman Catholic Church interpreting
an injunction of St. Paul to the effect that women should keep
silent in church. Castrati were extremely popular in
opera’s early history, especially in countries where women
were not allowed to perform in public.
cavatina (cah-vah-TEE-nah)
A short simple solo song. After 1830
the term is used to denote anybody’s opening aria, usually
written in two movements.
Classical
The period in music that comes after the
Baroque period and before the Romantic; the dates are roughly 1756
(the year Mozart was born) to 1830 (three years after the death of
Beethoven).
coda (COE-dah)
From the Italian meaning
“tail”. Originally a section of a movement added
at the end as the last musical thought in the composition.
However, in the symphonies of Mozart, Haydn and especially
Beethoven, the coda came to have integral formal significance,
becoming at times a second development section.
coloratura (cuh-lor ah-TOOR-ah)
An elaborate ornamentation of melody;
therefore, a coloratura soprano is one who specializes in this type
of music—fast, high singing, with trills and
embellishments. The role of the “Queen of the
Night” in Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute is a
famous coloratura role. Lily Pons, Roberta Peters, Joan
Sutherland and Beverly Sills are some of the twentieth
century’s famous coloratura sopranos.
comprimario
(com-pree-MAH-ree-yoh)
A singer who takes the secondary character
roles in an opera. Confidantes, maids, servants, messengers
and medical personnel generally fit under the heading of
comprimario roles.
contralto
From the Italian meaning “against
the high voice”; i.e., contrasting with the high voice.
The lowest range of the female voice.
countertenor
A high male voice, sometimes using
falsetto, generally singing within the female contralto or
mezzo-soprano range. Also known as a “male alto”,
with some very high countertenors today describing themselves as
“male sopranos”. The countertenor frequently
portrayed young, virile men or innocent adolescents—the
voices were generally quite powerful, and not considered
effeminate.
conductor
The conductor controls the orchestra and
the entire musical production by means of gestures, which indicate
the beating of time, the ensuring of correct entries, the shaping
of individual phrasing and the changes in dynamics (or volume of
sound). In an opera, the conductor is the musical director
whose function is to co-ordinate the singers and chorus on stage
with the orchestra. The conductor determines the tempos (how
fast or slow the music is played) as well as the style and shape of
the performance.
Deus ex machina (DAY-us ex
MAH-kee-nah)
Literally, “God from a
machine”; a staging or literary device referring to a last-
minute resolution of a tricky situation by a god or goddess who has
been watching the plot unfold from afar. In the baroque
period, elaborate scenery was devised whereby a particular god
would descend from above the stage in a little cloud or
carriage.
diva (DEE-vah)
A highly celebrated female singer (also
known as a “prima donna”). The original Italian
word means “goddess.”
duet
Any combination of two performers, with or
without accompaniment, or a composition for two performers.
encore
From the French meaning
“again.” In English “encore” has been
adopted as the word of demand for the repetition of a performance
or the return of the performer. In France they say
“Bis.”
entr’acte
A piece of orchestral music played between
the acts or scenes.
falsetto
Singing method used by males, to achieve a
note or notes higher than comes within the normal range of their
voice. An artificial method of voice production; hence, a
“false voice.” Often used for comic effect.
finale
The last movement of a piece of music, or
in opera the end of an act. In opera seria the finale was
usually a simple ensemble sung by all the principals, but in opera
buffa it developed into a complex segment involving the entire
cast.
fioratura (fee-ore-ah-TOOR-ah)
From the Italian meaning
“flourish”. An ornamental figure, written or
improvised, decorating the main line of the melody. Sometimes
confused with coloratura but meaning almost the same thing, all
sopranos have to sing fioratura at some point or another; but there
is no such thing as a fioratura soprano.
grand
opera
The term normally given to the genre that
flourished in Paris from the early 1820s and which remained
influential beyond the frontiers of France throughout the
19th century and even into the 20th
century. Grand Opera is entirely sung from start to finish,
as opposed to opera that may have spoken dialogue. It is
often epic in scale and, in the case of 19th century
French opera, may have a full-scale ballet inserted in the middle
of the work. Grand Opera frequently deals with serious,
dramatic subjects. La bohème, Tosca, Turandot, and
Aida are all considered grand opera.
heldentenor
A type of tenor voice which hearkens back
to the golden age of Wagnerian singing. The typical
heldentenor has an unusually brilliant top register combined with a
muscular lower voice, almost like a baritone, and is capable of
long passages that require great vocal stamina. Tristan and
Siegfried are notable heldentenor roles. One of the great
heldentenors of the twentieth century was Lauritz Melchior.
imbroglio (im-BRO-lee-oh)
An operatic scene in which chaos and
confusion are suggested by diversity of rhythm and melody.
