OverviewOverview

1 Th P th t B l C t1. The Path to Bel CantoThe Journey to Reims

2. Mid‐Century RomanticismLa traviata

3. Toward the End of an EraFalstaffFalstaff

SESSION 1 The Path to Bel CantoSESSION 1 – The Path to Bel Canto

A Quick Look: Opera history before the 19th centuryp y y Early Baroque High Baroque Reform/Classical Reform/Classical

Rossini & the Bel Canto Style

Fach Coloratura soprano Rossini tenor Basso cantante / basso buffo

Producing Bel Canto Operas

Florentine Camerata (1570’s 80’s)Florentine Camerata (1570’s‐80’s)

Vincenzo Galilei (mathematician, musician)Count Giovanni de’ Bardi (host)

Giulio Caccini (musician)Pietro Strozzi (military leader)Pietro Strozzi (military leader)

Ottavio Rinuccini (poet)GirolamoMei (historian)

Theory precedes practice.Words must be understood; polyphony obscures text.Music should reflect cadence of words rather than dance.

The Birth of Opera: 400 Years AgoThe Birth of Opera: 400 Years Ago

Jacopo Peri & Ottavio RinuccinipDafne (~1594)

Jacopo Peri & Ottavio RinucciniGiulio Caccini & Ottavio RinucciniEuridice (1600)

Discussing Style: Our VocabularyDiscussing Style: Our Vocabulary

Melody the “tune”

Harmony chords, combinations of notes

Texture colors of sound; orchestration

Rhythm arrangement of sound in time

Amplitude loudness, volume

Text words, lyrics

Form structure architectureForm structure, architecture

Early Baroque Baroque: (Portuguese)Early Baroque

Melody in service of text

Baroque: (Portuguese) “mis‐shapen pearl”

Harmony spare, slow-moving

Rh th t t d i

Texture strings, keyboards, token winds; fluid

Rhythm text-driven

Text of supreme importance

Amplitude relatively small range

Text of supreme importancedevice: word painting

Form through-composedForm through composed

Monteverdi

H d l

Monteverdi (1567‐1643)

Handel (1685‐1759) 

F

The Pendulum Swings…

TFromSimplicityCl it

ToComplexityP iClarity

BalancePassionVocal Fireworks

High BaroqueFlorentine Camerata~1650‐17501590’s

Early Baroque (Monteverdi)

High Baroque (Handel)(Monteverdi)

in service of text Melody coloratura, fioratura, melismas, ornaments

(Handel)

spare, slow-moving HarmonyRhythm increasingly complex

some counterpointrhythm of speech

strings, keyboardstoken winds

more winds:flute, oboe, trumpet

Texture

of supreme importance

relatively small range Amplitude

Text

terraced dynamics

secondary in importance of supreme importance

mythology & history

Text

Subject

secondary in importance

mythology & history

through-composed Form rigid “number” operasDa capo aria: ABA form

Baroque Opera Seria:A Rigid RecipeSt i t i hi h ( i d l t l !)Strict singer hierarchy (prima donna… assoluta…e sola!)

Each main performer must have one aria in each act

Lesser artists: Aria di sorbetto

No performer may have two arias in succession

No aria may be followed by another of the same type

Prima donnas traveled with an Aria di baule (luggage)

Happy ending required: Deus ex machinappy g q

The Pendulum Swings…The Pendulum Swings…

From ToSimplicityClarity

ComplexityPassion

High BaroqueFlorentine CamerataBalance Vocal Fireworks

Reform/Classicism

g q~1650‐17501590’s

Organic structure (form ≠ formula) /~1750‐1800

g ( )Fluid range of emotion

Focus on human dramaBalance between singing text orchestraBalance between singing, text, orchestra

MozartMozart (1756‐1791)

High Baroque Classicalt i d f l t fi t M l d stripped of excessescoloratura, fioratura,

melismas, ornamentssome counterpoint clear foundation

Melody

Harmony

clarinet horns (dbl winds)more winds:

increasingly complex

some counterpoint clear foundation

more aligned vertically

HarmonyRhythmTexture clarinet, horns (dbl winds)

balance melody, text, orchmore winds:flute, oboe, trumpetterraced dynamics growth in orchestration

Texture

Amplitudeorganic, serving the drama

restored to importance

terraced dynamics

secondary in importance

growth in orchestrationAmplitudeText

mythology & history

rigid “number” operas

“regular people”

overture as introductionForm

Subject

rigid number operasDa capo aria: ABA form

overture as introductionmany more ensembles

Form

Bel Canto* = Beautiful SingingROSSINI1792‐1868

Bel Canto Beautiful SingingDONIZETTI

1797‐1848BELLINI1801‐18351792 1868 1797 18481801 1835

“Bellini is the red wine, Donizetti is the white wine, ,

and Rossini is the champagne!”(Edita Gruberova)

(*Term not used until about 1880; reaction to Wagner?)

