CHARACTERS SYNOPSIS - Arizona Theatre Company

Ensemble – Ensemble feature lots of characters singing at once. Mozart uses the ensemble to
express the emotions of several characters simultaneously. He would show his characters’ moods
and alliances through the different music of each group of characters.
Leimotif - short, repeated musical phrases associated with a particular person, place, or idea
Libretto – the complete text of the opera
Overture – An orchestral introduction to the opera.
Pastoral – A pastoral is a drama about the natural world and people who live close to nature.
Recitative – A recitative is as close as opera gets to spoken dialogue; it’s the only time the music
is not as important as the words. Recitatives are accompanied by harpsichord, which makes it
easier to understand the text. The words go by very quickly, and often on just a few notes.
Scena – A dramatic episode within the opera which consists of a variety of numbers—could include a
recitative, a cavatina, and a cabaletta—with a common theme.
Sitzprobe – “Seated rehearsal” in German. The first rehearsal of the singers with the orchestra and no
acting.
Tessitura – The area of vocal range within which the major part is sung.
Trill – a deliberate, very quick alternation between two notes. Not the same as a vibrato, which is more
naturally occurring.
Tremolo – The quick, continuous reiteration of a pitch.
Verismo – a realistic style of opera that started in Italy at the end of the 19 th century.
Vibrato – A natural wavering of frequency (pitch) while singing a note. Not as deliberate as a trill.
SOURCES:
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~tan/Mozartreq/main.html
http://www.chicagooperatheater.org/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart-biography/
http://www.wamozartfan.com/bio.html