Exercises

1. Answer the questions:

1) Which model of describing a piece of classical music – the one provided above (“Intermezzo”) or the one presented in the excerpt “Mr Smeeth Goes to a Symphony Concert” – does the author give preference to?

2) Which of the numerous pieces of advice given by the author did you find useful?

2. Describe your favourite piece of classical music.

UNIT 2. Opera

Read the text about the origins of opera and do the tasks that follow.

Opera began in Italy in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Among its precedents were many Italian madrigals of the time, in which scenes involving dialogue, but no stage action, were set to music. Other precursors were Renaissance court spectacles of pageantry, music, and dance. Opera itself was developed by a group of musicians and scholars who called themselves the Camerata (Italian for “salon”). The Camerata had two chief goals: to revive the musical style used in ancient Greek drama and to make composers pay close attention to the texts on which their music was based, to set these texts in a simple manner, and to make the music reflect, phrase by phrase, the meaning of the text.

The Camerata developed a style of vocal music called monody (Greek for “solo song”). It consisted of simple melodic lines accompanied by a series of chords on a harpsichord or other instrument - supported by a bass melody instrument. Two members of the Camerata, Giulio Caccini and Jacopo Peri, realized that monody could be used for soliloquies and dialogues in a staged drama. In 1597 Peri made use of this insight by writing the first opera, Dafne. In 1600 an opera called Euridice was performed in Florence, Italy, incorporating music by both Peri and Caccini.

The first composer of genius to apply himself to opera was the Italian Claudio Monteverdi. Monteverdi demonstrated that a wide variety of musical procedures and styles could be used in opera to enhance the drama.

Opera spread quickly throughout Italy. The principal Italian opera center during the middle and late 17th century was Venice. The next most important was Rome, where a clear differentiation was made for the first time between the singing styles of aria (used for emotional reflection) and recitative (used for plot information and dialogue).

Exercises

1. Say whether the statements are True or False.

1. Opera was a European invention of the Middle Ages.

2. Opera developed from Italian madrigals and Renaissance court spectacles.

3. As a genre, opera was developed by a group of musicians who called themselves the Camerata (Italian for room).

4. The Camerata aimed to restore the musical style used in ancient Greek drama as well as to draw composers’ attention to the importance of the libretto and the interconnection of music and drama in an operatic production.

5. Jacopo Peri can be called a pioneer of opera writing.

6. The outstanding Italian operatic composer Claudio Monteverdi proved that opera has got immense potential for bringing out the expressiveness of the drama.

7. It was in Venice that a clear-cut differentiation was made for the first time between arias and recitatives.

2. Study vocabulary items 38-41 (see Glossary).

3. Answer the questions:

1. What kinds of music does opera combine? 2. What instruments perform in an operatic production? 3. What musical items constitute an opera? 4. Which is more important in an opera – music or drama, do you think? 5. Do you agree with the statement that opera is a kind of performance where some dramatic action is merely accompanied by music? 6. Is opera popular nowadays? Do you like it? Why (not)?

4. Make up a dialogue and act it out in class:

Helen Curry is talking to her friend Gerald Neville about opera. They are both fond of classical music, but Gerald prefers symphony and chamber music whereas Helen is very fond of opera. She points out that opera combines drama, beautiful singing, fine orchestra and striking visual effects: lovely scenery, gorgeous costumes, crowd scenes. Poignant dramatic situations find expression in music and are enhanced by it. Gerald doesn’t agree with her. In his opinion, opera is an inferior genre. Helen is parrying his criticism stolidly defending her favourite genre. Use the following:

Helen	Gerald
It’s colourful and picturesque.	Symphonic music is philosophical and psychological.
It has general appeal.	Opera is superficial and vulgar.
Never mind the librettos: it’s the music that matters.	Opera personages trying to communicate by singing are ridiculous.
A really good singer can create any image she likes: you don’t care what she looks like.	Most librettos are absurd and sentimental.
You lack imagination.	The dramatic situations are artificial and implausible.
Take Carmen, for example: what’s wrong with it?	Fat prima donnas posing as young frail girls make one laugh.
	The scenery and the costumes are overluxurious and in bad taste.
	The cheap pomposity of it sets my teeth on edge.