Opera Terms You Need To Know
Opera Terms
Are you feeling bewildered by the vast array of opera terms and jargon? Look no further, as you have arrived at the perfect destination.
Our comprehensive glossary of opera terms is designed to grant you a crystal-clear comprehension of the intricacies spanning from arias to vibrato.
By immersing yourself in the realm of opera terminology, you unlock a treasure trove of knowledge.
Within this article, we will embark on an enchanting journey through the captivating lexicon of opera, unraveling the meanings of pivotal terms in a manner that is effortlessly understandable and readily accessible.
To ensure effortless navigation and stress-free searches, we have meticulously arranged the opera terms in alphabetical order.
So, let us now delve into this wondrous realm of musical artistry and collectively expand our understanding of opera terminology.
A Opera Terms
A capella: A style of singing or vocal music performed without instrumental accompaniment. It showcases the voices of the singers and often involves intricate harmonies and vocal techniques.
Act: In opera, an act refers to a self-contained portion of the opera that has its own dramatic structure and storyline. It usually consists of multiple scenes.
Aria: A solo piece in opera, typically sung by a main character. Arias are expressive and emotional, allowing the singer to showcase their vocal abilities and convey the character’s feelings.
Auditorium: The part of a theater, concert hall, or other public building where the audience sits. It is designed to accommodate and provide optimal acoustics for the listeners. The size of the auditorium can vary, with larger venues accommodating a greater number of seats.
B Opera Terms
Banda: A small group of instrumentalists in an opera who play either on the stage or backstage. They provide additional musical accompaniment and support for the singers.
Baritone: A male singing voice that falls between the bass and tenor ranges. Baritones typically have a rich and resonant tone.
Baroque: A style of european music that emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries. Baroque music is known for its ornate and elaborate compositions, characterized by intricate melodies, decorative embellishments, and contrasting dynamics.
Bass: The lowest male singing voice, characterized by a deep and powerful tone.
Baton: A thin stick or wand used by a conductor to lead and direct an orchestra or ensemble. The conductor uses the baton to indicate tempo, dynamics, and cues for different sections of musicians.
Bel canto: An italian phrase that translates to “beautiful singing.” it refers to a vocal style and technique characterized by smooth and lyrical singing, with a focus on agility, expressiveness, and vocal control. It is also used to describe operas written in this style.
Buffo: Derived from the italian word for “buffoon,” buffo refers to a singer who specializes in comic roles in opera, often portraying humorous or eccentric characters. It can also refer to a comic opera itself, known as opera buffa.
Bravo: An exclamation used by members of the audience to applaud and show appreciation for an exceptional performance. “bravo” is used for a single male performer, “brava” for a female performer, and “bravi” for a group of performers.
Buffa: A genre of comic opera, particularly popular during the 18th century. Buffa operas feature lighthearted and humorous storylines, often with characters drawn from everyday life.
C Opera Terms
Cabaletta: The second part of a two-part aria in opera. It is always in a faster tempo than the first part and often serves as a climactic or virtuosic section.
Cadenza: A passage in a musical composition, typically at the end of an aria, where the singer has the opportunity to showcase their vocal abilities through improvised or elaborate ornamentation.
Canzone: A folk-like song commonly used in opera buffa. It adds a touch of charm and simplicity to the comedic scenes.
Castrato: A male singer who underwent castration in boyhood to preserve a soprano or alto vocal range. The practice of castrating singers was banned in 1903, and today, female singers often perform the roles originally written for castrati. An example of a castrato role is julius caesar.
Cavatina: The slow section of a two-part aria in opera. It typically features lyrical and introspective melodies.
Choral: Referring to music that is composed for or sung by a choir or chorus. Choral pieces often involve multiple voices harmonizing together.
Choreographer: A person responsible for creating dance compositions and planning the dance movements for performances in opera. Choreographers work closely with singers and directors to ensure that the dance sequences complement the overall production.
Chorus: A group of singers who perform together and often portray various characters such as servants, party guests, or other unnamed roles. The chorus adds depth and richness to the overall sound of the opera.
Chorus master: The individual in charge of selecting chorus members and rehearsing them for performances. The chorus master works closely with the conductor and director to ensure the chorus’s cohesion and musicality.
Classical: Referring to music written in the european tradition during the period from approximately 1730 to 1820. Classical music is characterized by balance, clarity, and adherence to certain structural principles.
