Italian Opera

Oper buffa

La Serva Padrona Result of Enlightenment philosophies, reaction to opera seria. More tuneful, smaller in scale Relatable characters/stock characters Classical

Puccini - Influences

Wagner - use of leitmotifs Increased orchestra size and role Singers often doubled by the orchestra Verdi Use of chorus in scenes that jumps back and forth between main cast in different situations Pregnant phrases that over extremely emotional Debussy Sideways or planing harmonies Verismo opera - what's happening on stage is exciting at all times

Donizetti - Important operas

-About 67 total 1830 - Anna Bolena - romantic tragedy Execution of Anne Boleyn Launched Donizetti into international fame Famous for Treatment of chorus - more interactive in the scene Tower scene - "Don't lose your head" - early mad scene for Donizetti 1832 - L'elisir d'amore - opera buffa Nemorino is a peasant in love with Adina, the landowner. He learns of a magic elixir that will make her fall in love with him, but it is just wine, and drunk he humiliates himself. Adina secretly loves him, but is hurt when she sees him with other girls (who have learned he has just inherited money) They fall in love in the end. Famous for Adina reads Tristan to the chorus - treatment of chorus as character active in the story Chorus scene with gossiping girls about Nemorino's fortune. All women, then mixed with duet. Increased chorus roles "Prendi" - by Adina "Una furtiva lagrima" - Nemorino's aria, the orchestra paints the words, and the words dictate the form of the aria. 1835 - Lucia di Lammermoor - tragic opera Romeo and Juliet - Lucia is forced to marry against her will, goes mad, and kills her husband. Based on the Gothic novel by Walter Scott Famous for "Regnava nel silenzio" - this is a haunted house! Act II finale - marriage contract scene - shows characters against relief of a greater scene, with parade music playing in background "Il dolce suono" - Lucia mad scene - establishes stereotype of coloratura mad scene 1840 - La Fille du Regiment - opera comique A young girl is adopted and rasied by a regiment of soldiers Famous for Music lesson scene 1843 - Don Pasquale A couple of young people trick an old fool into believing he is getting married, and then they get married instead.

Rossini - Influences

1. Father was a trumpet player, and mother was a singer; grew up in the theater. 2. Grew up in Napoleon occupied Italy, many French and revolutionary ideals 3. Malerbi brothers, intellectuals with extensive music library 4. Hadyn and Mozart - balance and form, big Act finales, harmony, use of orchestra, blend of seria and buffa 5. Bologna Opera House - learns singing, figures bass, accompaniment for singing, and works as a player. Learns business of opera. 6. 1807 - Hears Isabell Colbran, rich middle register and dark tone. Becomes wife of Rossini, known as his greatest interpreter. Often premiered his operas. *Wrote his lead roles primarily for mezzo-sopranos

Händel - Influences

1. Friederich Wilhelm Zachow, first teacher; taught line and shape of aria, strong adventurous bass lines, solid choral writing, and orchestral coloring. 2. Hamburg Opera House - played violin and viola in pit, learned how operas and opera orchestras functioned. Writes and produces first opera, Almira. 3. Italy and Corelli - learned conducting and how to control and orchestra, studied Italian opera from native masters 4. Hanover; Abbate Agostino Steffani; most famous international composer, overall lay out of operas, French influence.

Donizetti - Influences

1. Giovanni Mayr - his teacher-famous opera composer Taught him form, melody, and harmony 2. Rossini - as the dominant style of the day, all new composers 3. Romanticism, novels, Schiller Content for his operas, dramatic musical content to match 4. His children, his wife, and parents died all in a few years. Added a dark streak to his later operas 5. Eventually stopped writing, was institutionalized for mental illness, and eventually died of syphilis. *His father owned a pawnshop, and his brother was in the military. Inspired him to want a better life than his father, and also accounts for the oft heard military sounds in many of his operas.

