|
|
OPERATIC TERMS Act - the main division of an opera or play. An opera is usually divided into two or more ACTS. Aria - a song sung by one person which expresses a particular text and feeling. Chorus - a song sung in parts by a group of singers. Costumes - the clothing worn by characters in an opera or play. Duet - a song sung by two people. Opera - a play that is sung. Overture - a musical composition played by the orchestra (or piano) before the play begins (or the curtain opens). The purpose of the OVERTURE is to set the mood for the opera and sometimes introduce the musical themes. Scene - many times an ACT is broken into several smaller sections called SCENES. Set - the painted scenes or hangings of a stage found in an opera or play. They play an important role in opera as they add interest and help establish time and place, i.e. indoors, outdoors. |
TYPES OF SINGING VOICES Soprano - the highest female voice. There are several types: Coloratura, Lyric, Dramatic, and Spinto. Mezzo-Soprano - is lower than a soprano. In a choir, this voice would be called an ALTO. The lowest woman's voice is a CONTRALTO. Tenor - the highest male voice. The Tenor is usually the romantic character in opera and almost always "gets the girl." Baritone - the middle man's voice. Plays a wide variety of characters, from comic to villain. Bass - the lowest man's voice. Often a father or uncle. He is also a BUFFO, or comic voice. OTHER JOBS ASSOCIATED WITH OPERA Not everybody in the world of opera is a singer. There are many other jobs for people to do in order to get an opera “off the ground” and onto the stage. Below are a few of the “behind the scenes” jobs, and the kind of work these people do. Conductor - The Conductor, also known as the Musical Director, is in charge of leading the orchestra and making sure the singers and the orchestra stay together musically. The conductors' primary role is to make sure that the musical part of the opera is of the highest quality and that the singers are able to comfortably sing while they are moving about the stage. Set Designer - The Set Designer has to be a very good artist. He or she will spend long hours drawing and designing the types of sets used in a show. The set designer decides whether the sets will be painted pink or blue, what types of tables and chairs will be on stage, how many times the scenery changes, and whether the story takes place on a mountaintop or in the Countess’ castle. Everything you look at on stage has been thought of by the set designer. Costume Designer - The Costume Designer is in charge of creating all the costumes and wigs in a show. This designer creates beautiful clothes that not only tell you about the character that wears them, but the historical time in which the story takes place. The costume designer also helps to set the mood of a show through costumes. For example, a comedy might have costumes that are brightly colored with lots of patterns, while a drama might have lots of costumes in darker colors, browns and deep earthy shades. Just by looking at person’s costume, you can sometimes tell if they are a good guy or bad guy, a comedian or a serious character, or even magical! Director - The Director decides which parts of the opera are the most important in order to tell the story and helps "direct" the actors in order to get the main ideas across. The director decides which singers to cast for the roles, runs the rehearsals, cuts or adds musical numbers, and talks with costume and set designers to make sure everybody and everything looks as good as it can. The director keeps everybody working towards the same ideas, so that a comedy is truly funny or a tragedy really sad. Stage Manager - The Stage Manager is in charge of communications between the technical crew and performers. The stage manager also controls when the performance will begin, and makes sure all the sets and props are in place. The stage manager does almost everything a director would do, once the show has moved from the rehearsal to the performance stage. Technical Crew - The Technical Crew is very important to any show. They run lights, change the scenery, monitor the microphones and all sound equipment, and generally make sure all the inanimate parts of a show (everything except the people) are where they should be and work perfectly. The next time you see a show where the stage is lit up enough for you to see the actors, thank the technical crew! |