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what is opera?

what-is-opera
10 August 2019

Opera; is a stage work in musical and theatrical form, which usually takes its subject from history, mythology or legends. While the subject is sung and played by sound and theater artists, music expresses and supports the subject.

This reveals the integrity of a structure in which musical form and dance are internalized. Opera can also be considered as the highest volume of music. Music and Performing Arts, we will briefly discuss this branch of art in this article.

History of Opera

It is also defined as a type of theater that emerged in Italy after the Renaissance. Pastoral theater was the first example of opera since it included songs sung by choir. However, in general, theater historians claim that opera was put forward as a kind of theater in itself. In Florence, a group of music scholars Camerata wanted to revive the ancient Greek stage plays and in 1595 they played the play “Defne le with poetry throughout. In 1637, the first major opera was built in Venice, Italy. The works staged here spread to other cities upon admiration. At the beginning of the 18th century, 11 opera houses were built in Venice and more than 400 works were written and played. The opera, which spread rapidly and attracted attention in Europe, was staged for the first time in England in 1656 with the play Kuş The Siege of Rhodes ”. Opera began to attract attention in Paris between 1862-1874. At the same time, the need for special structures and facilities of the opera contributed to the development of European architecture.

Sections of Opera

Opera consists of 2 basic parts: Libretto and music.
Libretto; narrative In general, it deals with known tragedies. These tragedies; desperate loves can be exemplified as deceptions ending in death.

The other part of the music consists of 6 parts;

  • 1. Overture
  • In short, it can be called opening. Summarize the subject of

  • 2. Recitative
  • It is the part that is played or sung freely as if speaking in close association with the orchestra. The recipes later led to the birth of arias.

  • 3. Arya
  • It is usually the part where sopranos or soloists perform long solo. It consists of 3 parts within itself. The first part is in the mood of speech, while the second part - rhythmic - has an andante tempo. The third part is said with allegro tempo.

  • 4. Chorus
  • It is the song part that the players sing together. The choir sounds are called alto and soprano as female choir, and tenor or bass as male choir. The choirs may be a community of several to 150-200 people.

  • 5. Final
  • It is the last part of the opera. In this part, solo, choir sounds and orchestra perform together. Generally, the finals show a very glamorous finish.

  • 6. Ballet
  • Dances performed by the ballet-rinas in the appropriate places of the opera. The operas in which ballet is superior are called "Opera with Ballet."

Types of Opera

  • 1. Opera:
  • Tragic themed music games from start to finish. Almost all great musicians composed this kind of opera.

  • 2. Opera Buffa:
  • In the 17th century, some operas participated in comic elements. Thus, the laughing opera variety emerged.

In our country, opera has attracted attention since the Republican era. With the establishment of Ankara State Opera, Turkish composers produced opera samples. Adnan Saygun's Kerem and Nevin Kodallı's Van Gogh are among our world-renowned works.

If you are interested in information about the opera - Music and Dance, What is Musical? - we also recommend you to browse our articles like.

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