The original meaning of the word is “intrigue” or
“entanglement”.
intermezzo (in-ter-MET-zoh)
Originally, the intermezzo was a short,
comic entertainment inserted between the acts of a serious opera,
which often included grotesque elements. The term is also
used in the sense of an interlude, a short piece of music, or even
a short scene interpolated in the course of an opera. An
orchestral intermezzo may be a miniature tone poem, perhaps
denoting the passing of time (as between scenes 8 and 9 of
Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana) or describing events
between scenes (as between Acts II and III of Puccini’s
Manon Lescaut.)
intonation
The quality of singing or playing in
tune.
legato (leh-GAH-toe)
A smooth and gliding style of singing or
playing, with no perceptible pause between notes. The
opposite of legato is marcato (in a marked, punchy style) or even
staccato (an even shorter, more aggressive style.)
leitmotiv (LIGHT-moe-teef)
A short musical figure, sometimes no more
than three or four notes, which instantly identifies a person,
thing, event, or idea in music and, above all in opera. There
are suggestions of the leitmotiv in Gluck and Mozart, as well as
various German Romantic operas especially—those of von
Weber. Wagner is the most well known practitioner of this
device. His music shows how a subtle and intelligent use of
leitmotives could not only recall characters or objects to mind,
but also could convey to the listener an intricate understanding of
how these elements change in the course of the drama—the
musical modification or development expressing a new psychological
or dramatic state.
libretto (lib-REH-toe)
The text of an opera; the literal
translation is “little book.” The sources of
successful librettos have ranged from great dramatic masterpieces
(Othello for Verdi) and great novels (War and Peace
for Prokofiev) to sentimental novels (Scènes de la vie de
Bohème for Puccini.)
lied
German for “song”. The
pronunciation is “leed” and the plural is lieder
(pronounced “leader”.) In some pre-Wagnerian
German operas, the songs that the characters sing are called
“lieder” as opposed to “aria,” which would
be the Italian designation. Lieder are most often
settings of poems by the great 19th century German
composers who are not chiefly known for opera: Schubert, Schumann,
and Brahms. They are principally heard as repertoire for
recital.
maestro (my-ES-troe)
A title of courtesy given to conductors,
composers and directors; from the Italian meaning
“master.”
marking
The practice used by many singers to save
their voices in rehearsals; singers will sing in what seems to be a
mere whisper, or transpose the vocal lines so that they don’t
have to sing extremely high or low notes. This is done as a
vocal protection—singing too strenuously, or without getting
the voice properly warmed up can lead to vocal strain and
throat problems. Audience members at Opera
Pacific’s final dress rehearsal may hear some of the singers
“marking.”
masque
A 16th and 17th
century English stage entertainment combining poetry, music,
singing, dancing, and acting, often setting mythological subjects
in elaborate scenery. As an art form uniting music and drama,
the masque was an important precursor of short-lived English
opera. The masque survived into the 18th century:
important works were Congreve’s The Masque of Paris,
and Handel’s Semele. The Masque form has
occasionally been revived in modern times, for example in
Britten’s Gloriana and Harrison Birtwistle’s
The Mask of Orpheus.
melodrama
As the term is applied in opera, melodrama
refers to a dramatic composition, or section of a composition, in
which one or more actors recite to a musical commentary. The
style became popular in the second half of the 18th
century, especially in opéra comique. The most
successful examples of its power of heightening the dramatic
tension are in the grave-digging scene in Beethoven’s
Fidelio and in the Wolf’s Glen Scene in Weber’s
Der Freischütz.
mezza
voce (MET-zah VOE-chay)
Literally “half voice”.
