Most often, an opera by an inexperienced listener is associated with loud music, strong voices and, frankly, obscure text. As a rule, viewers use the libretto to understand what is at stake. But few know that this concept is much deeper. What is opera? In music, this term is used to refer to a number of genres related to the exclusive role of music in performance.
History of opera
Opera as a genre originated in Italy in the distant fifteenth century. It was part of theatrical performances on religious subjects, music in which played a secondary role. Later shepherd’s songs appeared, most often performed by the choir, he also performed in performances, accompanying the actions of artists. And only after a hundred years theaters began to use solo performance of works - this is what is considered the birth of the genre, which was called "musical opera".
Opera development
Initially, composers preferred to name the new genre in which they worked as a musical drama, but in the seventeenth century the term “opera” appeared. The first theater working in this genre appeared in the first half of the seventeenth century in the art of Venice experienced in art. Prior to this, only high-ranking officials could become viewers of performances. Musical opera very soon went beyond the borders of Italy, penetrating into most European countries. Within half a century, seven theaters opened, for which about forty composers worked.
Opera in Russia
Russia adopted something new very reluctantly and very late. What is opera in music, the court of Empress Anna Ioannovna found out only in the eighteenth century, when Italian actors visited the country . The first Russian work in this genre (The Power of Love and Hate) was translated from French. It took twenty years for the Russian-language opera to be written.
Nationalization of Opera
Mikhail Glinka is undoubtedly a brilliant composer who has done a lot for the development of music in Russia. He did everything possible to reflect the national character in his works , to show the soul of the Russian people. Glinka's operas appeared in Italy, where he studied music, but even their names (“Ivan Susanin”, “Ruslan and Lyudmila”) indicate that the composer in no way wanted to abandon his roots. It is surprising that Glinka took part in writing the libretto, he was not afraid to challenge the canons, change the mood of his works, was not afraid to experiment in his music. He used new instruments, which until then had only been seen in European productions. Glinka's operas became a source of inspiration for such famous composers as Weber and Berlioz, later Wagner borrowed individual ideas.
Successor
After Glinka’s success, opera no longer seemed to Russia such an alien genre. Many famous composers tried their hand at this difficult genre, and Rimsky-Korsakov was no exception. The operas of this musician were considered magical, he himself was called a storyteller. The reason for such flattering reviews was the amazing talent of the musician, who was able to create an atmosphere of tremendous realism in his works. But very soon he proved that he was capable not only of the stage embodiment of fairy tales. The opera "Mozart and Salieri" demonstrated the development of personality, the inconsistency of the characters of the characters, the intricacies of the feelings and emotions of the characters. It seems that Rimsky-Korsakov fundamentally overturned the idea of Russia about what opera is in music, creating fifteen unique works that went down in the history of world art.
Opera phrase
The genre of the opera is amazing in that it combines elements of classical theatrical drama and choreography, most often represented by ballet, to which are added music of tremendous strength with equally striking vocals. It is impossible to imagine opera without arias. An aria is the same as a monologue in a lyrical work. It serves to ensure that the hero can reveal his thoughts and feelings, talk about his attitude to what is happening. The word "aria" originates from the Italian "breath", due to the fact that the whole musical phrase is sung with one breath. Researchers believe that such a technique gives drama to what is happening on the stage. But at the same time, many arias have already gone beyond the scale of the theater scene. For example, the aria from the opera Carmen, which in the Russian version of the production begins with the words “love has wings like a bird”, is known not only to art lovers, but also to ordinary people. The same applies to such famous musical works as the arias from “The Marriage of Figaro” (the phrase from which “Figaro is here, Figaro is there” has already become winged) or “The heart of a beautiful woman is prone to treason” from “Rigoletto”.
Conclusion
Opera is one of the most amazing and controversial music genres. On the one hand, one cannot but admire the perfect combination of dramatic plot, music, strong voices and amazing scenery. But on the other hand, sometimes it seems too complicated for the perception of an unprepared listener. But we must pay tribute: in the world there is no other genre that harmoniously combines everything that the theater is valued for . What is opera in music? This is an endless storehouse of feelings and emotions invested in sound, the highest level of mastery of the composer, who was able to embody the whole world in his work, demonstrating its smallest details in the sound of musical instruments. There is no genre equal in its scale and laboriousness to the opera, which is why it is worthy of admiration and respect from the audience.