Rodelinda

The Italian opera and the German opera are two different fields that both share characteristics, some of which are paralleled, and some of which contrast. Specifically, Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner use motifs such as: redemption through love, patriotism, and sacrifice which run throughout both of their operas. The theme of betrayal also seems to be echoed throughout both operas; yet they are each used to project a different response. The significance of this comparison demonstrates that Verdi and Wagner may allude to the same references, such as Victor Hugo, Shakespeare, and Byron, but the operas The Flying Dutchman (German opera) and that of Nabucco (Italian opera) are completely different in context, and musical style; perhaps even

Of the many great composers during this era, Wagner stood out to me because of the intensity of his composition from 1851 in “The Ride.” The song pulls at my emotions in a theatrical telling of a battle scene from which warrior maidens emerge. These women are attendants to Odin, who sought out the souls of those heroes lost in battle. The Norse myths story is told through the feelings I experience when I hear this composition. The tempo is fast and amped. It pulls me into the sounds and I want to hear what happens next. I feel the announcement of these heroic soldiers and the challenges they fought through. It starts fast, lightens up, and then comes back with stronger build up. I feel the drama in the battle as if it’s happening in front of me. There are moments while listening where I caught myself holding my breath. This draws out feelings of enthusiastic anticipation which reminds me of the music written for a screenplay. The song finishes with a final, proud, horn blast and then leave me with some tension in the fast-paced ending of thrills. I’m drawn in and

As a University of Northern Iowa College student taking Soundscapes, I attended a recital by Annalea Milligan on Wednesday Oct. 19th, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. in Davis Hall, a small auditorium, at the Gallagher Bluedorn. Annalea Milligan received her Bachelor of Music degree in performance at Pacific Conservatory of Music, and is currently a first-year graduate student pursuing a Master of Music degree in bassoon performance at University of Northern Iowa. For the first half of the program she played the bassoon in Rhapsody composed by Willson Osborne and then she was accompanied by Mariya Akhadjanova on piano playing Variations on Theme of Pergolesi composed by Otmar Nussio which included I. Arietta, II. Scherzetto, III. Tamburino, IV. Lamento, V. Ostinato, VI. Rapsodia, VII. Elegia, VIII. Barbaresca, IX. Stornello, and X. Danza. Then after a brief intermission Milligan played the bassoon and was accompanied by Serena Hou with the harpsichord playing Concerto in G Minor, RV 495 composed by Antonio Vivaldi which included Presto, Largo, and Allegro, not to mention she also played Bachianas Brasileiras No. 6 composed by Heitor Villa-Lobos and was accompanied by Azeem Ward with the flute which included I. Aria (Choro), and II. Fantasia. I will depict the first and second part of the recital and describe my reaction and total opinion about the overall concert.

For my concert report, I chose to attend a University Chambers Players performance. Within this classical genre of music, the pieces performed were all homophonic in texture and each melody introduced was supported by chordal accompaniment. All of the pieces performed ranged from an eighteenth to twentieth century time period, and furthermore, each performance employed the use of western world instruments, such as the piano, cello, violin, and viola.

An opera can be defined as a dram a set of music which is made of vocal pieces having orchestral accompaniment as well, as orchestral overtures and interludes. In this discussion, I am going to write about Opera which was written in 1775 by Mozart (La finta giardiniera). The opera is assumed to be the first opera that was done by Mozart as part of his opera buffa which is of significance. La finta giardiniera can be translated as “The Pretend Garden-Girl”. The opera was written in “Munich when Mozart was 18 years old and the first performance was done on January 13, 1775, at the Salvator Theatre in Munich” (Cantrell 22, 27). There has been a serious debate on who write the libretto for the opera with most people ascribing to Calzabigi while others attributing the libretto to Giuseppe Petrosellini. There are also a lot of questions on whether the style of libretto is for Giuseppe (Cantrell 53).

Handel and Bach composed music for similar types of instruments and composed musical pieces and vocal works. They both wrote compositions for some of the same type of works such as Fugues, Preludes, and Suites. Although, Handel wrote some operas, Bach wrote a large variety of church music. Majority of Bach’s compositions were Cantatas and Passions. What made Handel’s music rather different then Bach was the fact that he used simple harmonic progression. Bach’s music was written with sudden surprising harmonic shifts and he also focused on adding extra ordinary chords throughout his works. Handel preferred using simple textures, by creating music with three different melodies that were to be played at once, while several other instruments were being played at the same time. Bach on the other hand creatively composed his music

The opera was extremely impressive, overall it was a one-of-a-kind experience. If you haven’t seen an opera I would personally recommend it. I am constantly in awe by the resources and opportunities the Jacobs School of Music is able to provide. This was in fact the first opera I have attended and they undoubtedly exceeded my expectations. The music,

I went to go see a college production of Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas at a recital hall at Meredith College. The hall was almost full, but it was not huge auditorium or stage. The stage was brightly lit and there were no light changes during the performance. The audience ranged in ages, so it was family event. Many had flowers, so some of the audience was families supporting those performing. Most people seemed engaged in the performance, especially when performers entered from the back of hall because it would catch their attention. There were two parts of the concert; selected Arias, and the opera. The opera singers in the first part of the show sung with piano accompaniment, and the opera was sung with a piano accompaniment as well, but also was accompanied by a string ensemble. The first two Arias and the Opera were composed from the Baroque period. Two of the Arias were composed by Mozart. The last three selected Arias were from the Romantic period. While operas stemmed from the Baroque period, they continued and still continue to be composed.