Singing at half volume so as to intensify the emotion. When
marking, singers use a kind of mezza voce, but not for dramatic
purposes.
mezzo-soprano
The middle category of the female (or
falsetto male) voice. Though closer to soprano than to
contralto, it is marked more by quality of tone (darker or richer
than a soprano) than by range, which may include many of the
soprano’s high or the contralto’s low notes. The
sound of a mezzo-soprano can either be voluptuous (as in the case
of Delilah or Carmen) or it can be thinner and more agile (which
might describe Rosina in The Barber of Seville).
Marilyn Horne, Frederica von Stade and Cecilia Bartoli are
some of the better known mezzos of our day.
motif (moe-teef)
(Also sometimes motive.) A brief
dominant or recurring musical theme used as a unifying device in a
composition. For example: the first four notes of
Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.
opera
buffa
A style of opera that deals with
characters drawn from daily life rather than the heroes and royalty
found in opera seria (the counterpart of opera buffa.)
This style of opera always revolves around comedy, with an emphasis
on broad characterizations.
opéra comique
(OH-pair-ah-comb-EEK)
Originally a theater in Paris that was the
home of French musical pieces with spoken dialogue. While the
term opéra comique seems to imply an opera that is humorous
(see opera buffa), in fact, it only means that there is some spoken
dialogue as opposed to grand opera in which there is none.
Both Gounod’s Faust and Bizet’s Carmen
were originally conceived with spoken dialogue and are therefore
considered “opéra-comique” even though their
subject matter would seem to fall under the category of
“grand” opera.
opera
seria
Large spectacle-filled operas based on
“serious” mythological subjects. The characters
were almost always royalty or Gods. One of the last and
greatest examples of the form is Mozart’s La clemenza di
Tito.
operetta
Literally, “little opera”, an
operetta is a shorter, lighter, comic opera including an overture,
songs, interludes, dialogue and dances. Very popular in late
19th and early 20th century Vienna and
France. Franz Lehár’s The Merry
Widow, Johann Strauss Jr.’s Die Fledermaus and
Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado are all operettas
from this period.
opus (OH-puss)
From the Latin meaning
“work”. The word used, followed by a
number, e.g., Opus 50, for the numerical identification of a
composer’s works. The plural form of “opus”
is “opera” and it was that word that the
Camerata of Florence adopted, since their new stage
presentations combined musical work, dramatic story and
staging—thus comprising “works.”
oratorio
A musical composition (generally not
staged) with a religious, serious, or philosophical text for
chorus, orchestra, and soloists. A longer version of a
cantata.
orchestra
A mixed group of instrumentalists for the
performance of symphonic, operatic, and other works. The
orchestra grew from the time of Mozart through Beethoven, Berlioz,
Wagner, Verdi, Puccini and Richard Strauss so that today an opera
orchestra can consist of as many as 90 players. The Opera
Pacific orchestra generally numbers between 55 and 65
musicians.
overture
From the French ouverture meaning
“opening.” The word normally used for the
orchestral introduction to the first scene of an opera, play or
ballet. The overture sets the mood and often establishes
themes used in the opera itself. In Mozart’s opera
Don Giovanni, the ominous theme of the Stone Guest is heard
as a premonition at the beginning of the overture.
parlando (par-LAHN-doe)
Literally, “speaking”; this
Italian term directs the singer to imitate speech in singing.
The “patter songs” in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas
frequently employ a great deal of parlando singing.
pitch
The location of a note in the tonal scale,
ranging from high to low.
prelude
From the Latin praeludium meaning
something played before another work. There is no clear
distinction between a prelude and an overture, though in general
the former may be shorter and may also run directly into the opera
(or act of an opera) which it introduces.
prima
donna
Italian, meaning “first
lady.” The name given to the leading female singer in
an opera or the principal soprano of an opera company. It did
not until recently come to describe the personality of the singer,
rather than the importance of her role in the opera.
prompter
A member of the musical staff of many
large opera houses; the prompter sits in a small box practically
invisible to the audience, under the apron of the stage, and gives
singers and choristers the vocal cues seconds before they are
required to sing them. Opera Pacific does not use a
prompter.
proscenium (pro-SCENE-ee-yum)
The architectural arch which encloses the
curtain is technically called the proscenium arch. Even so,
proscenium is used in a larger, more general sense, meaning a stage
constructed with a curtain, as opposed to a thrust stage where the
stage has no formal enclosure.
