The story of opera

Act. The larger sub-divisions into which operas are divided. Older operas were usually in five acts, modern ones more often in three; some, as Wagner’s Rheingold, in one only.

Act Tune or Curtain Tune. An old form of instrumental intermezzo, composed for performance between the acts. They were written for operas from about 1650 to 1750, by such composers as Locke and Purcell.

Air or Aria. An operatic scene for a single voice; they were of many kinds, with titles defining the class to which they belonged in the operas of Handel’s day. Among these titles may be mentioned the “Aria all Unisono,” “Aria Cantabile,” “Aria Concertante,” “Aria da Capo,” “Aria di Bravura,” “Aria d’Imitazione,” “Aria di Mezzo Carattere,” “Aria di Portamento,” “Aria Grande,” “Aria Parlante.”

Arietta. A short aria, of less pretension than any of the foregoing.
 

Ballad Opera. A form of English opera in which old and well-known songs were used instead of new music; there was little concerted music. The best example is the Beggar’s Opera.

Ballet. An entertainment of dancing, always a constituent feature of operas of a certain period.

Bolero. A Spanish dance, often introduced into the ballet.
 

Cadenza. Vocal flourishes very common in the operas of the Bellini, Rossini, and early Verdi school.

Castrati. Male sopranos, the breaking of whose voices was prevented by artificial means.

Cavatina. A melodious air. Faust’s solo, “Salve dimora,” is so named.

Chitarrone. A long-stringed, double-necked lute, used by Monteverde in Orfeo.

Choragos. The leader of the chorus in Greek drama.

Chorale. A German hymn-tune. Effective use is made of chorales in Meyerbeer’s Huguenots.

Coloratura. Highly ornamented vocal music, used in such places as the “Aria Concertante.”

Comic Opera. Opera of a light nature, with a humorous story. Not to be confounded with Opera Comique.

Concerted Numbers. The Finales and other parts of operas of the older school. When several characters are upon the stage, and the music describes a series of events or some development of the story.

Curtain Tune. See Act Tune.
 

Da Capo. A form of Aria much used by Scarlatti, in which the second part of the air was followed by a repetition of the first.

Divertissement. A short ballet, or an instrumental intermezzo.
 

Ensemble. A collection of most or all of the principal characters in an opera upon the stage at the same time.

Entree. See Overture.

Entr’acte. Music composed for performance between the acts.

Entrepreneur (Fr.). The organizer or director of a series of performances.

Falsetto. A false, artificial use of the voice, employed by men mostly for singing alto parts.

Fanfare. A flourish of trumpets used in many operas (Fidelio, Tannhäuser, etc.).

Finale. The conclusion of an opera, or of an act thereof; in early operas often a duet or trio, but later on a concerted number, often of very great dignity. It was first largely used by Logroscino, and has since become an important feature of many operas.
 

Glockenspiel. A small set of bells played from a keyboard; used by Mozart in Zauberflöte and by Wagner in the Walküre.

Gong, or Tam-Tam. A bronze plate struck with a stick; used by Meyerbeer.

Grand Opera. Opera on serious or tragic subjects, with no spoken dialogue, and with everything conceived upon a large and dignified scale. Generally used to denote French Opera.
 

Harpsichord. One of the forerunners of the pianoforte, and the accompanying instrument used in the earliest operas.
 

Imbroglio. A confused passage, where conflicting things are going on at the same time, as in the street scene of Die Meistersingers.

Impresario (Italian). Has the same meaning as Entrepreneur.

Intermezzo. A short, light musical play, originally introduced between the acts of Grand Opera. The term is now usually applied to an instrumental interlude.
 

Leit-motif, or guiding-theme. The distinctive piece of melody, harmony, or scoring associated with one character upon the stage, or with a definite idea. Its use was perfected by Wagner.

Libretto. The “book,” or words of an opera.

Lied. German for air.

Liederspiel. Play of songs. This corresponds with the English ballad opera.
 

Masque. An early form of opera which made much of dancing and of scenic effects.
 

Opera Buffa (French, Opera Bouffe). A light opera of very little dignity, but full of humour and comicality. It corresponds somewhat with the English term, “Comic opera.”

Opera Comique. A stage play, often of serious character, mainly set to music, but in which there is spoken dialogue. Beethoven’s Fidelio and Weber’s Der Frischütz are in this class.

Operetta. A short opera, generally of a light character.

Overture. The preliminary orchestral introduction to an opera. It varies much in character, length, and importance; according to its character and construction it is not only called overture, but introduction (intrada), entrée, Vorspiel, prelude.
 

Pasticcio (a pie). A collection of songs, duets, etc., from various sources, woven together to form a pleasing entertainment.

Potp-ourri. A collection of the favourite airs of an opera worked up into a piece for a solo instrument—generally the pianoforte.
 

Recitative. The less melodious and less definitely rhythmic vocal portions of an opera. A kind of musical declamation.

Recitativo Secco. Simple recitation supported only by slight chords. (Much used by Mozart.)

Recitativo Stromentato. Accompanied recitative, the orchestral part having individual interest and importance.

Ritornello. An instrumental interlude between scenes, or during the course of a scene.

Romantic Opera. A class of opera dealing with legendary or supernatural subjects rather than classic themes. Its application is chiefly to operas of the Weber-Marschner school.
 

Scena. A long and important operatic solo, often in several movements, for a solo voice. It may consist of recitative or of aria portions, or both, but should be dramatic in its construction.

Scenario. A synopsis of the plot and scenes of the libretto of an opera.

Secco. (See Recitative.)

Singspiel. The German form of opera comique, with both music and spoken dialogue.
 

Tessitura. The range of a vocal composition—i.e., as to whether it lies high or low in the compass of the voice.

Transcription. The more modern name for Pot-pourri.

Tremolo. A rapid reiteration of the same note; much used on the stringed instruments for dramatic purposes.
 

Vaudeville. A short operetta (French), usually of a frivolous nature.

Vorspiel (German). See Overture.
 

Zwickenspiel (German). An intermezzo or interlude.