Mozart: Influences

1. His father, Leopold, harpsichord, violin, and composition. 2. J.C. Bach - London - singing, galant style 3. Manzuoli - London - famous castrato, singing lessons, learned how to write for vocalists. 4. Italian tours (3) - became fluent in the language and the style. Felt an enthusiasm for himself and for opera that fueled his passion for opera for the rest of his life. 5. Haydn - Vienna - Viennese style and counterpoint in string quartets. Eventually studied Bach with Haydn, incorporated the Baroque forms and increased counterpoint in later years. 6. Mannheim orchestra - rocket, steamroller, etc. How a great orchestra can sound. 7. His mother's death in 1778 and his falling in love first with Alyosia Weber and then marrying her sister Costanza gave him the emotional maturity to give his music the extra color and spark it was lacking. 8. Enlightenment, Voltaire, Rousseau. The French Revolution

Bellini - Influences

1. Learned composition at catholic school in Naples, a conservative musical environment 2. Rossini - dominant Italian style of the time 3. Chopin and Field, and the nocturne/broken LH accompaniment

Verdi - Influences

1.The Bel Canto Italian Style - Donizetti and Bellini specifically 2.Meyerbeer - descriptive orchestrations, French Grand Opera, huge chorus roles 3.Schiller and Shakespeare 4. His family died and afterwards he didn't care about anybody's opinion and managed to get singers to only sing what he wrote without making up their own notes.

Bellini - Important operas

10 total 1826 - Il pirata - about Pirates 1830 - Il capuletti e montecchi Romeo and Juliet 1831 - La sonnambula The sleepwalker 1833 - Norma Romans and Druids, conspiracy for murder 1835 - I puritani Puritans vs Royalists, English Civil war

Händel - Dates

1685-1759

Mozart - Dates

1756-1791

Rossini - Dates

1792-1868

Donizetti - Dates

1797-1848

Bellini - Dates

1801-1835

Verdi - Dates

1813-1901

Händel - Style

Form: #s opera, opera seria Recit + da capo aria Ritornello/concerto grosso, full orchestra only during interludes A sections binary Sequencing of ideas Instrumental #s have Baroque forms ex: French overture Mostly secco recit, accompanied recits for most dramatic parts. Duets at most dramatic parts Operas had a macro harmonic structure (unusual for time) Melody: Vocal and Instrumental melodies Italianate Include long melismas Wide range, agile Harmony: Basso continuo Built on bass line Different keys = different moods, words repeated in multiple keys Often chromatic Always begins in tonic and ends in tonic Rhythm Strong dance rhythms Motion usually constant, sustain is unusual Texture Counterpoint in the orchestra Violins often double singer or are in duet with singer Timbre 1. Continuo + Strings 2. Solo violin, flute, bassoon, and clarinet added for color 3. Brass, other woodwinds, and harp added for special effect.

Verdi - Important Operas

1842 - Nabucco Jews carried away captive into Babylon. The mad king Famous for Love story taking back seat Soprano villain, baritone hero (unusual) Chorus of Hebrew Slaves 1847 - Macbeth Attempts to reflect spirit of Shakespeare Witches chorus Famous for Hallucination scene Sleepwalking scene 1851 - Rigoletto Court Jester is cursed for helping the Duke find women to rape. His daughter is taken next. He arranges to have the Duke killed, but his daughter sacrifices herself to protect him. Famous for Returning curse motif Par siamo The Quartet Parlando style recitative over an orchestral scene Caro nome mio ben La donna mobile - comes back after original presentation in the distance Time never stands still 1853 - La Traviata A courtesan falls in love, is rejected. Dies of consumption. Everyone is sad. Famous for Opening chorus scene Brindisi - famous tune Sempre libra - big aria, in convention Using themes over again to remind the listeners of something 1869 - Aida Aida is an Ethiopian princess who has been captured by the Egyptians. Radames is in love with her and torn between love and duty to the Egyptians. Sadly, they both die. Famous for Triumphal march Tomb scene 1887 - Otello Famous for Opening chorus/storm scene Closing "Ave maria" and murder of Desdamona - brutal violence on stage 1893 - Falstaff Falstaff wants to make some money off the wives of rich men, so he writes them letter offering his love. The women put him in his place to hard he'll never get up again. Famous for Sul fil d'un soffio

Giacomo Puccini - Dates

1858-1924

Puccini Important Operas

1887 - Tosca Tosca and Cavaradassi are in love, but the villain Scarpia is after C. for political reason and T. for sexual reasons. After several double crossings, they all die. Famous for Vissi d'arte 1895-La Bohème Rodolfo and Mimi are in love, but Mimi is sick and Rodolfo is too poor to care for her properly. Mimi leaves him for a richer man, but realizes she is dying and comes back to be with Rodolfo at the end. Famous for Che gelida, Si, mi chiamano, and soave fanciulla duet Quando m'en vo' Act IV 1904 - Madama Butterfly American soldier marries a young Japanese girl named Butterfly our of convenience and leaves her to go back to America. Butterfly waits for three years until Pinkerton returns with his American wife who has agreed to raise the child he has with Butterfly. She commits suicide. Famous for Un bel di vedremo Japanese and American exoticism -plays folk tunes -star spangled banner 1918 - Il Trittico Strong social messages Gianni Schicchi famous for "Oh mio babbino caro" 1926 - Turandot The Prince Calaf asnwers three riddles to marry the Princess Turandot at the risk of decapitation. She is unwilling, so he gives her until dawn to discover his name. If she wins he dies, if she loses they marry. She succeeds but realizes she loves him. And they get married. Famous for Nessun Dorma Signor, ascolta In questa reggia Use of bitonality and exoticism

Mozart - Important Operas

22 total 1781- Idomeneo - opera seria King Idomeneo makes deal with Poseidon to save him in a storm agreeing to sacrifice first person he meets. He meets his son Idamante (castrato, in love with Ilia, Electra in love with HIM) and refuses. Poseiden is angry. Eventually Idomeneo goes to sacrifice Idamante, but Ilia begs to be sacrificed instead. Poseiden agrees to let them live if Idomeneo will give the throne to the kids. Famous for Electra's exit aria "D'Oreste, d'Ajace ho in seno i tormenti. " Psychological orchestral writing, and an early soprano "mad" scene. 1786 - Le nozze di figaro: Count wants to sleep with Susannah. Countess, Figaro, and Susannah trick the Count and humiliate him. He repents. -opera buffa -DA PONTE libretto. Very political opera, servants outwitting and brazenly defying masters. -Characters are written into the music Form fits the drama, opening with a duet. -Each act ends with a Finale - Famous for (pretty much everything but) -"Cinque, dieci, venti" - Figaro measures room for wedding bed. Susannah wants him to look at her in her hat. Everyday situation, characters just talking. - "Non più andrai" - Figaro tries to scare Cherubino about joining aria. Most famous tune at the time. Never stopped being played by the guard at Buckingham palace. Referenced by Mozart the following year in Don Giovanni. "Voi che sapate" - orchestra imitates small guitar that Susannah plays while Cherubino sings "Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro" - Countess aria - shows a much grander writing. First time E-flat is heard, considered an aristocratic key. Act II finale FAMOUS. Two, then three, then four, then five, then 8 singers on stage. Singing that propels action forward for over 20 minutes straight. Symphonic structure. E flat - to B-flat - to E-flat form "Hai gia vinta la causa" - Count's aria - famous for showing the though process of the count in music. 1788 - Don Giovanni - Don Juan character with servant Leporello actively tries to seduce every woman he sees. He murders the Commendatore at beginning of opera, his statue drags sends him to the gaping jaws of hell. -dramma giocoso, combing serious and comic elements. -DA PONTE - Psychological role of the orchestra, lets you know how characters feel -Has dramatic foils Giovanni and Leporello, Zerlina and Donna Anna, etc. - Famous for "Madamina, il catalogo è questo" - the catalogue aria of every woman Giovanni has seduced -The duet "Là ci darem la mano" - duet of infidelity between Giovanni and Zerlina -The sextet - symphonic treatment -The Judgement Day scene - statue comes to life, Don Giovanni falls through a crack in the floor to burn in hell. 1790 - Cosi fan Tutte - Two guys bet an old guy that their girlfriend's will be faithful no matter what. They come back dressed as Turks, try to seduce the other's girl with the help of Despina, the maid. The girl's give in, proving that all women are fickle and inconstant. -DA PONTE Famous for -"In uomini, in soldati, sperare fedeltà?" - Despina sings to both sisters, heard in music by her repeating each line twice. - Act I Finale - Despina's witch voice and magic scene - "Come Scoglio" - Fiordiligi's aria - huge jumps in melody. Line between recit and aria blurred, as orchestra is the same.

