Romantic Opera 17th Century: Italy

Camerata- group of composers; rejected Renaissance style of singing because they felt the words had lost their meaning & their emotional impact. Opera starts with the Baroque period. Composers insisted the words must be sung clearly. Music was secondary to words Original operas were Greek dramas set to music. Operas were usually written in Italian (with some exceptions)

Libretto: text Librettist: writer Recitative: singing speech Songs further the action of the opera 1800’s: Paris → opera capital Europe 3 types of Opera: Grand Opera (aka Opera Seria) Ballets Choruses Spectacular productions Elaborate scenery Crowd scenes

Romantic – reflects the ideas of romanticism Opera Comique (Opera Buffa) Small production Simple plots Spoken dramatic parts & singing (not much more on recitative) Lyric Opera (late 19th Century) Combo of Grand Opera & Opera Comique Elaborate scenery & costumes Lightness of Opera Comique Romantic – reflects the ideas of romanticism

Naturalism: (late 19th century 1870→) Truth Writers rebelling against escapism which had become a romantic tradition. Main characters of operas are from the peasant class & are controlled by their own feelings & social forces that are beyond their control. Put emphasis on individual feelings

Georges Bizet 1838-1875

Georges Bizet (1838-1875) --Born & raised in Paris Musical talent at an early age Awarded Prix de Rome (writing operas) Conservatory – a place where you go to study music Georges Bizet wasn’t popular with the mass of people. He believed in bold use of realism (too realistic.)

Most controversial opera: Carmen Emotional content of the characters Ahead of his time He was noted for his orchestration & musical structure Most controversial opera: Carmen Based on a novel by Prosper Merimée Takes place in Seville, Spain, but the libretto is in French. Cast of characters: Carmen Don José Escamillo Micaella

Carmen→ mezzo soprano; The reason she was mezzo soprano; he wanted her to sound sultry & sexual; (gypsy- she likes the rambling life.) Femme fatale- a woman who uses her gift of beauty to manipulate men to get what she wants. Carmen works in a cigar factory & hangs out with the guys at a local tavern. She is also part of their smuggling gang; they deal in stolen goods. Habañera → Spanish folk song. Carmen’s arias are based on this rhythm.

Don José→ (tenor) works as a corporal for the local police department He is in love with Micaella. Wishy washy… not very assertive; submissive Escamillo→ (baritone) --A toreador (bullfighter) --Manly man Micaella→ (soprano) --Thoroughly in love with Don José. --Sees that Don José is bad when he’s with Carmen.

Synopsis of the story: Carmen works in the cigar factory. Carmen and another woman get into a fight. Carmen goes to jail where she meets Don José & she uses her charm to manipulate him to get him to release her. Carmen & Don José flee Seville & join up with her band of smugglers. Carmen tells Don José that he must prove himself if he wants to stay with her. → armed robbery. Meanwhile, Carmen meets & falls in love with Escamillo LUST→ Carmen ditches Don José & takes off with Escamillo.

Day of the Big Bullfight. Carmen is supposed to leave with Escamillo after the big fight. Outside the arena, Don José confronts Carmen while Escamillo is fighting the bull inside. Carmen & Don Jose argue: he wants her to return to him & she thinks he’s not man enough. Don José becomes enraged & stabs Carmen in the heart at the same moment that Escamillo is stabbing the bull. Carmen is dead.

Critics Reaction Hated it! Audience hated it. It was performed in front of the wrong type of audience. The realism was too shocking. They thought it went against Victorian morals. Bizet was so upset by the criticism, he died not long after the production. 5 years after his death, Carmen is brought back to the stage & the crowds love it.

Babylonian Captivity of the Jews Giuseppi Verdi (1813 – 1901) Italian Born in a poor family; recognized musical talent at an early age. Studied at the Milan Conservatory Majority of his works were successful. First opera… “Oberto” huge success. 3rd: “ Nabucco” > huge success 2nd opera→ failure Wife and 2 kids died while working on the opera. Babylonian Captivity of the Jews His wife loved the story Writes “Nabucco” as a tribute to her. Wildly successful

Nabucco Italian word for Nebucadnezzer “King of Babylon” Invades Israel & the Jews become the Babylonian’s slaves. While in Babylon, Jews remain faithful to their religion & yearned for their homeland. Jews win converts among the Babylonians. “Va pensiero”→ one of the most controversial arias. (“Our thoughts go on wings of songs”) Song about the “homeland” Hebrews - Israel

