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What is Opera
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Even if you know the ABC’s of opera (Aida, Bohème, Carmen), there’s a lot of tantalizing information out there, to fire your passion for opera and keep you thoroughly engaged.
The key difference is, in a typical musical dialogue is spoken by the characters who occasionally burst into song. In most operas, the singing never stops. Even instructions as mundane as, “Open the door,” are sung rather than spoken. A solo in an opera is known as an aria. When two people sing together, it’s called a duet, and more than two singers form a trio, quartet, quintet, or ensemble. The themes of opera tend to be more sweeping or grand than the plot of the typical musical and the human drama, decidedly more passionate and intense.
From ancient mythology to today’s headlines and everything in between. Giuseppe Verdi used to travel with three books constantly in his possession: The Bible, the Complete Works of William Shakespeare, and the poetry of Schiller. Nearly all his operas were inspired by one of these three volumes. However, today’s operas come from a wide variety of source materials, both fictional and historical. Whether the subject is Nixon in China, Dead Man Walking, An American Tragedy or The Little Prince, opera has shown an uncanny ability to spark dialogue and touch hearts from one generation to the next.
Start with the “ABC’s” Aida (the Egyptian opera, elephants are optional), Boheme (or, to be precise, La bohème, a tale of starving artists that continues to inspire works like Rent and the movie musical Moulin Rouge), and Carmen, the opera that proves that smoking isn’t the only thing bad for your health! Add Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Wagner’s Ring Cycle and Puccini’s Madame Butterfly to begin a modest list of today’s most popular operas.
No, and this points out another difference between opera and today’s Broadway musicals. While a few opera companies permit microphones, most – including The Dallas Opera – do not, which means the singers must have the talent and training to compete, unaided, against the sound of a full-scale orchestra. It’s an extraordinary feat designed to create a spine-tingling musical experience that cannot be duplicated in any of the other performing arts.
Contrary to popular belief, these are NOT touring shows. When a Dallas Opera production ends, it goes back to the warehouse. It may be rented to another opera company in another part of the world or it could be revived by The Dallas Opera in a later season. However, it’s best to assume that this may be your only chance to see a given production, which is what keeps our season subscribers coming back, year after year.
You’ve been watching too many old movies! Today’s opera singer is more likely to be a calorie-counting athlete than a couch potato. Improved physical conditioning has led to more theatrical opera stagings than in the past, and much longer, healthier, and impressive international careers.
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