Rossini - Important Operas

30 operas 1814 - L'italiana in Algeri - Opera buffa Mustafa, the Turkish king is sick of his wife and harem and wants an Italian girl. He offers his wife and freedom to an Italian slave named Lindoro if he will take her back to Italy. Lindoro's lover, Isabelle has just shipwrecked looking for him and is brought to Mustafa where she takes over the entire situation through her wit and nerve. Famous for Overture - solo oboe melody "Cruda sorte! Amor tiranno!" - Isabelle's entrance aria 1816 - Il barbieri di Sevilla - Opera buffa Count Almaviva enlists the help of Figaro to help him win and marry Rosina, the ward of Bartolo. Considered greatest opera buffa ever Famous for "Largo al factotum della città" - Figaro's entrance, patter singing "Una voce poco fa" - Rosina's entrance - standard aria form, extensive coloratura "Shaving scene" - hilarious comedy on stage, complicated scene added by orchestra "La calunnia" - Slander aria - Rossini Cresc. 1817 - La Cenerentola - Opera buffa Cinderella Famous for Act 1 finale - Rossini Cresc "Siete voi?" - sextet - specific matching of voice to orchestra - with staccato singing throughout the ensemble 1829 - Guillame Tell - French Grand opera The Swiss fight against the Hapsburg invaders. Guillame Tell is eventually captured and told in order to live he must shoot an apple off his son's head. There is also a Romeo and Juliette story, and a revolutionary theme. Rossini's Last opera - Retired in 1829 Famous for Overture - cello solo, english horn solo, military charge Use of chorus during wedding scene in Act I, setting a peasant scene "Lorsque la Grèce est un champ de carnage" - Act II Patriotic trio, quoted by Offenbach General length and complexity of orchestration

Händel - Important Operas

42 total 1709 - Aggripina: Empress Agrippina tries to get her son, Nero on the throne. Happy ending. First masterpiece, written in Italy 1711 - Rinaldo: Crusaders try to take Jerusalem, Rinaldo is a brave knight who's love is kidnapped. He gets her back, destroying everything in process, bad guys get away. First Italian opera written for London Stage 1724 - Giulio Cesare in Eggite: Everyone is out for vengeance on literally everyone else, Cesare and Cleopatra fall in love but he leaves her at the end. Aria, V'adoro pupille - Handel inserts line by Cesare to provide dramatic reason for da capo. Piangero 1724 - Tamerlano; Tamerlano is the king of the Mongols and captures Turkish sultan Bajazet and fall in love with his daughter. Fortunately Irene, who loves Tamerlano comes and the daughter and her lover get to stay together, sadly Bajazet drinks poison and dies. First major tenor role as Bajazet 1725 - Rodelinda: Grimaldo kills King Bertarido over the throne of Milan. Grimaldo tells the Queen, Rodelinda if she does not marry him he will kill her son, Flavio. But King Berti is ALIVE? Comes back, and get this, his SISTER marries the bad guy. Happy ending Considered Händel's greatest opera 1733 - Orlando: Boy meets girl, girl likes someone else. Boy goes insane and murders both of them, burns everything. Wizard gets involved and fixes it. German pastorale; bigger role of chorus; much takes place in the woods 1735 - Alcina - Magical witch on island makes all men fall in love with her. Cross dressing princess rescues lover and saves everyone. 1735 - Ariodante - Scottish princess loves a prince and rejects a bad guy who ruins her reputation. He dies, but not before he tells the truth. Princess and prince get married and live happily ever after. 1738 - Serse: Serse loves brother's girl. Girl's sister wants guy's brother. They try to mess up the romance, doesn't work. Serse decides to kill them but his actual fiancée shows up and is like ????? and humiliates him. Händel's last opera All subject matter ancient and exotic, or magical Important aesthetic of the time

Rossini - style

Bel Canto; bridges classical and Romantic, direct heir to Mozart Form: Overtures - slow intro - sonata form w/out development +coda Arias - slow and fast (cabaletta) Buffa finales - not symphonic like Mozart, but big Balanced, symmetrical phrases Melody - Tuneful, catchy Decorated, writes out his own ornaments and cadenzas in effort to control singers Elegant and graceful Lots of patter singing and acrobatic vocal singing Harmony - I-V-I reigns, and the harmonic rhythm is slow. Simple harmonies, but with moments of color for drama Rhythm- Exciting Constant and driving Texture - Clear orchestral textures Completely submissive to voice in arias Builds in sound with "Rossini Crescendo" adds more volume to a repeated phrase. Timbre- Begins to use long solo lines in orchestra. Ex: Guillaume Tell overture w/ cello, and English hrn.

