FOCUS ON THE ARTS

Few young people have had the opportunity to attend live opera and may be unclear about what to expect during an opera performance. Students may have a few stereotypical concepts in mind, such as sizable singers in Viking helmets, so it is suggested that the following material be reviewed with the students in a grade-appropriate manner.

First, a quiet note about Audience Etiquette:

-During the performances, students should remain still, quiet and aware.
-The opera will be performed live and students should realize that the performers could be distracted by noise or movement.

Live performance is a two-way street and the audience has an important role to play. Even though they are listening carefully, students should respond to what they see. They should laugh when something is funny and they should applaud when the performers take their bows.

At the end of the opera,they should feel free to use the opera convention of shouting Bravo! for men, Brava! for women or Bravi Tutti! for everyone, if they really enjoyed it.

LET’S GO TO THE OPERA!

An opera is a play where the story is told with both words and music, the words being sung instead of spoken. Because music can describe and cause powerful feelings, opera audiences experience the story in many different ways, on many different levels. In an opera, audiences will understand the words, listen to the music and react to both. Opera is a feast for the senses, as it combines words and music with the visual spectacle of costumes, sets, staging and drama. Opera often includes dance numbers as well. For these reasons, opera is considered by many to be the most powerful art form. It is an art form that uses all other art forms to create a dramatic presentation.

For example, visual art is used in the design of the set, the costumes, props and lighting. Drama is represented through the portrayal of the characters and the movement of the singers on the stage. Dance is often part of opera and many opera productions use multi-media, such as photographic projections or videos.

Click HERE to get an explanation of opera basics from America’s Public Broadcasting system.

INTRODUCTION TO OPERA TERMS

To create a new opera, such as Get Stuffed, two highly skilled creative artist work together, a librettist and a composer. Usually the words are written fist and then those words are set to music. Once the librettist and composer have created the story and the music, it takes a whole team of people to produce and perform new opera. Click on the link below to for an activity sheet that provides a quick overview of all of the people that are involved with new opera creation.

Opera Vocabulary Sheet