MUSIC GENRES

question: MUSIC GENRES

ANSWER

Student Name

MUSI 1306

Prof. Garcia

Music Genres

Part 1- Opera

Opera is a constructed form of music whereby long and suspended melodies characterize the composition. Musicians combine opera scores and text or libretto mostly in theatrical performances. On this note, the original concept of operas was recreating Greek drama considering that Greeks and Romans are said to be the original creators of operas. In the 17^th century, the opera music was born out of royal entertainments in Italy and France. Entertainments in the form of dance, mixed music, and visual arts incorporated themes from the classical mythologies of the Greeks and Romans. The classical mythologies comprised of ancient stories and heroic deeds of the gods. With that in mind, operas have enhanced the musical theatre. In this case, the early creators and modern opera composers use this form of music to convey human interactions, conditions, and even emotions (Forney et al., 203). Further, other musicians have used operas to portray cultural aspects through costume and instruments incorporated during the performances. Apart from that, operas have been used to convey historical facts based on the message sung from the composition. Generally, operas reflect the society based on how people live their lives, political influences, love and traditions and how artists have evolved their music in different eras.

The original creators of opera

Considering that operas have an ancient history, the original composers were the Florentine Camerata group which comprised of musicians created the first opera for theatre. Other artists like Jacopo Peri followed on and released several operas like the Dafne in 1597. This marked the beginning of more opera compositions, whereby opera buffa and opera seria became the two popular types of opera (Grout et al., 203). The two kinds of operas gained publicity during the classical period. Opera buffa was quite common in Europe such that different countries had different names they called the operas. For instance, in Germany, the operas were identified as singspiel. France recognized this music as opera comique. Further, England used the term ballad or dialogue opera. Then, Italy used the term opera buffa. This kind of music was characterized by lively and down-to-earth compositions that had humorous dialogues and familiar tunes. Further, it was sung using local languages that the audience could understand. On the other hand, opera seria was quite the opposite of opera buffa. In this case, this music had serious plots or tragic events, and it was sung using the Italian language. This type of genre that was highly formalized was inherited from the Baroque whereby the music compositions were arias and recitatives. According to Forney et al., (204), common characters in this type of opera were heroes and kings. These people were more involved in serious or tragic activities where they fought for peace, power, or destroyed enemies.

Opera in the modern era

With time, from the eighteenth to the nineteenth century, opera composers such as Georg Frideric Handel, Jenny Lind, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Gioachino Rossini, and Giacomo Puccini among others emerged. To date, however, operas have been developing whereby composers incorporate modern styles such as serialism. In this case, a series of pitches, rhythm, and other musical elements are included in the music. Also, composers like Arnold Schoenberg and Alban Berg have moved away from composing long keys to creating shorter melodies. This is a style known as atonality whereby the music fails to have a key or tonal center. Modern operas also have extreme incorporation of chromaticism and dissonance, which are elements that have revolutionized the opera (Grout et al., 508). Further, it is worth noting that radio and television have become the standard medium used by composers to reach a wider audience. Opera houses have made this possible since they transmit the performances in high definition such that viewers can download or stream live to enjoy the music.

Conclusion

Overall, scholars like Forney et al., (125-126) reveal that operas have been appreciated in the music scene by both men and women.  This kind of music, although not many people may know, it creates a therapeutic feel which is attributed by the harmonies from the vocal and instrumental accompaniments. Apart from that, operas have helped in making the theatrical plays more interesting to watch due to the dramatic events that are well combined with the rhythms. Still, the performers also contribute a lot in making this kind of music to be memorable and persuasive based on the message that the composers intend the audience to interpret. Although operas are quite historical, the artistry in their composition makes one feel reborn.

Work cited

Forney, Kristine, Andrew Dell’Antonio, and Joseph Machlis. The enjoyment of music. WW Norton, 2018.Grout, Donald Jay, Donald Grout, and Hermine Weigel Williams. A short history        of opera. Columbia University Press, (2003): 9- 729.

Part two

Giacomo Puccini, Manon Lescaut (Act four)

• The opera exhibits a continuous musical texture.
• Puccini’s opera has a traditional musical schema, and one can also note that there are parallel chords in the music.

I liked the music mostly due to the musical texture that has been harmonized by various musical instruments like the flutes, violins, trumpets, and clarinets.

Giacomo Puccini, La Boheme (Act one)

• There is a short orchestral introduction which is followed by a melody that has small skips.
• The opera has melodic fragment which reoccurs at strategic points in the performance.

I enjoyed this composition since it has melodic sequences that resemble folk music or children’s songs, which makes the tune in the opera quite memorable.

Giacomo Puccini, Tosca (Act two)

• The opera has a falling and rising melody in between conversations.
• The opera has a recognizable sequence of three strident chords which tend to demonstrate the thrilling events happening in the theatrical performance.

At first, I had a mixed reception concerning this opera; however, when the painted tones created an exciting feeling, this enhanced my curiosity in wanting to hear more of the song.

Giuseppe Verdi, Un Ballo in Maschera (Act two)

• The opera has high vocal lines, and the prelude is characterized by a dramatic orchestral that conveys intense emotions.
• The harmonized melodies are well balanced, and the soprano builds with intensity, thus creating a rising and falling tension.

I did not enjoy it because I found the instrumentation quite slow, thus making the whole performance dull.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Le Nozze di Figaro: Sull’aria (Act three)

• The opera is recitative with major and minor keys which help in conveying dynamic contrasts.
• Flutes and bassoons accompany the vocal lines.

I liked this opera due to its varying but controlled rhythmic patterns.  

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Così fan Tutte: Soave Sia il Vento (Act one)

• An emerging aspect in this melody is the melodic simplicity and diverse solos of three voices, bass, mezzo-soprano, and soprano.
• There is a homophonic texture which is evident from the mezzo-soprano and soprano voices from the two ladies in the opera.

Despite there being harmonic unison in this opera, I did not enjoy because of the short phrases and less predictable melody.

Simone Kermes, Cara Tomba (A. Scarlatti) – (Act four)

• The beginning of Kermes’ opera is ornamented by vigorous cellos and violins which create brilliant orchestral color.
• There is expressive coloration from the wide-ranging soprano voice which conveys deep emotions

I enjoyed this opera, mostly the orchestration which made the music somehow lively.

George Gershwin, Porgy and Bess: Summertime (Act one)

• The opera has a striking instrumental color which has been attributed by the instrumental lines which feature the clarinet, oboe, flute, and bells.
• The vocal melody is homophonic, but one can also recognize a monophonic octave when the opera is beginning.

I enjoyed this opera due to its soothing feel possibly because it is a lullaby.

Béla Bartók, Bluebeard’s Castle (Act one)

• The opera has a slow tempo at the beginning. A semitone then follows, thus creating an impression of danger and sadness.
• The vocals follow a chromatic style, and there is an emphasis on high pitch intervals

I was fascinated by this opera mostly because I can relate to the story behind it, thus making it easy for me to follow.

Claudio Monteverdi, L’arianna: Lamento d’Arianna (Part one)

• In this opera, one can hear a variety of voices which are well harmonized, and they include mezzo-soprano, bass, tenor, and alto.
• Monteverdi’s music has a repetitive and rhythmic pattern, and this is evident in the chorus.

There is creativity in the arrangement of the voices, which is the reason why I enjoyed listening to this opera.