Music - Grade 9

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Lesson: Plot, Famous composers, Musical and Theatrical Elements of an Opera

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The very development of the Opera sprung up from the idea of putting forward and more exploration on the
concept of “word painting” (music enhancing words). This idea coupled with an understanding of ancient
Greek theatre resulted in the formulation of a new musical form, the opera. It is a combination of music, both
vocal and instrumental, acting, visuals, theatrics, tied together by a storyline; a combination of all the arts in
one extravagant performance. From its beginnings during the Baroque period its popularity and performance
in the Western music scene continued up to the Romantic period.

Romanticism, its focus of emotions, fits well to the concept with which the opera was originally conceived.
Although a lot of things change in the performance of the opera during the Romantic period, a lot of the well-
loved and frequently performed opera were composed during this period. Some of which are La Traviata, La
Bohome, Carmen, etc. What makes a piece of music an opera? What makes it unique from other musical
forms? Let us look at the different musical and theatrical elements of the opera.

Components of an Opera
1. Libretto - the text of an opera. It contains the story or the plot of the opera. Librettist, the person who
writes the libretto, and the composer work closely together to create the whole story of the opera.
2. Score - the book that the composer and librettist put together. The score has all the musical notes,
words and ideas to help the performers tell the story.
3. Recitative - Declamatory singing, used in the prose parts and dialogue of opera. Recitative may be
accompanied (accompagnato) or unaccompanied (secco).
4. Aria – an air or solo singing part sung by a principal character. This song is what the public will
remember best when leaving the opera house. Properly and well sung, a beautiful aria can bring an
audience to its feet and decide the fate of an entire opera.

It is also important to know the types of voices of singers. This will serve as a guide for singers on their
choice of songs and vocal quality expected of a singer or opera character.

For the Male Voice:

1. Tenor - highest male voice

2. Baritone - Middle male voice, lies between Bass and Tenor voices. It is the common male voice.
3. Bass - lowest male voice

For the Female Voice:

1. Soprano- highest female voice
Coloratura-highest soprano voice
Lyric-bright and full sound
Dramatic- darker full sound
Mezzo-Soprano- most common female voice;
strong middle voice, tone is darker or deeper than the soprano
2. Contralto- lowest female voice and most unique among female.

Apart from solo parts in the opera there are also duets, trios, other small ensemble, and even chorus parts.

The opera is divided into several acts and scenes. Acts are the main divisions of the opera. It is a distinctive
part of the story with its own small rising action and even climax. An act is also divided into scenes which may
pertain to a specific setting or place.
 The opera being an elaborate combination of different art forms, its production is very costly. A lot of
money was spent for the set designs, props, make-ups and costumes of the performers to project the scenery
and for the overall aesthetic effect of the opera performance.
The opera, from its very beginning, is accompanied by an instrumental ensemble called the orchestra.
During the Romantic period, one the changes that occurred in the opera performance was the increase in
numbers of orchestra players in a performance, from 20-25 players to 50-60 players.

Due to the increasing number of orchestra players in the opera, composers like Verdi, Puccini and Wagner
saw the opportunity to explore ways to develop the vocal power of a singer. Greater range of tone color,
dynamics and pitch were employed.

OPERA is a play where the characters sing their scripts instead of reciting - on stage. The English word “Opera”
is an abbreviation of the Italian phrase “opera in musica” or “work in music” which consist of dramatic text or
libretto that has been set to music and staged with scenery, costumes, and movement onstage.
The distinctive character of opera is the use of music to tell a story or plot. Music in opera is used to
communicate people’s feelings and emotions rather than plain words or pictures.
Opera takes any type of dramatic story and tries to make it more sensational with the help of music. Many
famous stories have been made into operas, including “Lohengrin”, “Carmen”, and one of the most famous
opera “Romeo and Juliet”.

Opera Composers and their Works

1. Giuseppe Verdi Verdi was born in Parma, Italy on October 9, 1813. He studied in Busseto and later
went to Milan where his first opera “Oberto” was performed in La Scala, the most important opera
house at the time. Almost all of his works are serious love story with unhappy ending. Expressive vocal
melody is the soul of a Verdi opera. He completed 25 operas throughout his career. His final opera
ends with “All the world‟s a joke.”Some of his famous operas are still being produced and performed
worldwide. His much acclaimed works are; La Traviata, Rigoletto, Falstaff, Otello and Aida were he
wrote for the opening of the Suez Canal. He died in Milan, Italy on January 27, 1901.

2. Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini was born in a poor family on December 22, 1858 in Lucca, Italy. He
studied at the Milan Conservatory. He belonged to a group of composers who stressed realism,
therefore, he drew material from everyday life, rejecting heroic themes from mythology and history.
Puccini‟s famous operas were: “La Boheme”, “Tosca”, “Madame Butterfly”, and “Turandot”

3. Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner was born in Leipzig, Germany on May 22, 1813. He
attended Leipzig University. He was very much inspired by Ludwig van Beethoven. Wagner introduced
new ideas in harmony and in form, including extremes of chromaticism. He was an advocate of a new
form of opera which he called “music drama” where musical and dramatic elements were fused
together. He developed a compositional style in which the orchestra has of equal importance in
dramatic roles as the singers themselves. His famous works are; “Tristan and Isolde”, “Die Walkyrie”,
“Die Meistersinger”, “Tannhäuser”, and “Parsifal”. His work would later influence modern film scores,
including those of the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings film series. Wagner died of a heart attack on
February 13,1883 at age of 69.

4. Georges Bizet Georges Bizet, original name Alexandre-César-Léopold Bizet, but was baptized Georges
Bizet and was always known by the latter name. He was born October 25, 1838 in Paris, France. His
realistic approach influenced the verismo school of opera at the end of the 19th century. His most
famous opera is “Carmen”. However, when “Carmen” first opened in Paris, the reviews were terrible.
The shows were criticized in horrible ways that resulted in poor audience attendance. During the first
round of “Carmen” performances, Bizet died (June 3, 1875). He was only 36. Four months later,
“Carmen” opened in Vienna, Austria, and was a smash hit.
 ASSESSTMENT: ACTIVITY 1-3- ANSWER DIRECTLY!

Activity 1: Elements of Theater Scramble! Write the missing letters for each vocabulary word for you to get
the correct answer.
1. s ___e n e __ y
2. c o ___ t u ___e s
3. p ___ o ___ s
4. l ___ g ___ t s
5. s o ___ n d
6. m ___k e ___ p

Activity 2: Let’s Match! Match column A with column B. Write the correct answer in your notebook. Column A
Column B
_______1.is the highest female voice. A. Falsetto
_______2.is an air or solo singing part sung by a principal character. B. Acts
_______3.is a weaker and more airy voice usually in the higher pitch. C. Aria
_______4.it is a musical composition having all or most of its text set to. D. Soprano
_______5.are the main divisions of an opera. E. Opera

Activity 3: Direction: Write the letter of the best answer in every item.

1. He introduced new ideas in harmony and in form, including extremes of chromaticism.

A. Franz Peter Schubert B. Giacomo Puccini C. Giuseppe Verdi D. Richard Wagner
2. It is a musical sequence which represents a particular character/plot element in an opera or a musical
drama.
A. Elements B. Motifs C. Leitmotifs D. Plot twist
3. He belonged to a group of composers who stressed realism (verismo) in opera.
A. Franz Peter Schubert B. Giuseppe Verdi C. Giacomo Puccini D. Richard Wagner
4. It is the German word for songs.
A. Lieder B. Poet C. Musica D. Singer
5. His first opera “Oberto” was performed in La Scala, the most important opera house at the time.
A. Franz Peter Schubert B. Giacomo Puccini C. Giuseppe Verdi D. Richard Wagner
6. He is a French composer most famous for his opera “Carmen.
A. George Bizet B. Giuseppe Verdi C. Giacomo Puccini D. Richard Wagner
7. The following are the works of Wagner, except one.
A. Tristan and Isolde B. Tannhäuser C. Die Meistersinger D. Parsifalle
8. The following Operas’ are works of Giuseppe Verdi except for;
A. La Traviata B. Rigolleto C. Carmen D. Aida
9. The following are the famous operas of Pucinni, except one.
A. La Boheme B. Tosca C. Madame Butterfly D. Turandot
10. Georges Bizet realistic approach is shown in his work
A. Turandot B. La Boheme C. Aida D. Carmen