Questions tagged [opera]
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text (called a libretto) and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting.
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Harmonic Analysis of Commendatore Scene [closed]
Where can I find a good old fashioned roman numeral analysis of the Commendatore scene from Don Giovanni?
I know a fair amount of classical music theory (well, enough to be dangerous) and I've always ...
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French-language Baroque Music Suggestions
I have found Bach's vocal works to be a fun way to supplement learning German. I am also learning French, and I have tried looking for such works with French libretto but I have been unable to find ...
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Similarity between “Caro nome che il mio cor” and “Celeste Aida”
While listening to Caro nome che il mio cor from Rigoletto a couple days ago, I found a couple measures that reminded me vaguely of Celeste Aida from Aida.
What do these two passages have in common, ...
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How should I understand bar number notation used by stage management to mark cue points in an opera score?
Whilst working on an opera I have been given a list of cue points that are in the format X/X/X, for example 52/5/1.
This made sense to me as being (presumably) page number/line/bar, so
Page 55
Line(?...
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Where is the famous 'Papageno, Papagena duet' located in Mozart's opera 'Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute)'? [closed]
Ah, it's good there is a place to ask this kind of question.
I was looking for the location of the famous Papagena/Papageno song from the 'Die Zauberflöte' score but couldn't find it. Where is this ...
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Reference request: Moberly's translation of Mozart operas [closed]
In the book "Three Mozart Operas" by R. B. Moberly, 1967, the author uses his own singable translations of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and The Magic Flute when quoting the liberetti.
Did Moberly ...
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What do opera and musical singers do in order to feel the pulse of the music?
In opera and musical singers often have to feel the pulse without having an instrument showing it to them. In La donna e mobile there is a waltz accompaniment but many arias or tunes do not have an ...
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What is Meant by Hooting [duplicate]
I once heard a tenor refer to a soprano as having “hooted” while singing with him. What exactly does that mean?
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Describing the difference between a mass and an opera?
I have a tradition of listing to Bach's "Mass in B minor" around springtime of each year, as I was once part of a chorus-ensemble that performed it a number of years ago.
My wife doesn't ...
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Is it a reasonable assumption that the best singers perform the lead roles?
For example, is it reasonable to assume that in a performance of The Phantom of the Opera, the best female singer plays Christine and the best male singer(s) play Raoul and the Phantom?
Intuitively it ...
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Why do famous conductors rarely conduct ballet?
Why do famous conductors rarely conduct ballet?
However, many famous conductors spend a large chunk of their time conducting operas beside just symphonic works.
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Lyrical Contralto vs Dramatic Mezzo-soprano
I'm a self-taught singer who would like to ask about lyrical contralto vs dramatic mezzo-soprano.
The range of my voice is from F3 - F5.
On the upper end, I can sing up to C5 quite comfortably.
(I've ...
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What does this sideways triangular marking mean?
In this score to the Barber of Seville, these rightward pointing triangles appear. I first thought that it may just be an unusual way of showing the accent mark > but this also appears. Does ...
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Does bar numbering restart for each act of an opera?
Perhaps a slightly odd question...
I’m preparing the vocal score for a two act opera and was wondering whether it is standard for numbering to continue throughout the whole opera or to start numbering ...
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How do opera singers get their music?
How do opera singers get their music? Are all the vocals and parts in a single book of some kind and all the singers get that book, or is it sheet music for each part, or does each role have its own ...
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What is the meaning of the "chiaroscuro" sound that was considered ideal in Classical and early-Romantic Italian opera?
Apparently, in Classical and early-Romantic Italian opera (the "bel canto" opera repertoire), the ideal kind of vocal colour was a so-called chiaroscuro sound. The chiaro- part translates as ...
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How can I obtain an online libretto in Russian for the opera Boris Godunov? [closed]
The Met Opera has been showing "Boris Godunov" in its daily streamings.
I'd be interested in an online version of the libretto in the original Russian, but seem unable to locate one.
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To what extent are prompters needed in, say, Metropolitan Opera productions? [closed]
Of course, prompters are meant to be unseen. And in the current Metropolitan Opera daily streamings, say, they don't seem to play any evident role. Are they, in fact, (often) needed?
What qualifies ...
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Operatic composition techniques
In this interview, one of my favorite composers (and my favorite male vocalist)--Rufus Wainwright--explains that he has "leaned on" opera for various tricks which he has applied to his pop, ...
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What purpose do the question marks in the subtitles to the Met Opera's HD performances serve?
Part of our current daily social-distancing routine, has been to watch the daily Met Opera's HD streamings
https://www.metopera.org
We enable the English subtitles. Many of them, however, contain ...
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Availability of side-by-side line-by-line English-Italian.....opera libretti
We've been taking advantage of the Met Opera's daily showings
Met Opera viewings
--and I particularly enjoy them when I have side-by-side line-by-line English-Italian (French, Russian...) libretti ...
