Baroque Opera: A Multimedia Extravaganza Flashcards Preview

J - MUSIC 101 > Baroque Opera: A Multimedia Extravaganza > Flashcards

Flashcards in Baroque Opera: A Multimedia Extravaganza Deck (38)
Loading flashcards...
1
Q

Baroque Opera

A
  • Drama (characters sing instead of speak).
  • Music vs. libretto.
  • Most influential Baroque art form.
2
Q

Libretto

A

Book is written by someone other than the composer. Written by playwrights.

3
Q

Baroque opera marked the shift from court (private) to…

A

Public entertainment.

4
Q

What is the Baroque aesthetic?

A
  • Individual emotivism.
  • Extravagance and control.
  • Mix of art forms.
  • Organized according to rigid themes (recitative and aria).
5
Q

What instruments are typically used in Baroque opera?

A

Mostly strings. Woodwinds, percussion, and brass added for special occasions.

6
Q

Rhythm of recitative:

A

Free, speech like. No meter, no consistent tempo, varied in length.

7
Q

Recitative

A
  • Advances the plot.
  • Some text in the style of prose.
  • Non-poetic, is grammatical.
  • Rhythms are free, speech-like.
8
Q

2 types of recitative:

A

Secco and accompagnato.

9
Q

Secco Recitative

A
  • Dry.
  • Continuous accompaniment.
  • Fosters freedom and spontaneity.
  • Barely any accompaniment.
10
Q

Accompagnato Recitative

A
  • Accompanied.

- Whole orchestra accompaniment.

11
Q

Aria translated:

A

Air, song.

12
Q

Aria

A

Reflects on the action, respite from non-stop dramatic action. Expresses single emotion and reflects the character’s state of mind.

13
Q

Aria is equivalent to ___.

A

Soliloquy.

14
Q

Aria includes ___ text.

A

Poetic.

15
Q

Aria often had ___.

A

Repetitions.

16
Q

Are arias accompanied by the orchestra?

A

Yes.

17
Q

What is the form of an aria?

A

Clear, as opposed to recite. Musically elaborate, coherent. Clear beat and meter.

18
Q

Claudio Monteverdi

A
  • Leading figure in Italian music at the turn of the 17th Century.
  • Radical as far as harmony, texture, and rhythm.
19
Q

Claudio Monteverdi wrote ___ as the first great opera.

A

Orfeo.

20
Q

What did Claudio Monteverdi do to the madrigal?

A

Turned madrigal into intensely felt emotional outcries that were almost mini-operas.

21
Q

The Coronation of Poppea

A

Femme fatale, mistress plots to overthrow Nero’s wife Ottavia and Seneca.

22
Q

Musical characteristics in The Coronation of Poppea:

A
  • Treble voices (no men).
  • Emotive vocal, melodic, harmonic effects.
  • No discernible form.
23
Q

Henry Purcell

A
  • Greatest English Baroque composer.
  • Output: sacred, instrumental, theatre.
  • Combined French and Italian styles with English music.
24
Q

Dido and Aeneas

A
  • First English opera.
  • Story from Virgil’s epic Latin poem, The Aeneid.
  • Aeneas flees from Troy, and meets Queen of Carthage. Witches trick Aeneas into leaving her, and the Queen of Carthage kills herself.
25
Q

Musical features of Dido’s Lament:

A
  • Ground bass vs. material above.

- Growing emotional expression.

26
Q

Opera Seria

A

Serious opera that was noble, often tragic. Plots taken from ancient history, mythology. Far-fetched, stilted, long. Powerful, exaggerated emotions.

27
Q

Who are the performers in Opera Seria

A
  • Performers still mainly sopranos and mezzo-sopranos.
    • Including castrati.
    • Tenors and basses subordinate.
    • Solo dominated, few duets or choruses.
28
Q

What is the purpose of Da Capo Aria?

A

To show off the individual singer.

29
Q

What is the standard form of the Italian Baroque Aria?

A

Da Capo Aria.

30
Q

Da Capo Aria

A

ABA (really, ABA’ because of performer’s embellishments).

31
Q

Opera Buffa

A

Comic opera that is light, lively, fast-paced, and funny. Gained traction in the early 18th Century.

32
Q

What are the plots based on in Opera Buffa?

A
  • Plots based on contemporary subjects.

- Ordinary, middle, and lower-class folk replace heroes and historical figures. More life-like.

33
Q

What are the characters like in Opera Buffa?

A

Realistic, relatable characters interact believably in unrealistic situations.

34
Q

Opera Buffa often includes…

A

Pointed social commentary mind with non-stop entertainment.

35
Q

What voice is championed in Opera Buffa?

A

Bass voice.

36
Q

Musical features of Opera Buffa:

A
  • Arias longer.
  • Ensembles given more prominence.
  • Multiple sentiments presented simultaneously by different characters.
  • Dynamic, plot-advancing.
37
Q

Librettist of Don Giovanni:

A

Loreno Da Ponte.

38
Q

Musical characteristics in Don Giovanni:

A
  • Characterizations through melody.

- Aria, recitative, duet.

Decks in J - MUSIC 101 Class (63):