Opera is a sung drama that combines visual art, literature, theatre, dance, vocal music, and instrumental music. It features opera singers of different voice types singing arias and recitatives. While often sung in Italian, opera can be in any language. Operas can be serious or comedic, featuring noble or everyday characters. The action moves slower than a play to focus on the musical elements, like arias for characters to reflect on events. Most operas last from two to three hours including an intermission.

1. Opera
An opera is a sung drama with accompaniment.
Opera combines several art forms, including:

2. Visual Art

3. Literature
A libretto is the text of an opera.

4. Theatre

5. Dance

6. Vocal Music

7. Instrumental Music

8. Opera singers have a variety of voice types.
• "O, mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi by
Giacomo Puccini
• soprano: high female voice
• lyric soprano: average size voice, long
beautiful phrases

9. An overture is the orchestral music
at the beginning of an opera.
1. Prelude to Parsifal: Richard Wagner
2. William Tell Overture: Gioachino Rossini

10. While opera is often sung in Italian, it can
be performed in any language, including
English.
• "Bess" from Porgy and Bess by George
Gershwin

11. Operas can be serious or funny.
• Mozart: The Magic Flute, “Das klinget so
herrlich”
• Opera seria, or “serious opera” features high
voices, and the characters were often gods, the
nobility, or historical figures.
• Opera buffa (comic opera) features voice types
that were closer to the normal speaking voice,
simpler melodies, and characters that the middle
and lower classes could relate to.
• Some composers, like Mozart, wrote operas that
combined these elements:

12. The action in an opera moves slower
than in a play or a movie. If the action
is too slow, focus on the music.
• "The Ride of the Valkyries" from The Valkyries by Richard Wagner
– The Valkyries is a German opera.
– It is based on Norse mythology.
• Rossini, The Barber of Seville, “Largo al factotum”
– Baritone: male voice type: lower than tenor, but higher than bass
• In an opera, the action and dialogue are usually presented during the recitatives:
quasi-spoken/quasi-sung music that follows the rhythm of the words.
• During arias (songs in operas), the characters reflect on what has happened.
• Listen to the previous example again (Rossini, The Barber of Seville.) The recitative
starts at 16:49, and the aria starts at 17:19. Do you hear the difference?

13. How long is an opera?
• Most operas last from 2 to three hours,
including intermission. This is not much
longer than the average movie.