Coloratura: Elaborate ornamentation and embellishment of vocal music, often involving rapid runs, trills, and florid passages. Coloratura showcases the singer’s agility, flexibility, and technical prowess.
Commedia dell’arte: A type of comic opera popular in italy from the 16th to the 18th centuries. It involved improvisation using stock characters and gestures, and its comedic nature made it highly entertaining.
Composer: A person who creates and writes music. Composers are responsible for conceiving and arranging musical works, including operas.
Comprimario: Referring to a secondary or supporting role in opera, or a person who sings such a role. Comprimario roles often contribute to the development of the main storyline and interact with the principal characters.
Conductor: The individual who leads and directs the live performance from the front of the stage, guiding the musicians and singers. The conductor sets the tempo, interprets the music, and ensures coordination between the performers.
Continuo: An accompaniment in opera, typically used in dry or ‘secco’ recitative. It is written for a harpsichord or other keyboard instrument, along with a bass instrument like a cello. The continuo provides harmonic support and commentary on the dramatic action.
Contralto: The lowest female singing voice, characterized by a rich, deep, and resonant tone. Contraltos often portray strong and dramatic female characters in opera.
Costume: The styled clothing worn by the singers in an opera. Costumes play a crucial role in visually representing the characters, time period, and overall aesthetic of the production.
Countertenor: A male singer with a naturally high vocal range, often singing in the alto or soprano register. Countertenors possess a unique and distinct timbre, and they are frequently employed.
Curtain call: After the main applause at the end of a performance, it is customary for the principals and conductor to come out for a final series of bows after the curtain has fallen. This is done in front of the curtain, hence the term “curtain call.” while less frequent than they used to be, curtain calls are still highly anticipated and popular, especially at ballet performances.
D Opera Terms
Da capo aria: A musical form that was prevalent in the 17th century. It is typically performed by a soloist accompanied by the orchestra. A da capo aria is structured in ternary form, meaning it consists of three sections. The singer begins with the main section (a), followed by a contrasting section (b), and finally returns to repeat the main section (a) with embellishments or improvisation.
Director: The person responsible for supervising the singers and overseeing the general production of an opera. The director works closely with the cast and production team to bring the artistic vision to life, coordinating the staging, blocking, and overall interpretation of the opera.
Diva: A term used to describe a female opera star of great talent, rank, or pretension. Divas are renowned for their exceptional vocal abilities, stage presence, and commanding performances. They often take on leading roles in operas and are highly regarded in the opera world.
Double aria: an aria consisting of two distinct parts. The first part, known as the cavatina, is usually slow and introspective, while the second part, called the cabaletta, is faster and more lively. Recitative passages often connect the two sections, adding dramatic context and transition.
Dramatic: Referring to the heaviest voice type in opera. A dramatic voice is capable of powerful and sustained declamation, allowing it to cut through the orchestral texture even in large-scale operatic productions involving approximately 80 instruments.
Dramaturg: An individual who contributes to the artistic and literary aspects of an opera production. A dramaturg suggests repertory, provides advice on competing editions of operas, and writes or edits materials for program books and supertitles. They play a critical role in shaping the overall narrative and thematic coherence of an opera production.
Dramma giocoso: A sub-category of opera buffa that emerged in the mid-18th century. It combines elements of comedy with sentimentality, pathos, and occasional glimpses of tragedy, despite ultimately having a happy ending. Dramma giocoso features characters from different social classes, including upper, middle, and lower, adding depth and variety to the comedic elements.
Dress rehearsal: The final rehearsal before a performance that incorporates all aspects of the production, including costumes, lights, and set design. While occasional stops for corrections may occur, the aim is to simulate the final performance as closely as possible. Dress rehearsals provide an opportunity for the performers and production team to ensure a smooth and polished presentation.
Duet: An extended musical passage performed by two singers. They may sing simultaneously or engage in intricate interactions, complementing or contrasting with each other’s melodies and harmonies. Duets can be emotionally charged, serving as a means of expressing intimate connections or dramatic conflicts between characters.
Dynamics: Refers to the variations in volume or intensity within a musical piece. It determines how loud or quiet the music is played or sung. Dynamics play a crucial role in conveying emotional nuances and creating dramatic tension in opera, allowing for a range of expressive possibilities.
E Opera terms
Encore: Literally means “again.” it used to be the custom for a singer to repeat a popular aria if the audience called “encore” loudly enough. This is still done in the middle of an opera in countries such as italy, but it is rare elsewhere. Soloists frequently give encores at the end of a concert but not an opera.
