Opera
It is often difficult to draw distinct lines between periods in music. In symphony Beethoven clearly bridged the gap between the Classical and Romantic periods and in opera Gluck did the same between Baroque and Classical. In a similar way Puccini, although a romantic composer, lived well into the 20th century and died in 1926. Many of his operas are well known and still performed today, and one of the most popular, 'La Bohème' (1896), is most famous for the story and tragic ending as the heroine dies. In this excerpt from the end of act one, Rudolpho has just met the heroine Mimi, who has knocked on the door and asked for a light for her candle. He finds that ‘Her tiny hand is frozen’ and tells her a little about himself. The music is unashamedly romantic with a rich orchestration and lots of rubato and feeling in the music. It is interesting that the melody of this romantic meeting returned in the music later in the opera when Rudolpho appears as Mimi approaches her death.
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From 1900 onwards Puccini’s operas were noted for his forays into musical ‘verismo’, the realistic depiction of life. Opera has come a long way from the Greek myths of the Baroque period and the Mozart operas of the Classical times. 'Tosca' (1900) and 'Madame Butterfly' (1904) clearly fall into this category with Pinkerton, the American sailor, deserting his Japanese lover, Madame Butterfly.
In 1918 Puccini wrote a triptych of operas, three one-act operas to be performed in succession. The last of these, ‘Gianni Schicchi’, is a comic opera and the best known. Here is the most famous short aria from that work, ‘Oh my beloved father’. This is the only set piece aria in the entire opera, which is really a continuous story told in conversational music between the various characters.
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(Scene from the Scottish opera production of Puccini's opera 'Tosca').
Needless to say as the 20th century progressed and music diversified in so many different ways, operas were written in very different styles.
| Claude Debussy 1862 - 1918 | Richard Strauss 1864 - 1949 |
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The romantic style continued with operas by Richard Strauss, for instance ‘Elektra’, and in England Vaughan Williams' opera ‘A Pilgrim's Progress’ uses his typical planar, parallel harmonies with an element of English folk song noticeable in the sound.
Debussy in his impressionist style wrote the mellow, symbolistic opera ‘Pelléas et Mélisande’ as a reaction to Wagner’s highly elaborate late romantic works.
Berg wrote two operas 'Lulu' and 'Wozzeck' in a serial, 12-tone style, and with rather lurid plots.
Stravinsky’s opera ‘The Rake's Progress’ has some beautiful but at times quite dissonant music. Listen to this excerpt from act three for soprano and mixed-voice chorus. Notice the presence of a clear melodic (aria) line yet the orchestral and choral harmonies clearly clash at times.
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Probably the most important of all 20th century opera composers is Benjamin Britten, who has been the most prolific of all in the last century. All of his operas are performed regularly and ‘Albert Herring’, ‘Peter Grimes’ and ‘Billy Budd’ are among the best known. Listen to this excerpt from the last of these works, ‘Billy Budd’. Billy is awaiting execution for a crime he, all the crew of his ship and of course the audience know he did not commit. It is a very poignant and sad farewell.
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It is only possible in these pages to outline the development of opera. To enjoy opera you must sit in the theatre and listen, take in the whole atmosphere of the performance and where appropriate be sad, laugh or cry!