Chapter 14

Question 1

aria

Answer 1

type of solo singing in an opera. for expressing a character’s feelings.
Lyrical singing, can be virtuosic and highly embellished (probably more melismatic)
Accompanied by full orchestra, often introduced with brief sinfonia, instrumental ritornello may follow each stanza
Often has repeated parts to indicate structure (early arias usually strophic)

one person expressing emotions, soliloquy. beautiful, more instrumentation.

Question 2

Giovanni Bardi

Answer 2

Florentine Camerata was hosted under his patronage.

Question 3

Caccini

Answer 3

1587 - 1645. brilliant career as singer, teacher, composer
daughter of Giulio Caccini
highest-paid musician employed by grand duke of Tuscany
sang in a concerto delle donne
among the most prolific composers of dramatic music.

one of the first operas, Euridice.

Question 4

castrato

Answer 4

women prohibited from stage in Rome
female roles sung by castrati
later 17th and 18th centuries, castrati sang outside of Rome in male roles

Question 5

chorus

Answer 5

used at the end of an act.

large group of singers?

Question 6

diva cult

Answer 6

In Italian opera in mid 1600s, aria and recitative were more seperated. drama became secondary to music, and diva cults developed. singers became like rock stars

Question 7

ensemble

Answer 7

ENSEMBLES: technically, any singing with more than one person
Duets, trios, quartets, etc. up to a chorus

Question 8

Farinelli

Answer 8

celebrated Italian castrato singer of the 18th century and one of the greatest singers in the history of opera.

Question 9

Florentine Camerata

Answer 9

. early 1570s, academy hosted by Count Bardi
a. discussed literature, science, and the arts
b. musicians performed new music
c. Vincenzo Galilei (ca. 1520s–1591) and Giulio Caccini

They wanted to make music more like the ancient Greeks. Took Greek tragedy as model for opera.

Question 10

Vincenzo Galilei

Answer 10

member of the Florentine Camerata.
Dialogo della musica antica et della moderna (Dialogue of Ancient and Modern Music, 1581), by Galilei
a. attacked vocal counterpoint
b. argued for single line melody, natural speech inflections similar to ancient greeks.

Question 11

Intermedi

Answer 11

a. musical interlude on pastoral, allegorical, mythological subject; performed between acts of a play
b. usually 6: before, between, and after play’s 5 acts
c. linked by common theme
d. elaborate productions for important occasions, almost all the ingredients of opera

Question 12

libretto

Answer 12

libretto (text) rhymed or unrhymed verse, continuous music, staged with scenery, costumes, action

Question 13

liturgical drama

Answer 13

liturgical drama, in the Middle Ages, type of play acted within or near the church and relating stories from the Bible and of the saints. Although they had their roots in the Christian liturgy, such plays were not performed as essential parts of a standard church service. precursor to opera

Question 14

madrigal cycle

Answer 14

precursor to opera. i. madrigals grouped in series
ii. succession of scenes or simple plot
iii. L’Amfiparnaso (The Slopes of Parnassus, 1594), by Orazio Vecchi (1550–1605), best known

Question 15

Girolamo Mei

Answer 15

member of Florentine Camerata.

Question 16

Orfeo

Answer 16

Opera by Monteverdi. one of the first operas. It is based on the Greek legend of Orpheus, and tells the story of his descent to Hades and his fruitless attempt to bring his dead bride Eurydice back to the living world.

Question 17

opera

Answer 17

Drama with continuous or nearly continuous music, staged with scenery, costumes, and action. Began as court entertainment. Recitative and aria.

Question 18

Peri

Answer 18

Jacopo Peri (20 August 1561 – 12 August 1633) was an Italian composer, singer and instrumentalist of the early Baroque periods.[1] He wrote what is considered the first opera, the mostly lost Dafne (c. 1597), and also the earliest extant opera, Euridice (1600).

Question 19

recitative

Answer 19

type of solo singing in an opera. for moving the story forward, narrate action or dialogue
Speech song (more syllabic)
Basso continuo holds steady notes while voice moves freely
No regular melody or rhythm, no repeated parts
Can be more expressive… moving towards aria… arioso.

dialogue or narration. between singing and talking, not decorated. little accompaniment. not repetitive. through composed. just to tell the story.

Question 20

ritornello

Answer 20

instrumental refrain between strophs - between singer’s verses

Question 21

sinfonia

Answer 21

orchestral piece used as an introduction, interlude, or postlude to an opera, oratorio, cantata, or suite