Ensemble: Two or more people singing at the same time, or the music written for such a group.
Eurotrash: A pejorative term for revisionist opera direction. Utterly meaningless and wildly misused, if you hear someone use it, they aren’t worth listening to.
F Opera Terms
Falsetto: A method of singing above the natural range of the male voice. Often used in opera for comic effects such as a man imitating a woman.
Finale: The last musical number of an opera or the last number of an act.
Forte: To be performed loudly.
G Opera Terms
Grand opera: Strictly speaking, opera without spoken dialogue. It is usually used to refer to opera which uses a large orchestra and chorus and grand themes.
Grandi aria: An important or major aria in an opera, often showcasing the skills of the principal singer.
Gesamtkunstwerk: A total, unified work of art according to the aesthetic ideals of richard wagner.
H Opera Terms
Harmony: The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes (types of harmony).
Heldentenor: A powerful tenor voice suitable for heroic roles in opera.
I Opera Terms
Impresario: The person in charge of running an opera company. The title is different around the world: “general manager”, “intendant” and “artistic director” are all variations you might hear.
Interlude: A short piece of instrumental music played between scenes or acts.
Intermezzo: A short musical composition usually offered between the acts of a longer operatic work.
Intermission: A long break, usually about 20 minutes, between the acts of an opera, during which the audience is free to move around.
Interval: A pause or break in a performance.
L Opera Terms
Largo: To be performed at a slow speed.
Legato: A smooth, connected style of singing and playing.
Leitmotiv: A short, recurring musical phrase associated with a particular character or event.
Librettist: The person who writes the libretto.
Libretto: The text or words of an opera.
Lyrics: The sung words or text of a musical comedy or operetta song.
M Opera terms
Mark: To sing softly, at less than full voice. During rehearsals, singers may mark their parts to avoid straining their voices.
Maestro: Literally “master;” used as a courtesy title for the conductor.
Magic opera: An opera in which there are many magical effects and often animals appearing on stage.
Mark: to sing very softly or not at full voice.
Melodrama: In a technique which originated with the french, short passages of music alternating with spoken words.
Mezza voce: Literally italian for “half voice”. Specified by some composers for a passage to be sung in a quiet, soft style.
Mezzo-soprano: The middle female singing voice, lower than soprano but higher than contralto.
Milliner: A person who makes hats, masks, and headdresses.
Monodrama: A type of opera or musical composition featuring a single character who sings throughout the performance.
N Opera Terms
Nightingale: In opera, the term “nightingale” is sometimes used to refer to a particularly skilled singer.
Number opera: An opera composed of individual numbers such as recitative, arias, duets, ensembles, etc.
Nessun dorma: One of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It’s from puccini’s turandot, although you might recognize it from leicester city football’s victory in the 2016 premier league and countless films.
O Opera Terms
Obbligato: In opera, a solo instrumental part in a vocal number designed not just to accompany but to support the principal vocal part or to throw it into relief. Sometimes as flashy as the vocal part itself.
Opera: Italian for “work.” a libretto acted and sung by one or more singers to an instrumental accompaniment.
Opera buffa: An opera about ordinary people, usually, but not always comic, which first developed in the 18th century.
Opera seria: A “serious” opera.
Operetta or musical comedy: A play, some of which is spoken but with many musical numbers.
Orchestra: The group of instrumentalists or musicians who, led by the conductor, accompany the singers.
Orchestration: The art of applying orchestral color to written music by assigning various instruments different parts of the music.
Ornamentation: Decorative additional notes such as trills and appoggiaturas that enhance the basic melody.
Overture: An instrumental introduction to an opera or musical composition, setting the mood and themes of the work.
P Opera Terms
Parlando: A style of singing like ordinary speech. It can occur in the middle of an aria.
Passaggio: The transitional area in a singer’s vocal range, where the voice shifts from one register to another.
Patter song: A song or aria in which the character sings as many words as possible in a short amount of time.
Piano-vocal score: Usually a reduction of an opera’s orchestral score.
Pit: A sunken area in front of the stage where the members of the orchestra play.
Portamento: An italian term for the vocal technique of sliding from one pitch to another continuously, rather than jumping between the two.
Prelude: Usually a short introduction that leads into an act without a break, as opposed to an overture, which is longer and can be played as a separate piece.
Principal: A major singing role, or the singer who performs such a role.