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Opera singing 101 [closed]
I like to go to the opera, but I never had the chance of learning the theory behind its music and singing, and I have quite some difficulty to understand whether someone sang well or not. Do you have ...
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Meaning of the words "Recitativo" and "tutte le corde" in music?
I am trying to understand Romantic music. I came across this extract from Beethoven's Piano Sonata op.110 from the Allegro man non troppo part.
I want to understand what the words "Recitativo" and "...
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In the aria "Queen of the Night", is there a name for the "screaming" part?
In the aria "Queen of the Night", is there a name for the "screaming" part located here:
I also hear it used in other arias sometimes. Is it a technique or just a ...
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What are the lowest Horn transpositions?
Are there opera parts for Horn that have transpositions lower than Bflat Basso? A Basso, A flat Basso and so on?
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How are the Polovtsian Dances numbered?
I am trying to understand the numbering of Borodin's Polovtsian Dances, from Prince Igor. They seem to be performed as an undivided group (lasting about twelve minutes) yet the first dance is No. 8? ...
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Tuning and the aria, Hell's Vengeance, was the triple F lower?
In the famous aria from The Magic Flute, Hell's Vengeance sung by the Queen of the Night, there is a notoriously high triple F (Fa5).
I have heard that in Mozart's time the note was sung lower than ...
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Can an opera singer change his/her voice?
My question is: can opera singers change their voice sound with different techniques? Such as, can a coloratura soprano become a dramatic soprano by practicing with a different technique?
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Has opera traditionally been enjoyed by aristocracy only or the masses too?
I was reading A History of Opera by Abbate and Parker. On page 19, they say
And although its financial basis has gradually broadened...opera in its primary form, theatrical form has typically been ...
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What is the difference between a soprano and a mezzo soprano
I am referring to opera singers. I know that soprano have a lighter voice and higher range up to C6 while mezzo soprano extend to only A5 and have a denser voice but what make the singer a Mezzo with ...
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Why do female opera singers use head voice?
Why do female opera singers mostly sing in the head voice? Is this a stylistic thing, or is it because it's harmful for the voice? Is it wrong when a mezzo-soprano sing mostly in the mixed or chest ...
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What does the word technique mean in Opera singing?
I know that technique is how the singer control her/his voice to make a certain musical effect, but what confuses me are words like 'polished technique' and 'solid technique' ; so what do these words ...
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What is the difference between Soprano leggero and lyric soprano?
Are they the same fach but in a different language? Because I don't see any evidence of leggero fach in english. Could you give me some examples of Leggero singer and roles?
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What is the difference between with or without legato in singing?
In singing specially classic music, what is the difference between when the legato is written and when it's not they all sound the same connected line?
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What was opera performance practice like in Wagner's time?
I know that opera performance practice was unlike that of the 20th century in, say, the 18th century in that the audience was often noisy and distracted. I'd like to know where and when the modern ...
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What causes your voice to crack? [duplicate]
I've heard many recording for Maria Callas and I noticed that her voice cracked many times.
One example is lucia mad scene studio recording 1953 when she sings "il dolce sono" between "il" and "dolce"...
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What kind of baritone is this voice & is it learned or naturally acquired?
I understand that there are different types of baritones. I am aware of a few such as the Dramatic Baritone, Dramatic Bass Baritone, Lyric Low Baritone, Verdi Baritone.
One of my favourite pop ...
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What is this 'tone' of voice called?
When listening to various pop opera or opera pieces, I sometimes hear the singer make their voice suddenly 'more masculine' for a particular part of the song.
I'm not quite sure how to describe it, ...
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Why do baroque operas tend to have postmodernist stage designs?
I have made the observation that baroque operas seemingly tend to have more modern, and frequently grotesque stage designs than more recent operas. A good example are the operas of Händel, many of ...
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Do some measures get no numbers, in an opera score?
I'm counting measures and confirming measure numbers in an opera score, and I've come across a discrepancy. I wonder what this means about conventions for numbering measures in opera scores in ...
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Stravinsky's opera "Mavra" and its influence upon the popular song "Katyusha" by Blanter
In Wikipedia (Spanish Edition), and all over the Internet, you can see this paragraph (or similar) about the song popular Russian song "Katyusha".
Some critics believe that Katyusha was not a ...
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Singing an opera "all'italiana"
When an opera is played without staging (be it either a rehearsal or an actual concert) it is called all'italiana (translated: "in the italian style"). Or, at least, this is how we call it here in ...
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What is the process by which singers identify their voice type/fach?
I am trying to gain insight about the process by which vocalists identify their voice type or fach. I am not looking for any discussion about the basic distinctions between, say, soprano and alto. ...
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