Opera

OPERA - a stage drama set to music.  Most operas before the Classical Period were serious operas (opera seria) and used myths and legends as the main subjects for stories. The Classical Period saw the rise of comic opera (opera buffa) which tended to tell stories about regular people in humorous situations. Most operas alternate between three types of music:

Aria - a full song by a soloist reflecting on their emotions about the current situation

Recitative - this is the half-sung, half-spoken text that moves the plot forward

Ensemble - anything from a two-person song (duet) all the way to a full choir


The most famous operas of this time period came from Mozart. The "BIG 4" are:

Don Giovanni (Don Juan)
Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute)
Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, went through several revisions before eventually becoming a big success in 1814.
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