The foyer of Charles Garnier's Opéra, Paris, opened 1875
Opera is an art form consisting of a dramatic stage performance set to music.
The drama is presented using the typical elements of theater such as scenery, costumes, and acting. However, the words of the opera, or libretto, are sung rather than spoken. The singers are accompanied by a musical ensemble ranging from a small instrumental ensemble to a full symphonic orchestra.
Traditional opera consists of two modes of singing: recitative, the dialogue and plot-driving passages often sung in a non-melodic style characteristic of opera, and ariaThis article is about aria, a type of music. For the Australian Record Industry Association, see that article. An aria ( Italian for air plural: arie or arias in common usage) in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, perform, during which the movement of the plot often stops and the music and the singers focus on one topic using full voice. Short sung passages are also referred to as arioso. Each type of singing is accompanied by musical instrumentA musical instrument is a device that has been constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. In principle, anything that somehow produces sound can serve as a musical instrument, but the expression is reserved generally to items that have thats.
Singers and the roles they play are classified according to their vocal ranges. A particular singer's classifications change drastically over his or her lifetime, rarely reaching vocal maturity until well past middle age. Male singers are classified as bassBass can refer to many different things. Musical SAMPA: [beIs], rhyming with "face" Instrument An abbreviated name for the bass guitar An abbreviated name for the double bass A common name for the Basso vocal range. Terminology Bass (musical term) A bassl, bass-baritoneA bass-baritone is a singing voice with a range lower than a baritone, and slightly higher than a true bass. The term is also used to refer to a singer who possesses such a singing voice. Well known bass-baritones include: Walter Berry Bryn Terfel Thomas, baritoneIn music, a baritone is a male singer whose vocal range falls somewhere between that of a bass and a tenor. A typical baritone's range will extend from around the A a tenth below middle C to the F above middle C. Types A high baritone, bordering the tenor, tenorIn music, a tenor is a male singer with a high voice (although not as high as a countertenor). In four part chorale-style harmony, it is the second lowest voice, above the bass and below the soprano and alto. A typical tenor will have a range extending ro and countertenorA Countertenor is an adult male singer who uses the falsetto part of his voice more than usual to sing a higher range than the typical adult male voice. A countertenor trains himself to use the whole of the vocal cords aswell to produce a rich sound, as d. Female singers are classified, as contralto, mezzo-soprano and soprano. Each of these classifications has subcategories, such as lyric soprano, coloratura, soubrette, spinto, and dramatic soprano, which associate the singer's voice with the roles most suitable to the vocal timbre and quality and its range, or tessitura.. The German Fach system is an especially organized system of classification.
Opera draws from many other art forms. Whether the words or the music are paramount has been the subject of debate since the 17th century. The visual arts, such as painting, are employed to create the visual spectacle on the stage, which is considered an important part of the performance. Finally, dancing is often part of an opera performance.
1 History