Mozart - Style

Fusion of serious and comic opera. Perfect synthesis of words and drama. Music embodies character Form - #s operas Recit + aria (not da capo) Ensembles and choruses mixed with arias according to dramatic needs, not a form Symphonic writing in finales Melody- Tuneful, lyrical Never virtuosic for it's own sake Always individual, even in ensembles Harmony- Very tonal, rarely chromatic Tonality often related to drama Certain keys represent certain moods or ideas Rhythm- Dance rhythms Propels the music forward Vocal rhythms always speech-like, feels natural Texture Homophonic Increasingly contrapuntal in orchestra Orchestra more independent from voice, plays a great dramatic role Timbre- Continuo plus strings Woodwinds and brass have a regular and significant role, seen as families of color. Vocal parts all very different

Puccini - Style

Highly romantic, expressive, and emotional Elements of verismo Form - through composed Organized through leitmotifs and arias For the most part does not use overtures and jumps right into the action Melody - Vocal melodies long, very tuneful, highly expressive Often doubled in orchestra Harmony Expanded tonality Planing of chords Bitonality in parts of Turandot Exoticism - Japanese, Chinese, American Rhythm Highly varied Often anticipates a phrase with a pickup Texture Wide range of textures Big orchestra Big percussion section - adds a lot of variety with bells, drums, etc Timbre Vocals are lyrical, bordering on dramatic in roles like Turandot Generally very lush, lots of halo around the sound

opera seria

Opera of moods or "affects" Libretto - aria dominates all, lined up like a "row of statues" each interchangeable with the other rather than a painting "where each has it's role." Most important librettist, Pietro Metastasio; 27 libretto set over 2,000 times. Set by both Handel and Mozart. Pasticcio - pieced together operas from other operas Singers - superstars, main pivot of the opera mechanism. Music composed to suit the singers. Famous castrati, Faranelli most famous. Audience - always hungry for something new, saw it as merely amusing. Most closely relates to our modern day sporting events. People have boxes, get food, cheer loudly, talk, arrive and leave late. Only pay attention when something interesting is happening.

Verismo opera

Operas about the every day person Realism in opera Focuses on the moment to moment expressiveness.

Donizetti - Style

Overall, helped with revival of opera seria, with Anna Bolena, and Lucia di Lammermoor. Became dominant musical force after Rossini's retirement in 1829. Bellini's death in 1835. Form- Worked within conventional forms All operas have a prelude or an overture Overtures like Rossini, with slow intro, sonata form minus development + coda Arias slow-fast, cabaletta becomes optional (una furtiva) Cantabile gains importance Aria becomes more of a spectacle than introspection, mixed with ensembles and choruses between sections of aria More chorus Big finales - buffa tradition Melody- Tuneful and catchy lyrical Often syncopated Ensembles sing in unison sometimes Lots of coloratura athletic singing Unity of melody and text, natural delivery Harmony- Standard classical harmony Rhythm- Highly repetitive Often highly energetic syncopated melodies Texture - Clear orchestration Thin textures in solo arias Big tutti's with chorus, with soloist on top, bigger texture than Mozart or Rossini Timbre- Unusual orchestra colors for arias, ex. Una furtiva with basson and harp and pizzicato Uses singer in unison or at the octave, chorus or otherwise for electrifying effect Similar orchestra to Rossini

Verdi - Style

Period 1 - 1839-1851 Verdi as a patchwork of his predecessors Rossini's aria Donizetti and Bellini's orchestration Essentially Donizetti with thicker texture and fewer notes Verdi finds his voice in ensembles, where he concentrates a great amount of material in a small amount of space over spacious rhythm Begins to break opera conventions like finales New colors and range of expression in the orchestra, and new colors in the voices. Like witches in Macbeth Think Rigoletto quartet Period 2 - 1851-1869 Seeks to break the macroform of the opera, no longer following conventions. Wanted to not start with a chorus Experiments with variety (opening of Traviata) Slows down as his reputation increases Shorter orchestral introductions Failure of the revolutions and increased censorship cut funding. Choruses had to decrease. Operas of the 60s tended to be longer, more in the style of the French grand opera. More colorful orchestration, counterpointing comic and serious scenes, more spectacle. Period 3 - 1887-1893 Otello and Falstaff traces of verismo and Wagner (but don't tell Verdi that) All bets are off, Verdi does as he pleases

Bellini - Style

The most melodic of composers An overall melancholy feeling Fundamental change in vocal style - heavier Created the tenor building everything up in chest voice to the high C Floridity gone in all but the high soprano Form - Traditional bel canto forms, expanded aria spectacles, ex. Casta diva, w/ two soloists, a full chorus, an orchestra on stage and in the pit. Melody- Long, long melodies, require a lot of support, About the beauty of the human voice more than athletic vocals. Often phrased with subtle variation, and sometimes uneven phrasing Harmony - Classical moving towards romantic Rhythm Takes background to melody Not driving Fills in arias Texture Orchestra is bare minimum in arias Timbre- Much more sustain in orchestra Darker colors generally Voice is rich and lyrical