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Opera
‘Opera’ is the Italian word for ‘work’ and an abbreviation of ‘Opera in musica’. An opera is a drama to be sung with instrumental accompaniment by one or more singers usually in costume and with scenery. As well as singing, this may include recitative or spoken dialogue. Questions should relate directly to the subject of opera.
1,955 Questions
What do you wear to the Metropolitan Opera?
In this day and age, you can get by with just about anything, but if you don't want to embarrass your date, a sport coat should be considered minimally acceptable attire. Suits are common, and tuxs are not unusual. But, hey…if you enjoy opera and all you have is a pair of Levis…go for it!
Who composed La nocce de Figaro marriage of Figaro?
Le nozze di Figaro, or The Marriage of Figaro, was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
The libretto was written by Lorenzo Da Ponte, and was based on the play La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro by Beaumarchais.
What is the story of Don Giovanni?
Basically - Don Giovanni [a rake] meets defeat in three encounters - With Donna Elvira, whom he has deserted but who still follows him. Then with Donna Anna, who must postpone her marriage to Don Ottavio after Don Giovanni tries to rape her and kills her father. Finally with Zerlina, whom he vainly tries to lure from her fiancé, the peasant Masetto. They all vow vengeance on Don Giovanni and his servant Leporello. Finally Don Giovanni is destroyed and delivered to hell by the statue of the Commendatore, who had accepted Giovanni's invitation to supper.
Given the question would cover about 400 years, various cultures, types of opera etc it would be impossible to give a decent answer here and a suggestion is to consult a musical / operatic encyclopaedia either in the library or on line.
Is there an English libretto for the opera Lucia di Lammermoor?
There seems to be no translation. The only suggestion is to find someone to translate the relevant parts of the libretto for you. You can obtain the original libretto on the web site of 'Opera Today'.
Hello, I don't know how long ago you wrote this question or whether you are still interested but I am a translator and opera singer (highly qualified in both areas) and would absolutely love to do a translation for you!
Let me know if you are interested!
How many compositions did Claudio Monteverdi write?
Monteverdi had written nine madrigals the eight being well know and his largest
What is the function of the music in an opera?
In an opera recitative is a narrative song that describes some action, thought, or emotion. The recitative follows the natural flow of the language, and is more a speaking composition than a singing composition.
What are the best opera companies in the US?
One of the most popular operas is 'La boheme', by Puccini, which always plays to packed out houses, although anyone who sees the Oscars knows that popularity doesn't always mean "the best." All answers to this would be subjective, but many think the greatest of all operas is Mozart's Don Giovanni. But there are dozens of contenders. If you're looking for most popular operas, you can google some of the major opera houses and look at their history for most performances. La Boheme and Carmen would certainly be contenders for most performances.
What language is Carmen the opera sang in?
Carmen is traditionally sung in French.
There is also an English version performed by the English National Opera.
What was the name of the first opera composed?
The standard textbook answer is 'Daphne' first performed in 1598 during Carnival at the home of Jacopo Corsi in Florence. The music was by Corsi and Jacopo Peri to a libretto by Ottavio Rinuccini. It is recognized as such because it was the first of a series of similar pieces that established the form of early 17th century Italian opera. The score does not survive.
The lowest female voice is the Contralto; also considered the rarest in occurrance.
Was giacomo puccini famous while he was alive?
For his operas. The most famous are Tosca, Madama Butterfly, La Bohema, Turandot.
What is an opera called that is sad?
There are MANY songs with violins in them. Your question needs to have more details in it in order to be answerable. Maybe... The Devil Went Down To Georgia, that's a really common fiddle song.
Who are the best 20 opera sopranos?
