An opera is a drama, either tragic or comic, of which music forms an essential part; a drama wholly or mostly sung, consisting of recitative, aerials, choruses, duets, trios, etc., with orchestral accompaniment, preludes, and interludes, together with appropriate costumes, scenery, and action; a lyric drama.
A light opera is a short amusing opera. It usually has a happy ending and some text is spoken.
A musical theater is a play of film whose action and dialogue is interspersed with dancing and singing.
2. How long does it take for someone to have a fully trained operatic voice?
People spend their entire lives to train to have a fully operatic voice. They start when they are a young child and carry on through adulthood. Most opera singers do not hit their peak until at least the age of 30.
3. Choose an Opera by Puccini? Describe and interpret.
The opera that I chose was Le Villi. It is an opera-ballet in two acts. It is based on the short story Les Willis by Jean-Baptiste Alphonese Karr. It was originally a one act opera.
Synopsis of the Opera:
Family and guests dance at a celebration of the engagement in marriage of Roberto and Anna. Roberto must leave before the ceremony to collect an inheritance, and Anna worries that she will never see him again. Roberto comforts Anna telling her that it will be fine and they will marry when he returns from Mainz. Anna tells Roberto of her dreams of him dying but Roberto tells Anna that she should not worry about his love failing and that she may doubt her God but not his love for her. The crowd returns and Anna is still worried about Roberto leaving. Roberto then asks Guglielmo, Anna’s father, to bless them before his journey and Roberto sets off for Mainz. Roberto is then enchanted by a seductress, and forgets Anna. Anna waits through the summer and the autumn and in the winter dies in his absence. The legend of the fairies (Le Villi) is then explained. Basically it means when a woman dies of a broken heart, the fairies force the heart breaker to dance until death. Anna's father, Guglielmo, holds Roberto responsible for Anna's death and calls upon the Villi to take vengeance on Roberto. The Villi call upon the ghost of Anna and lure Roberto into the forest. Roberto, now penniless and abandoned by the seductress, returns when news of Anna's death reaches him. Hoping that he will be forgiven the Villi stalk Roberto as he mourns the loss of the days of his youth. Roberto then finds the one last flower left alive in the winter and tries to find hope that Anna lives but is repelled by the Villi when he ties to knock on the door of Guglielmo's house. Roberto then tries to pray for forgiveness but finds he cannot because of the curse put upon him by the Villi. As Roberto curses his fate Anna appears to him and tells him of the suffering that she had to endure. Roberto begs for forgiveness and he too feels the pain of Anna burning in his heart. But Roberto is not forgiven and Anna calls upon the Villi, who curse Roberto with cries of "traitor." There, the Villi and Anna dance with Roberto until he dies of exhaustion at Anna's feet.
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