Opera

Opera

Industry: Drama

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Opera

Cadenza

Drama; Opera

An ornamental passage in which the flow of the piece has been stopped while the singer makes up or improvises flashy vocal aerobics.

A group of Florentine writers and one musician who regularly met in the late 1600s to discuss art and experiment with art form. The ‘Camerata Fiorentina’ created opera by combining music, Greek drama ...

Cantabile

Drama; Opera

“singable”; a term that asks the performer to sing or play in a gentle singing manner.

Basso buffo

Drama; Opera

A comic bass voice (typically a baritone) that specialises in comic roles often seen in operas of Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti. The title role in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale is a typical example.

Basso cantante

Drama; Opera

A bass voice that demonstrates a melodic, lyrical quality, such as the role of King Philip in Verdi’s Don Carlo.

Canzone

Drama; Opera

A short lyrical song, usually reflecting the singer’s state of mind. In Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Cherubino sings Voi che sapete which is called a ‘canzone.’

Cabaletta

Drama; Opera

A brisk aria in Italian opera, usually on the heels of a more lyrical, thoughtful aria. The cabaletta usually expresses a contrasting state of mind frequently inspiring the character to a course of ...