Prima donna: ‘First lady’; the female lead in an opera cast. In verdi’s time, roles were differentiated in order of dramatic and vocal importance: prima, seconda, terza, etc. Recently, however, the term has come to describe the personality of the singer.
Producer: A person responsible for the financial and managerial aspects of the making of an opera. Works with the director to bring their vision to life.
Production: The combination of sets, costumes, props, lights, etc.
Prompt: To help a singer remember lines, some opera houses will place a person (prompter) in a box below and at the very front of the stage.
Prompter: A person who sits in a small box at the front of the stage and gives cues to the performers. Something of a relic these days, many of the major houses no longer have a prompter, requiring the singers to actually learn their parts!
Proscenium: The part of the stage between the curtain and the orchestra pit.
R Opera Terms
Range: The distance from the lowest to the highest pitch of an instrument or a singer.
Recitative: Words sung in a conversational style, usually to advance the plot. Not to be confused with aria.
Reduction: In a piano reduction, the orchestra parts are condensed into music which can be played by one person on the piano.
Rehearsal: A practice or trial performance of an opera. The period before an opera comes to stage.
Répertoire: Stock pieces that a singer or company has ready to present. Often refers to a company’s current season.
Répétiteur: A member of the music staff who plays the piano for rehearsals and, if necessary, the piano or harpsichord during performances.
Roulade or run: A quick succession of notes sung on one syllable.
S Opera Terms
Scena: Literally “a scene;” a dramatic episode which consists of a variety of numbers with a common theme.
Score: The written music of an opera or other musical work.
Serenade: A piece of music honoring someone or something.
Seria: An opera on a serious, usually classical or mythological theme.
Set: The created structures on a stage that are intended to suggest a particular scene.
Sextet: A piece for six singers.
Singspiel: German opera with spoken dialogue and usually, but not necessarily, a comic or sentimental plot.
Sitzprobe: A German term to describe a seated rehearsal. Literally, “seated rehearsal,” it is the first rehearsal of the singers with the orchestra and no acting.
Soprano: The highest female singing voice.
Soubrette: A pert, young female character with a light soprano voice.
Spinto: A lyric voice that has the power and incisiveness for dramatic climaxes.
Staccato: “Clipped”; short, clipped, rapid articulation. The opposite of legato.
Strophic: Describes an aria in which the same music repeats for all stanzas of a text.
Supernumerary: The operatic name for extras. “Supers” are non-singing, non-speaking performers who act smaller roles or fill out the crowd scenes.
Supertitles: Translations of the words being sung, or the actual words if the libretto is in the native language, that are projected on a screen above the stage.
Supertitles: Projection of the opera’s libretto – often in English translation – on a display just above the stage.
Synopsis: A written description of an opera’s plot.
T terms for Opera Music
Tempo: the speed or pace of a musical piece.
Tenor: the highest common adult male singing voice.
Tessitura: literally “texture,” it defines the average pitch level of a role.
Through-sung: an opera in which the music is continuous, without divisions into recitative and aria.
Timbre: the unique quality or tone color of a musical sound, allowing different instruments and voices to be distinguished.
Toi toi toi: originally an idiom used to ward off a spell or hex. Nowadays, people say this before an opera performance instead of saying ‘good luck’. Similar to ‘break a leg’ in theatre.
Tragédie lyrique: early form of French opera that recognized a distinction between the main scenes and divertissements consisting of choruses, dances, etc.
Tremolo: the quick, continuous reiteration of a pitch.
Trill: very quick alternation of pitch between two adjacent notes. See coloratura.
Trio: an ensemble of three singers or the music that is written for three singers.
Trouser role: a role depicting a young man or boy but sung by a woman.
Unison: singing or playing at the same time.
V Opera Terms
Verismo: describes the realistic style of opera that started in Italy at the end of the nineteenth century.
Vibrato: a natural wavering of frequency (pitch) while singing a note. It is usually inadvertent as opposed to a trill.
Vocal coach: a member of an opera company who coaches singers, helping them with the pronunciation, singing, and interpretation of a role.
Vocal range: a singer’s vocal range defines the highest and lowest notes that they can sing.
W Opera Terms
Warm-up: preparation for singing by practicing gently and exercising the full vocal range.
Wigs: a covering for the head made of real or artificial hair.
Wig designer: designs and oversees the creation of the wigs used in a production.
Y Opera Terms
Yodelling: a form of singing or calling marked by rapid alternation between the normal voice and falsetto that originated in Austro-Bavarian culture. Yodelling can be heard in some works by Richard Strauss.
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