Gioacchino Rossini  (1792‐1868)Il barbiere di SivigliaLa gazzettaG oacc o oss ( 9 868)OtelloLa cenerentolaLa gazza ladraArmida

Dominated opera in first half of 19th centuryWrote 40 operas in just under two decades

Demetrio e PolibioLa cambiale di matrimonio

ArmidaAdelaide di BorgognaMosè in EgittoAdina

Retired from opera at 37

L'equivoco stravaganteL'inganno feliceCiro in BabiloniaLa scala di seta

Ricciardo e ZoraideErmioneEduardo e CristinaLa donna del lagoLa scala di seta

La pietra del paragoneL'occasione fa il ladroIl Signor BruschinoT di

La donna del lagoBianca e FallieroMaometto secondoMatilde ShabranZ l iTancredi

L'italiana in AlgeriAureliano in Palmira Il turco in Italia

ZelmiraSemiramideIl viaggio a ReimsLe Siège de Corinthe

SigismondoElisabetta Regina d'InghilterraTorvaldo e Dorliska

gMoïse et PharaonLe Comte OryGuillaume Tell

Hector Berlioz“Rossini’s melodic

D.H. Lawrence“I love Italian opera Rossini s melodic 

cynicism, his contempt for dramatic expression 

and good sense his

I love Italian opera – it’s so reckless. Damn Wagner, and 

and good sense, his endless repetition of a single form of cadence, 

his bellowing at Fate and death… I like the Italians who run 

his eternal puerile crescendo and brutal 

bass drum, exasperated

all on impulse and don’t care about their immortal souls bass drum, exasperated 

me to such a point that I was blind to the 

brilliant qualities of his

their immortal souls and don’t worry about the ultimate.”

brilliant qualities of his genius, even in his masterpiece, The Barber of Seville.”

Classicalstripped of excesses Melody

Bel Cantocoloratura fioraturastripped of excesses

clear foundation

Melody

Harmony straightforward diatonic

coloratura, fioraturaproscribed ornamentation

clarinet horns (dbl winds)

clear foundation

vertically aligned

HarmonyRhythm

Texture

straightforward, diatonic

secondary to vocal display

increased use of rubato

clarinet, horns (dbl winds)balance melody, text, orchgrowth in orchestration

Texture

Amplitude

secondary to vocal display,except in opera buffa patter!

“Rossini crescendo”

organic, serving the dramarestored to importance

growth in orchestration Amplitude

Text more formulaic

Rossini crescendo

“regular people”

overture as introduction Form

Subject undemanding plot lines

overture as introductionmany more ensembles

FormAria/Tempo di mezzo/Cabaletta

19th-century Opera Building Blocks19 century Opera Building Blocks

Recitative = DialogueRecitative DialogueSeccoAccompagnato

Aria = Monologue Aria (Cavatina) – Tempo di mezzo – Cabalettaa (Ca at a) e po d e o Caba etta

Ensembles = Simultaneous ConversationsMonologues, dialogues, internal monologues

Opera Buffa:Opera Buffa: The Lighter Side of Bel Canto

Developed from 18th century intermezzi Derived from commedia dell’arte theatrical traditionDerived from commedia dell arte theatrical tradition

Components• Farcical storyFarcical story• Quick recitatives• Patter songsg•Higher proportion of ensembles• Happy ending

FACHFACHCategorization system for opera singers

German = “subject”

CaveatsCaveats…

Some singers defy categorization.

S l b b i iSome roles can be sung by voices in more than one category (Zwischenfach).

Fach is affected by size of venue taste ofFach is affected by size of venue, taste of impresario, composition of cast.

Dangerous when taken to extreme!Dangerous when taken to extreme!

FACH: Determining FactorsgThe Highs and the Lows

Range singable notesRange singable notesTessitura common rangeRegistration strongest areaP i i t t iti (“b k”)Passaggio register transition (“break”)

Loudness and Projection

Timbre colorWeight loudness, thickness

Agility coloraturaFl ibilit i t i d i d l

Fluidity

Flexibility variety in dynamic and color

TYPICAL VOCAL RANGES

Fach Overview – SopranopUntil the late 18th century, all female singers were sopranos.)

