Meaning and Definition of opera | Concept and What is.
What is opera?
The opera is a dramatic work that has as main feature the song, i.e. all the script and his dialogues are sung, although it allows sometimes spoken texts. Talented artists are accompanied by an orchestra, that delights with the music. The opera is related to other theatrical musical, Operetta and zarzuela genres.
The history of the opera was born in Italy at the end of the 16th century. It could be an evolution of Italian madrigals, which consisted of scenes with dialogue accompanied with music. When he was born, opera was mainly regarded as a literary form, being the music just an addition. The musicians began to find a musical language that properly express the texts accompanying. In addition, the musicians associated with scholars (Association called "small") wanted to relive the drama of the ancient Greece and its musical style. The opera became very popular in Italy, especially Venice, and Rome. At the end of the 17TH century arose the Neapolitan opera who managed to expand by almost all Europe in the 18th century with a melodious and entertaining music. The secret of the success of the opera is that people were accustomed to hearing music religious and especially in latin. The opera brought new everyday as love themes and social issues, and later, comic and satirical themes in the case of comic opera and bufona. Today, there are still many who enjoy the operas, but a decrease of the public has been since in there is greater in the modern currents of interest.
The opera, to be a drama, contains elements of theatre, such as sets, costumes, makeup and performance of the libretto, as mentioned above, instead of talking, is singing. In addition, actions have an instrumental accompaniment, which sometimes is a full orchestra, achieving that the feelings which want to express are most intense. The singers stand out for their voices and according to their records are classified from the sharper sound to the more serious, such as: sopranos, Mezzo-Sopranos and contraltos, in women, and Tenors, baritones and basses, in men.
You could say that Maria Callas (1923-1977) was the opera singer most famous in the world and history, by its versatility and charisma, who became a legend. Among the voices most important history of the genre include: Baldasarre Ferri (1610-1680), Francesca Cuzzoni (1698-1779), Carlo Broschi, Farinelli (1705-1782), Faustina Bordoni (1700-1781), Gertrud Schmeling Mara (1749-1833), Ann Storace (1766-1817), Michael Kelly (1762-1826), Angelica Catalani (1780-1849), Manuel García (1775-1832), Emma Calvé (1858-1942), Lilli Lehmann (1848-1929), Maternal Amalie (1844-1918), Víctor Maurel (1848-1923), Lillian Nordica (1857-1914), Ludwig Schnorr Von Carolsfeld (1836-1865), Domenico Donzelli (1790-1873), Marietta Alboni (1826-1894), María Malibrán (1808-1836), Giuditta Pasta (1798-1865), Henriette Sontag (1806-1854), Enrico Caruso (1873-1921), Julián Gayarre (Roncal, Navarre, 1844 – Madrid, 1890) and some more recent Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, among others.
As for the famous opera which has made history find: Aida, the Barber of Seville, the castle of Barbazul, the oval, Boris Godunov, Carmen, Rusticana Cavalry, Don Giovanni, Elixir of love, Fausto, the bat, Fidelio, Lucia di Lammermoor, Madame Butterfly, the magic flute, Manon, Norma, Pagliacci, Wozzeck and Porgy and Bess, among others.
Translated for educational purposes.