Italian nationalists see this as a call for a unified Italy “Italian Unification” Verdi runs across some political problems with Austro-Hungarian Empire V – Victor E – Emanuel R – Re D – D’ I – Italy (King of Italy) Italian Unification under Victor Emanuel, head of the house of Savoy. Early works→ escapist in nature (what the audience wanted)

Plots = not very sophisticated, melodramatic Each opera gets better & better; best operas written as he got older. He raised the standards of the opera mainly by emphasizing the voice. He had lots of scenes with lots of people (crowd scenes) Best known works: Rigoletto (1851) Il Travatore La Traviata Aida (1872) Otello (1893) Falstaff (1893)

La Traviata (The Fallen Woman) Premiered on 6 March 1853 La Dame aux Camellia by: Alexander Dumas, fils. Libretto: written by Francisco Marie Piavé 1st performance > not successful (no talented singers) Re-write was a success Most widely appreciated & widely known of Verdi’s operas.

Characters Violetta Valery : (soprano) beautiful courtesan (female “escort” with an upper class clientele.) Alfredo Germont : (tenor) her admirer (male lead) Georgio Germont : father Gaston : Alfredo’s friend Flora Bervoix : Violetta’s friend Anniña : maid/confidante Baron Duphol : rival of Alfredo

Plot Structure: Act 1: party where the lovers meet; love at 1st sight Act 2: lovers living happily together; his father visits & encourages the woman to break-up Act 3: They break-up & she acts as though she has moved on. She is dying of TB; her lover returns & promises they will be together. She dies in his arms.

Giacomo Puccini (1858 – 1924) Musical talent → (5 generations) Wasn’t interested in music growing up. (mother was a great influence) Wrote operas Decided to study at the Milan Conservatory. Puccini learns a lot from Verdi Entered an opera competition at the Milan Conservatory Lost the competition but his opera was produced anyway

1st major triumph was Manon Lescaut but it was La Boheme that brought him world wide fame. Puccini’s Best Operas Tosca Turandot La Boheme Madame Butterfly

Turnadot – left unfinished at the time of his death Madame Butterfly Huge success outside Italy; Least favorite in Italy Puccini’s personal favorite→ named after his yacht after the main character (Cio-Cio-San.) Turnadot – left unfinished at the time of his death Later finished by a student. Puccini died in 1924 of a heart attack.

Tosca (Italy) She is a prima donna (soprano) opera singer who is widely known. Scarpia, chief of police, falls in love with (obsessed) Tosca. He has Tosca’s boyfriend Cavaradossi, arrested Says that he will spare her bf’s life if she gives in to him. Tosca says that she will do it, But 1st she asks for a letter of release for Cavaradossi & Scarpia writes the letter for her.

As he tries to claim his prize, she stabs & kills him. Tosca leaves his office & goes to the jail to get Cavaradossi, but he has already been killed. Tosca is devastated and is now a fugitive on the run. She reaches the battlements of the city walls with the cops closing in on her; she realizes all is lost & jumps to her death.

Turandot (China) Turandot is a Chinese princess, cold & icy-hearted. Men who wish to marry her must answer 3 riddles. If they answer wrong, they are killed. Prince Calaf answers the 3 riddles correctly. He wins the princess who falls in love with him & they marry.

La Boheme Based on the book : Scènes de la Vie de Boheme by Henry Murger Set in Paris Mimi – seamstress, Rodolfo - painter They fall in love Mimi dies in Rodolfo’s arms of Tuberculosis. Bohemians were people of the working class who tended to wander around from one place to another.

Madame Butterfly→ Puccini’s favorite Set in Nagasaki, Japan (tragedy) Cio – Cio- San (Madame Butterfly) Lt. Pinkerton (USN) They meet and contract a traditional Japanese marriage under Japanese conditions. She is married, but he is not obligated. She gets pregnant & he goes back to the U.S. & remarries While he’s gone, Butterfly remains faithful to him.

Pinkerton returns to Japan BUT he is not alone (with his new wife) He goes to see Butterfly & the child and to introduce the new wife. While Pinkerton is visiting with the child, Butterfly stabs herself.