11/23/2023 0 Comments Opera developed in which period![]() In a certain sense, the piece essentially switched back-and-forth between drama (recitative) and music (aria/ensemble). The arias and ensembles provided the musical interest. The recitative almost always had a simple harpsichord accompaniment and was musically less interesting. If you recall from previous discussion of opera and the scenes in Mozart’s The Marriage of F igaro, there was a clear distinction between the recitative and the aria (or ensemble). Like his bel canto compatriots, Verdi values the beauty of the human voice as the basis of opera and he writes a lot of gorgeous melodies that highlight this, but Verdi does not allow this emphasis on singers to overshadow his real interest, which is drama, placing vivid characters in extreme situations and ratcheting up the tension. Video 13.1: Rigoletto La Dona e mobile, performed by Luciano Pavarotti Watch this aria (“La donna è mobile”) from Verdi’s opera Rigoletto and you’ll instantly recognize Verdi’s melodic gift: Verdi wrote some of the most beloved arias in the operatic repertoire and they are often extracted for concert performances. Verdi is similarly praised for his ability to foreground spectacular feats of virtuoso singing and he is celebrated for his astonishing gift for writing memorable melodies. Verdi inherits a style of early nineteenth-century Italian opera known as “ bel canto,” which literally means “beautiful singing.” For the bel canto composers like Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti, music was intended to showcase the beauty of the human voice. ![]() Other important works include Aida (1871) and a brilliant and dramatic Requiem Mass. ![]() In his seventies, he wrote two of his greatest works, both based on Shakespeare: Falstaff and Otello. Verdi was politically involved as a supporter of the Italian liberation movement. He had his first big success with Nabucco (1842) and in the 1950s, he brought out his trio of “smash hits” Rigoletto (1851), Il Trovatore (1853), and La Traviata (1853). He studied music in Milan, home of the famous La Scala Opera House (still one of the major opera houses of the world) and he composed opera almost exclusively in his career. Verdi is considered the greatest of Italian opera composers. Verdi, Giuseppe (1813-1901) Figure 13.1: Giuseppe Verdi, circa 1870 | Photographer: Ferdinand Mulinier (1817-1891) | Source: Wikimedia Commons | License: Public Domain There are many great opera composers and operas in the Romantic Period, but two names tower above them all: The Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi and the German opera composer Richard Wagner. Like all art and music in the Romantic Era, opera is going to get more “serious.” It’s no longer simply a vehicle for spectacle and entertainment. ![]() Given Romantic composers’ interest in connecting to other arts (literature, visual art), opera is obviously going to be a big deal in the nineteenth century. Explain how Leitmotivs influenced the development of film music.Explain the concept of a Leitmotiv and identify their use in the final scene from The Valkyrie.Explain how Richard Wagner’s music dramas reflect Wagner’s background in symphonic music, particularly the symphonies of Beethoven.Compare and contrast the operatic styles of Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner.Analyze Verdi’s melodic gift and his combination of comedy and tragedy in scenes from Act III of Rigoletto.Explain how Romantic Period opera differs from Classical Period opera in the distinctions between recitative and aria and the use of the orchestra.Explain how Giuseppe Verdi’s Romantic Period operatic style reflects the Italian bel canto tradition.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |