Lesson 4:  Opera

Opera

One form of music that developed in the Baroque period was opera. Opera can be defined as a dramatic work in which singers and musicians use both a musical score and a text or libretto. More simply, we might think of opera as a singing play similar to the musicals that are popular today. Opera, which means “work” in Italian, began at the very end of the sixteenth century in Italy. One of the earliest operas known was Dafne, which was a work that drew on the ancient Greek drama with its choruses. In many of the early Baroque operas, composers combined a broad comedy with tragic elements. In some ways, this was an attempt to draw the increasing merchant class, who had less experience with and knowledge of “culture” than the wealthy, to the public opera houses. The comedic operas come to be known as opera buffa.

Another form of opera that developed in the Baroque period was opera seria. Opera seria is very stylized and puts a greater emphasis on the experienced and masterful singer. This form of opera created situations where the singer gained a degree of stardom. Singing opera during the Baroque period could be a challenge, although opera houses were often designed to provide better acoustics than other music venues. One reason for this is that there was no way to amplify the singers’ voices during the opera. They had to sing very loudly, in a “controlled scream,” in order to be heard by their audience.

Oratorios were similar to operas, except that they did not use scenery in the performance. In this sense, they are concert pieces rather than a form of musical theater. Oratorios tended to be serious and dramatic. They were large-scale compositions, including soloists, choirs, and orchestras. Another difference between operas and oratorios was the subject matter. Operas often dealt with history and mythology, using themes of romance and deception. In contrast, oratorios were often on sacred topics. Perhaps the most famous example of an oratorio is Handel’s Messiah.

The Instrumental Suite

Another common form of music during the Baroque period is the instrumental suite (pronounced “sweet”). An instrumental suite (or Baroque suite) is a series of dances. You might think of this form of music as a box of chocolates. The box has many different types of chocolates inside, but they are similar in that they are made of chocolate and all inside the same box. With an instrumental suite, each part is different, but they are all connected as parts of the whole suite. Each of the pieces in the instrumental suite is composed in the same key. The instrumental suite illustrates a connection to earlier times, as the names of the different parts are from Renaissance dances.

The different parts of the instrumental suite include the following:

• Prelude: This is a shorter piece that comes before the other parts of the instrumental suite.
• llemande: This piece is a moderate tempo dance which derived from German dances. Originally, this was the first piece of the instrumental suite, but over time, the prelude took the first spot. Often regarded as a serious dance, the allemande was characterized by couples forming two lines and parading back and forth in the room.
• Courante: This piece is a triple meter, fast-paced dance. Literally, the word courante means “running.”
• Sarabande: This piece is usually a slow triple meter dance, slower and more grave than the original Spanish dance that it is based on.
• Gigue: This piece is a fast dance in 6/8 time. Originating in the British Isles, it is somewhat reminiscent of the Irish jig.

Generally, an instrumental or Baroque suite employed the four dances above (sometimes including the prelude). However, some compositions included additional pieces, such as some of the ones listed here:

• Hornpipe: This piece is a fast, lively dance. It is said to have been created aboard English sailing vessels and the movements are those that a sailor might do as part of his duties.
• Minuet or Menuet: This piece is one of the best known of the Baroque instrumental suites. The minuet is a social dance for a couple.
• Gavotte: This piece has a moderate to fast tempo. The dance is French in origin.
• Air or ayre: This piece is simple and written for either instrument or voice. English lute ayres were popular in the court of Elizabeth I during the sixteenth century.
• Bouree: This piece is played at a moderate to lively tempo. Handel often used a fast tempo in the pieces that he composed. Of French origin, the bouree is similar to the Gavotte.
• Pavane: This piece is a slower processional dance.

Both the opera and instrumental suite were widely popular during the Baroque period. However, there were other musical forms composed and performed, including fugues, sonatas, the passacaglia, masses, and cantatas.