quartet
A composition for four voices or
instruments, or a group of four performers. In opera, a
quartet is often used to state the dramatic situation as seen from
four different viewpoints or emotional states of the
characters. Because of their vocal symmetry, quartets have
been used to striking effect by Mozart (in The Abduction from
the Seraglio and Così fan tutte), Beethoven (the
canonic quartet in Fidelio), Verdi (in Rigoletto) and
Puccini (in La bohème.)
quintet
Piece for five voices or instruments, or a
group of five performers. There are only a few examples
in opera, the most famous of which is the quintet in the last act
of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger.
raked
stage
A stage which slants upward away from the
view of the audience. In the earliest opera houses, the stage
was inclined so that an audience member sitting in the back of the
theater (which originally did not have a raked floor) could have an
easy view of someone standing at the back of the stage. Many
opera houses in Europe today have stages that are permanently
sloped like this. It is the slant that gives us the terms
“upstage” and “downstage”.
range
The division of the human voice, according
to six basic types: soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto, tenor,
baritone, and bass.
recitative (wretch-ee-tah-TEEF)
The name given to the declamatory,
speech-like singing portions of opera, in which the plot generally
is advanced, as opposed to the more static or reflective lyrical
settings (arias.) Recitative often imitates rapid speech and
is rhythmically free. It links together the arias and
choruses.
Romantic
The period of music written between 1830
and the turn of the 20th century. It is a general
term often meaning music in which emotional and picturesque
expression supersedes the rigid formalities of classical
music. Romantic opera was at its height during the last
three-quarters of the 19th century, most notably in the
works of the great Italian opera composers Verdi and Puccini, as
well as Wagner, Tchaikovsky and Berlioz.
scene
The term used to denote the smaller
subdivision of an act.
sextet
Piece for six voices, notable in
Mozart’s operas and Donizetti’s Lucia di
Lammermoor. Also a group of six instrumentalists or work
written for them to perform; for example, the Brahms string
sextets.
singspiel (ZING-shpeel)
Early German musical drama very similar to
English ballad opera or French opéra comique.
Employing spoken dialogue along with musical numbers,
Beethoven’s Fidelio is technically a singspiel but the
term generally implies a comic or light subject.
Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio (1782)
follows the Viennese tradition of singspiel, while his Magic
Flute (1791) is a musically more complex work in which the
traditions of singspiel, opera buffa, and opera seria are all
combined.
soprano
The highest range of the female voice,
which also applies to boys and castrati. There are different
categories of soprano such as coloratura, lyric, spinto, and
dramatic.
sotto
voce (SO-tow VOH-chay)
From the Italian meaning “under the
voice.” A direction to sing or play softly or
aside—“under the voice.” Singing sotto voce
can be compared to declaiming in a stage whisper.
soubrette (sue-BRET)
A light soprano voice or type of soprano
role usually found in comic operas or operettas. The
soubrette is often a flirtatious and cunning character.
Despina in Così fan tutte, Blonde in The Abduction
from the Seraglio, and Adèle in Die Fledermaus
are all famous soubrette roles.
spinto
From the Italian meaning “to
push.” A type of voice which is “pushed”
towards another type. A “lirico spinto” soprano
is a lyric voice that has some qualities of the heavier dramatic
range. Spinto is a vocal quality in sopranos and tenors that
implies emotional sincerity rather than technical fireworks.
The role of Mimì in La bohème is often
portrayed by a soprano with an essentially light voice who then
“pushes” her voice to ride over the orchestra thus
developing a “spinto” sound.
sprechstimme (SHPRECK-shtim-eh)
Literally, “speak-voice”, a
vocal technique that is half speaking half singing. First
used by Humperdinck in the first version of his opera
Königskinder (1897), where singers were told to
approximate the pitches but were doubled by instruments playing
exact pitches. Found often in the operas of Schoenberg and
Berg (Pierrot Lunaire:1912 and Wozzeck:1914-20,
respectively), it often sounds like speaking, but there is also a
duration of pitch that also resembles singing.
staccato (stah-CAH-toe)
Detached. Method of playing or
singing a note (shown by a dot over the note) so that it is
shortened or clipped—and thus “detached” from its
successor. The opposite of staccato is legato.