In London England during the late 1800s, a young girl by the name of Eleanor Patton sat within the auditorium of the Royal Opera House on Bow Street WC2E 9DD. Her eyes were fixed on a beautiful soprano kneeling on the stage floor pleading for her lovers forgiveness. The rich notes that soared through the air had the little girl wholly mesmerized. She listened intently with wide eyes and a gaping mouth as the well-seasoned vocalist effortlessly glided up to a high E for the finale of her serenade. Little Ella wished she could sing as strongly and beautifully as the professional opera singer. She yearned to sing high and clear with a rich lovely tone that could charm audiences all over the world. The curtains closed indicating the end of the

For this extra credit concert review, I attended Wheaton’s Christmas Festival. I was going anyway and thought I would write a review for it to get some kind of credit. There was a lot performed during this concert and it is not possible to discuss everything in detail so I will discuss the overall atmosphere and some of the specific performances that I particularly enjoyed. The concert started with Claire Holly singing Once in a Royal David’s City composed by Henry J. Gauntlett in 1849 (Hawn and Hanna). It was a solo performance and it was peaceful. The Symphonic Band then played and this was followed by everyone, including the audience, singing Come thou Long Expected Jesus composed by Charles Wesley in 1744 (Carrol). Next, which I will discuss in more detail, Wolcum Yole composed by Benjamin Britten in 1942 (Wolcum Yole!). This was interesting to listen to because we have spoken about Benjamin Britten in class. This piece was mainly monophonic and contained a lot of agitated style. It was not smooth; it was all over the place. This is a much more modern song as one can tell. It strays away from the much more conservative-style pieces that Giovanni Artusi was an advocate for in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Several more songs were played and sung by the Concert Choir, Women’s Chorale and the Percussion Ensemble which were followed by my favorite piece in the concert, Fum Fum Fum which was thought to be composed in the sixteen or seventeenth centuries but was not

This particular opera was quite popular and had a twenty-performance run. Some of his other operas were Rodrigo and Agrippina. While touring Italy with these shows, Handel met many major Italian musicians. In 1710, he left Venice for London because he wanted to try freelancing. While there, Handel composed the opera Rinaldo upon request from the manager of the King’s Theatre. This opera is what “gained [Handel] the widespread recognition that he would maintain throughout the rest of his career” (George). His next few years were spent working for English royalty. In 1719, Handel was offered the position of the Master of the Orchestra at the Royal Academy of Music, which he was happy to accept. Unfortunately, the opera he composed while there were not that helpful to the academy. In 1726, Handel decided to become a British citizen and make London his home. Slowly but surely, opera started to lose popularity after a rivalry broke out between two lead actresses (George). During their time, Handel’s operas were praised; however, some twenty-five years after his death, they were no longer a part of the current repertoire. In fact, it has been over one hundred years since any of them—except for Almira in 1874—were performed publicly. Despite popular belief to the contrary, Handel’s works were more than solos and duets. In Alcina, Handel freely used the chorus during the scenes that involved Alcina’s victims;

As the history of Opera has progressed, characters have become progressively raw and themes increasingly dark. While Comedic Operas delight and entertain spectators, there is just something about controversial, visceral stories that keep audiences yearning for more. This trend does

Opera in the Romantic Period was a time when opera changed drastically, especially in the country of Italy. The recognition of singers as being important, almost irreplaceable, in the art of “bel canto” opera changed the idea of a vocalist in opera forever. A singer’s voice was prized and Italian composers, like Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini wrote operas and works to showcase the voice, it’s color, range and agility. These Italian composers were moving away from the normal style of composition of the time, and the composer Rossini, who set the stage for many other followers. Many of the operas written during this time are still performed today and are highly acclaimed. For the most part, before Italy became a main player, France

The first roots of modern opera first appeared in Italy in the 17th century from the Camerata (an academy of Florentine poets, musicians, and scholars). The Camerata, inspired by ancient Greek drama, sung dialogues and choruses which were accompanied by musical instruments. The Camerata developed the “stile recitative,” in order to integrate drama, action, dialogue and narration. In this “sung speech,” a singer delivered a recitative melody with an actor’s dramatic and oratorical skills, achieving the goal of providing

Donald Grout defines opera in his text, A Short History of Opera, as “a drama in music: a dramatic action, exhibited on stage with scenery by actors in costume, the words conveyed entirely or for the most part by singing, and the whole sustained and amplified by orchestral music” (4). A literal translation of the word opera is simply work, and although the term opera was not coined until 1634, one of the first known operas was performed in 1597 (Grout 1). Grout explains that there are two types of opera. The first type is when the main emphasis is on the music (Grout 6). Examples of this type of opera can be seen in the works of Lully and Wagner (Grout 7). The second type of opera is characterized by the music and other factors being of