I would say that Maria Callas is certainly one of the greatest. I would concur that what she put into each role and her stage presence and ability to convey the essence of the character she portrayed along with her distinctive voice made her one of the greatest. BBC agreed, and here is its list, in descending order. Most critics would violently disagree with many choices, and certainly the rank order is wrong. Common consensus among critics and voice afficionados is that Ponselle had the greatest voice, whereas Kirkby would not make most lists. Great sopranos such as Lotte Lehmann, Kiri Te Kanawa, Emma Calve, Eileen Farrell, Renee Fleming, Mirella Freni, Renata Scotto, Adelina Patti, Sena Jurinac, Frida Leider, Zinka Milanov, Jessie Norman, Elizabeth Rethberg - to name but a few - would certainly contest some of the spots taken by Brewer, Vishnevskaya, and Kirkby, although Brewer has a remarkable voice.
20. Elly Ameling
19. Rosa Ponselle
18. Renata Tebaldi
17. Christine Brewer
16. Elisabeth Schumann
15. Karita Mattila
14. Gundula Janowitz
13. Galina Vishnevskaya
12. Régine Crespin
11. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
10. Emma Kirkby
9. Kirsten Flagstad
8. Margaret Price
7. Lucia Popp
6. Montserrat Caballé
5. Birgit Nilsson
4. Leontyne Price
3. Victoria de los Angeles
2. Joan Sutherland
1. Maria Callas
What is the earliest surviving Italian opera?
Objection! That's a loaded question!
Dafne (1598) was the first known work of the genre we call opera. The libretto was by Corsi and the music by Peri. Unfortunately, this work is lost, we just know about it from contemporary descriptions.
Euridice (1600) is the first surviving opera. The libretto was by Rinuccini, music by Peri, with some portions by Caccini. This was also significant in that it used recitative, a foundation of operatic storytelling.
But--what was the first "great" opera? My vote is for Monteverdi's Orfeo, libretto by Striggio, premiered in 1607. Monteverdi was easily a superior composer to Peri, perhaps the best of his era. His interpretive skills were second to none, and he used a well-planned mix of recitative, aria, and choruses (many in his superb madrigal style). This is an excellent drama and has worn well over the years; if I had to convince someone that 17th-century opera is worth listening to, this is the work I to which I would point them.
But--again!--another important "first" opera was Andromeda (1637) by Ferrari, which was the first performance in the first public opera house, in Venice. All of the preceding works were virtually one-off productions for special occasions, with only sporadic repeats. The opening of an opera house as an ongoing business venture changed the nature of the genre significantly.
What is the name of the young page in Mozart's opera The Marriage of Figaro?
Cherubino is his name.
by Bryan mund
Opera history began with the meetings of the Florentine Camerata.
Rossini was born on Feb 29th - born in a leap year terefore he only 'had' a birthday once every 4 years.
Who were Giacomo Puccini's parents?
Michele Puccini (November 27, 1813 - January 23, 1864) and Albina Magi (November 2, 1830 - July 17, 1884) were the parents of Italian composer Giacomo Puccini (December 22, 1858 - November 29, 1924).
Specifically, the composer's father was a choir director ("maestro di cappella") at the Lucca Cathedral ("Duomo di Lucca"). The composer's mother also came from a musical family. In fact, both of his parents as well as his maternal uncle, Fortunato Magi were the composer's earliest musical influences and teachers.
What is the difference between coloratura and dramatic soprano?
Coloraturas have a range of approximately - or around - middle C to a "high F". They specialize in music that is distinguished by agile runs and leaps. The term coloratura refers to the elaborate ornamentation of the melody, which is a typical component of the music written for this voice. A lyric coloratura soprano is a type of soprano with a very light, agile voice and has high upper extension, capable of fast coloratura. Dramatic coloratura sopranos have a more sustained, stronger sound.
Where in the US was the first opera performed?
The first documented opera performance in New Orleans was staged on May 22, 1796 at a small theatre on St. Peter Street. Throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, New Orleans was "The Opera Capital of North America," especially after the opening of the French Opera House in 1859. Numerous operas by the great European master composers had their American premieres at the French Opera House or at one of the numerous other theatres around town.
