Opera

Like many other styles of music, such as concerto, fugue and oratorio, opera has its roots firmly established in the 17th century. Although there had been some earlier works, the first real opera of note is ‘Orfeo’, composed in 1607 by the Italian Monteverdi. Like many operas over the next 150 years, it took its plot from Greek mythology. Recitative was used to tell the story and arias appear for the first time along with short and quite dramatic choruses. The composer used quite a large orchestra and experimented with the tone colour of the various instruments and often used discords to dramatic effect.

England

The idea of opera was fairly slow to catch on in England but one composer, Purcell, produced an excellent example, ‘Dido and Aeneas’. This composition contained all the ingredients which were to become standard over the coming centuries. The work was performed on stage with scenery and costumes, while the orchestra, usually in a pit beneath the stage, accompanied the solo singers and chorus during their performance on stage. Singers told the story quickly by using recitative and sang of their reaction to the story in arias while the chorus played the part of the mob, family or army or whatever part they had to play in the plot. Listen to a short chorus from the beginning of Purcell’s opera. One of the main characters, Belinda, sings a short introduction before the SATB (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) chorus sing in a homophonic ending to the excerpt. Notice the use of continuo of harpsichord and cello to accompany the solo soprano voice at the beginning and the use of the full orchestra when the chorus enters.

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In general the choruses at this time were short and to the point. Listen to this example, ‘Cupid only throws the dart’, and notice how the entries of the voices imitate one another in a style which is similar to stretto in a fugue.

Even shorter is the chorus laughing!

This opera is most famous for Dido’s final sad aria ‘When I am laid in earth’. Listen to this performance and notice the ground bass, played on the cello and which continues the performance of the aria which is sung by a soprano voice.

When Handel arrived in Britain in 1710 he started to compose operas in the Italian style to satisfy the demand for this style which had become popular in the country after Purcell’s Dido.
His operas were of a similar pattern to that already described but included da capo arias, which were in ternary form, ABA, and in which the singer freely ornamented the repeated first section. Listen to this typical example of a slow aria of the time sung by a mezzo-soprano voice. Notice the quicker middle section, B, and the added ornamentation in the voice part in the repeat of the first section.

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. Much of Handel’s operatic aria style is very florid, with much coloratura singing of melismatic phrases. Listen to this excerpt from ‘Alcina’ and listen for the soprano voice, the dance-like style of the music and the use of sequence during melismatic, coloratura singing.

The great operas of Handel were to be a further foundation to an operatic tradition which developed more fully in the Classical period.

( Scene from the Scottish Opera production of Handel's 'Semele'. Photograph Bill Cooper)