2012/13 - Lyric Opera of Chicago

The first opera, titled Dafne, was created by Jacopo
Peri and performed in 1598. During the next 300
years, Italian opera developed into two types: comic
and serious. Comic opera, also called opera buffa
(OH-pear-ah BOO-fah), generally has a storyline that
is funny, lighthearted, or even silly. Serious opera, or
opera seria (OH-pear-ah SEH-ree-ah), contain tragic
plots or serious themes.
Although Italy was the birthplace of opera, other
countries also developed their own style of opera.
The first opera performed in Germany was a German
version of Dafne that premiered in 1627. German
composers of that time did not develop a uniquely
German form of opera. Instead they composed
operas in Italian.
German royalty preferred Italian opera. Since
composers were not wealthy, they depended on rich
people, like the royals, to pay them to create music.
Composers did not write German opera because
there were not many people willing to pay for one.
Mozart also composed operas in Italian that were
very popular (The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni,
and Così fan tutte). He explored a new form of
German opera called singspiel (ZING-shpeel), which
Dear Impresario,
What is the Difference?
means “sung play.” One unique characteristic of the
singspiel is the inclusion of spoken text within the
opera. This means you will hear spoken dialogue,
singing, and orchestral music.
Mozart took the popular form of German
entertainment, the singspiel, and raised it to high art.
Most singspiel used simple music and spoken text to
tell a story. The plot lines were often simple as well.
In both The Abduction from the Seraglio and The
Magic Flute, Mozart made the plot more detailed by
including more interesting action for the characters.
In The Magic Flute, characters like Papageno are
contrasted with Sarastro. Papageno is a typical
singspiel character. There is nothing complicated
about his character, and he is able to easily explain
what he wants. Sarastro is more like an opera seria
character. He thinks about more complicated ideas
like truth and goodness.
The music that Mozart composed for The Magic
Flute was more interesting than the music in a typical
singspiel, too. He helped improve German opera
with his more sophisticated use of the orchestra and
the singer. He prepared the way for generations of
great German composers to come.
ASK THE IMPRESARIO
Help! I am going to the opera with my grandmother. I’ve never been to an opera before and I am worried
that I will not know how to act in the theater. I want to do the right thing when I attend the opera.
Helpless in Seattle
Dear Helpless:
What a wonderful opportunity for you and your grandmother! There is no question that knowing how to
act at an opera can be a challenge. Often, the music and language are unfamiliar and there seem to be
unwritten rules about when to clap. So, I have a few bits of advice:
1. First, applaud when the conductor comes out to begin the opera and also at the beginning of every act.
If you find an aria, duet, or trio beautiful or well performed, clap (and even shout “Bravo” if you are so
moved) at its finish. If you are not sure if you should clap, just watch the other audience members and
you will know what to do. After watching a few operas, you will get the hang of it.
2. Make sure to notice everything on stage: the singing, music, staging, costumes, and lighting. If your
mind wanders, focus on something different for a while. If you were focusing on the singing, maybe
focus on the staging or set instead. Most operas have lots of changes; so it’s okay if you get distracted.
Just remember to stay quiet so others can enjoy the performance.
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