stage right/stage left
The division of the stage from the
performers point of view; thus when a singer goes stage right, he
moves to his right, but to the left of the audience.
super/supernumerary
A performer who appears in a non-singing
role, like an “extra” in a movie. Often used as part of
a large procession or as a walk-on part of someone delivering a
message.
tempo/tempi
From the Italian meaning
“time” or “times”. The speed at which
a piece of music is performed. The anglicized
‘tempos’ is an acceptable plural, like
‘concertos’. There are many tempo indication
terms, for example: a tempo, (resume original speed),
tempo di minuetto, (in minuet time), and tempo alla
breve (use the half note as your beat unit). In an opera,
(as well as other orchestral performances) the conductor sets the
tempo.
tenor
The highest category of the male voice
range.
tessitura (tess-ee-TOOR-ah)
From the Italian, meaning
“texture.” A term which indicates the average position
of a composition’s notes in relation to the range of voice or
instrument for which it was written. In other words, not
extreme highs and lows but where it principally lies in the
singer’s range. For example, Zerbinetta’s aria in
Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos has a particularly
high tessitura.
trill
Two adjacent notes rapidly and repeatedly
alternated.
trio
A group of three performers, or the piece
written for them to perform. The trio was a feature of
17th century opera and also appeared occasionally in
18th century opera seria. Trios became very
popular towards the end of the 18th century in opera
buffa and particularly fine examples can be heard in Mozart’s
The Marriage of Figaro as well as Così fan
tutte. Verdi and R. Strauss both used the trio in the
19th and early 20th
centuries. Strauss uses the trio to brilliant
effect in the final climax of his opera Der
Rosenkavilier.
trouser or pants role
A male character sung by a woman, usually
a mezzo soprano. Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro
and Octavian in Der Rosenkavilier are two of the most famous
“trouser roles.” Also known as a “breeches
part” or in Italian “travesti.”
upstage/downstage
The position on the stage farthest or
nearest the audience respectively. The terms
“up” and “down” come from the use of the
raked stage—prevalent in early opera houses—where the
farther back a singer went on the stage, the higher he seemed to
be—thus appearing “up” stage.
verismo (ver-EEZ-moe)
Italian for realism. The Italian
movement of the late 19th and early 20th
centuries, exemplified by a quest for naturalism in plays,
literature, and operas. In this style, the main point was to
concentrate on areas previously regarded as better neglected,
especially criminal, violent, lowlife, and wretched or squalid
behavior. Although verismo claimed to confront the “slice of
life” (the “squarcio di vita” promised by Tonio
in the prologue to Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci), the
exceptional and horrifying as represented by crimes of
passion— especially in a peasant or working-class
milieu—were of particular fascination, and lie at the center
of many verismo operas. In literature, a prime example is in
the works of the Sicilian writer Giovanni Verga, whose story
Cavalleria rusticana (1880) was first dramatized (1884) and
which then provided the libretto for the parent opera of verismo,
Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana (1890). Puccini
gave the genre greater artistic range with La bohème
(1896), Tosca (1900) and La fanciulla del West
(1910).
vibrato (vee-BRAH-toe)
Italian for “vibrated”.
The slightly wavering quality that a singer has in his voice while
sustaining a note. The wavering is produce by a minute
altering of the pitch of a note. String players move their
fingers back and forth rapidly to produce the same effect.
Sometimes a player or singer will produce a note with no vibrato at
all for a particularly haunting effect.
vocalise
Singing several notes on one vowel, used
for vocal display in opera. 19th and
20th century composers such as Rachmaninoff and Ravel
wrote entirely wordless pieces for voice under the generic title
“vocalise”.
zarzuela (zahr-ZWEY-lah)
Developed as court musical presentations
in the 17th century, the zarzuela is a Spanish light
opera or operetta, not necessarily comic, constructed of arias,
dances and spoken dialogue. The dramas range from one to three acts
and often deal satirically with aspects of daily life. The
name derives from the royal palace of La Zarzuela, near Madrid,
where the early entertainments were performed for Philip IV and his
court. The palace was surrounded by a field of
brambles—“zarza” being Spanish for bramble.
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