Soubrette (French soubrette = shrewd)Bell-like silvery quality; “ina/etta” maids, servantsBell like silvery quality; ina/etta maids, servantsSusanna, Despina, Zerlina, Adina, Norina, Marzelline, Adele, Nannetta, Sophie

Coloratura (Koloratur: add to an idea using main thought as point of departure)Great agility decorative (Subtypes: lyric coloratura dramatic coloratura)Great agility, decorative (Subtypes: lyric coloratura, dramatic coloratura)Lucia, Queen, Gilda, Zerbinetta, Fiordiligi, Konstanze, Manon, Juliette

Lyric (“of a lyre”)Communicate beauty, romance , pathos (JB Steane: “the world’s girlfriend”)Mimi, Violetta , Marguerite, Micaëla, Liù, Countess, Marschallin, Lauretta

Spinto (spingere: to push) / Lyric DramaticSpinto (spingere: to push) / Lyric DramaticTonal beauty of the lyric and power of the dramaticButterfly, Tosca, Aida, Leonoras, Lady Macbeth, Sieglinde, Ariadne

Dramatic (“horn-and-helmet”)Dramatic ( horn and helmet )Cut thru large orchestra; warm and metallic; powerful; flexibility compromisedSalome, Elektra, Brünnhilde, Isolde, Marie,Turandot

Rossini Soprano: ColoraturaKoloratur (German): adding to an idea using the main thought as point of departure

Rossini Soprano: Coloratura

thought as point of departure

Characteristics:Great agilityGreat agilityDecorative potential

SubtypesSubtypesLyric coloraturaDramatic coloratura

Examples: Lucia, Queen, Gilda, Zerbinetta, Manon

FACH Overview – Tenor(From tenere (to hold): the important line in polyphonic music)

Tenore di grazia / LeggieroFlexible tessitura high (Ottavio Nemorino Des Grieux)Flexible, tessitura high (Ottavio, Nemorino, Des Grieux)

ColoraturaAgility, extremely high range; bel canto specialist (Almaviva, Ernesto, Arturo)

Comic (Spieltenor)Character type (Beppe, Goro, Pedrillo, Tanzmeister, Monostatos)

LyricBeauty of tone; “squillo” to project over large orchestra (Lensky, Faust, Rodolfo)(Before1830’s, no full voice above passaggio)

Lirico-Spinto to Tenore RobustoHeroic; stamina and volume (Cavaradossi, José, Otello, Radames, Calaf)

Heldentenor / Tenore di forzaHeldentenor / Tenore di forzaBaritonal hue; powerful midvoice (Florestan, Lohengrin, Siegmund, Tannhäuser)

R i i T C l tRossini Tenor: Coloratura

Characteristics:Characteristics:Great agilityDecorative potentialV hi hVery high range

Examples: Almaviva Ernesto ArturoExamples: Almaviva, Ernesto, Arturo

Fach Overview – BassDistinctions between lower voices began in second half of the 19th century

Bass-baritoneBaritone w/bottom extension bass w/top extensionBaritone w/bottom extension, bass w/top extensionDon Giovanni, FigaroBasso cantanteLyrical (“singing”) bass voice, typically not particularly large

Basso buffo (Spielbass)Comic bass

Lyrical ( singing ) bass voice, typically not particularly largeHandel low roles

Osmin, Leporello, Basilio, Bartolo, Ochs

Lyric bass / Basso cantabileMore heft than basso cantante, slightly lower tessiturag yDapertutto, Escamillo, Sarastro, Ferrando

Dramatic bass / Basso profondoKing Philip, Wagner rolesg p g

R i i BRossini BassesBasso cantanteBasso cantanteLyrical (“singing”) bass voice, typically not particularly large

R i i BRossini BassesBasso buffo (Spielbass)Basso buffo (Spielbass)Osmin, Leporello, Basilio, Bartolo, Ochs

Session 1: Viaggio ExcerptsSession 1: Viaggio ExcerptsVenue: Vienna 1998Conductor: Riccardo MutiProduction by Luca RonconiProduction by Luca Ronconi

Cast:Corinna Cecilia GasdiaLa Marchesa Melibea Lucia Valentini‐TerraniLa Contessa di Folleville Lella CuberliMadama Cortese Montserrat CaballeIl Cavaliere Belfiore Frank LopardoIl Conte di Libenskof Chris MerrittLord Sidney Ferruccio FurlanettoD P f d R R i diDon Profondo Ruggero RaimondiIl Barone di Trombonok Enzo DaraDon Alvaro Carlos ChaussonDon Prudenzio Giorgio SurjanDon Prudenzio Giorgio Surjan