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Opera Terms
   Home > Learn About Opera > Opera Basics > Opera Terms
 
What is Opera?  | History of Opera  | Vocal Styles  | Opera Terms  | Who's Who

GRAND OPERA
can mean either a serious opera with no spoken dialogue or a particularly lavish, large-scale opera based on a mythological or historical theme. Most opera is grand, but not all operas are grand operas.

COMPRIMARIO
is a 19th century Italian term for a singer who plays a supporting role.

DIVA
means “goddess,” and was once used to describe the supreme female singers of an era. Nowadays, it has acquired the connotation of great temperament as well as talent.

LEITMOTIF
is a signature musical passage or theme used as a dramatic device to underline character motivations and actions.

COLORATURA
is an ornamental section in an aria that consists of rapid runs and trills that display the singer’s exceptional virtuosity, agility and range.

DRAMMA GIOCOSO
means “jocular drama,” an Italian term for a comic opera with tragic overtones. Mozart’s Don Giovanni is a perfect example of the form.

HELDENTENOR
is a “heroic tenor” with a voice of great stamina and size needed for long and demanding operas, particularly those by Richard Wagner.

LIBRETTO,
or “little book,” contains the words of an opera or operetta.

IMPRESARIO
is the Italian title of the manager of an opera company. The German term is INTENDANT.

TEMPO
means “time” and indicates the preferred pace of the music.

ADAGIO
is music played (or sung) at a slow tempo.

BEL CANTO
means “beautiful singing” and describes an ornate style of writing designed to show off the splendors of the human voice. Lucia di Lammermoor and Norma are representative of the form.

INTERMEZZO
is a musical interlude between scenes, normally featuring the orchestra performing alone.

DA CAPO
means “from the top” and refers to repeating material in arias from the Baroque and Classical period.

March 2010
S M T W T F S
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28 29 30 31 1 2 3
Hover over a date in the calendar above to see the days event(s) listed here.
Thursday 03/04/10

6:30PM - 8:00PM
CANCELED- Amici and Leadership FWOpera Costume Shop Tour at The Wiley Theater
The Wiley Theater, AT&T Performing Arts Center, 2400 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201

Friday 03/05/10

6:00PM - 7:00PM
AMICI Night - DON PASQUALE
Winspear Opera House - 2403 Flora Street, Dallas 75201

Friday 03/05/10

7:30PM - 10:30PM
DON PASQUALE - Friday Evening Performance
Winspear Opera House - Flora Street, Dallas 75201

Sunday 03/07/10

2:00PM - 5:00PM
DON PASQUALE - Sunday Matinee 2
Winspear Opera House - Flora Street, Dallas 75201

Saturday 03/13/10

12:00PM - 12:30PM
Inside The Dallas Opera on WRR 101.1 FM
Listen to WRR 101.1 FM

Monday 03/15/10

6:30PM - 7:30PM
Moby Dick Book Club- Session 5
The Winspear Opera House- 2403 Flora St. Dallas TX 75201

Tuesday 03/16/10

5:30PM - 7:00PM
Amici Happy Hour- Dali Wine Bar, One Arts Plaza
Dali Wine Bar- 1722 Routh St., Dallas TX 75201

Saturday 03/20/10

11:30AM - 9:00PM
The Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition
Gooch Auditorium (UT Southwestern Medical Center) 5323 Harry Hines Blvd. at Butler

Saturday 03/27/10

2:00PM - 4:30PM
"From Page to Stage: The Operatic Journey of Moby-Dick"
SMU- Caruth Auditorium

Sunday 03/28/10

4:00PM - 5:30PM
"From Page to Stage: The Operatic Journey of Moby-Dick- Exclusive Subcriber Event"
The Winspear Opera House- Hamon Hall, 2403 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201



BREAKING NEWS:
Don't miss a classic interview with Maestro Nicola Rescigno on WRR 101.1 FM

WHEN:
Thurs, Aug 14- 6:30PM
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