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33 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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40s |
-musical play established itself and created a favourable environment for ambitious undertakings: -Oklahoma (serious musical play) -Carousel (told a darker story w/extended musical scenes) -South Pacific (male lead calls for a large operatic voice) |
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What is Opera? |
-staged entertainment -usually sung from beg to end -featuring music, drama, poetry, visual arts and sometimes dance |
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Characteristics of Opera: |
-through-sun w/little or no dialogue -classically-trained, "legit" singers w/wide range, excellent projection, use of vibrato -music and singing trump drama and acting -big orchestrations -little, if any, dance |
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Recitative |
-speech-like vocal delivery -emphasis on text |
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Aria |
-lyrical, melodic, smooth, emphasis on music -doesn't usually propel the plot forward |
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libretto |
-words of an opera -"little book" |
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American Opera |
-lack of interest in 20s -on broadway, operas didn't sell -audiences expected european imports -1947-held competition of american opera writers (winner had show performed at the met |
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Broadway Opera |
-some composers, lyricists, and bookwriters strove to write opera-like shows for broadway -creators avoided word opera and used "folk opera" "dramatic musical" "musical drama" and "broadway opera" |
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what is broadway opera? |
-not through-sung; ususally spoken dialogue instead of recitative -classically trained singers -weighty themes and serious issues -american subjects -vernacular musical idioms -realistic acting |
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Venue |
-if performed in an opera house its usually considered an opera -if performed in broadway theatre, its a broadway musical -audience expectation plays huge role in how they see the show -a few shows crossover and are performed in both opera houses and broadway theatres: Porgy and Bess, West Side Story, and Sweeney Todd -Street Scene usually performed in opera houses (has yet to be revived on broadway) |
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Porgy and Bess (1935) billing |
Composer: George Gershwin Lyricist: Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward Bookwriter: DuBose Heyward Sources: novel Porgy by Heyward and play Producer: Theatre Guild Director: Rouben Mamoulian Actors: Todd Duncan and Anne Wiggins Brown Ran: October 10, 1935 Structure: 3 acts and 2 intermissions Biling: american folk opera 124 performances |
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George Gershwin |
-american composer and pianist -song-plugger and sheet music industry -composed scores for broadway and hollywood -"Swanee" and "Rhapsody in Blue" |
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DuBose Heyward |
-american author -best known for novel Porgy |
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Stephen Sondheim on Heyward |
-Porgy and Bess is his fave piece of american musical theatre |
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Ira Gershwin |
-american lyricist -collabed w/older bro, Jerome Kern, Kurt Weill, and Harold Arlen |
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Porgy and Bess main characters: |
-all main characters are black -Porgy -Bess -Crown -Sportin' Life -Jake -Clara -there's 12 more other names characters |
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Reception History |
-disappointing initial run -national tour -segregated theatre (no black patrons were allowed in) -1942 revival by Cheryl Crawford brought it to commercial success (downplayed the operatic ambitions and turned it into a musical play) |
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Marian Anderson |
-first black person to perform at the Met |
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Folklore or Fake-lore? |
-in years of civil rights movement in the 60s Porgy and Bess became an emblem -most perf symbol of the negro creative artist's cultural denial |
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Musical Style |
Porgy and Bess featured: -folk-like lullaby and establishing number -banjo tune and musical-comedy style -operatic-style duet |
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"Summertime" |
-establishing number (time, setting, temp) -ambiguity b/w music and lyrics (possible foreshadowing) |
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"I Got Plenty o' Nuttin" |
-light hearted and upbeat -Porgy is happy about having his girl |
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"Bess, You Is My Woman Now" |
-operatic-style duet |
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Street Scene (1947) billing |
Composer: Kurt Weill Lyricist: Langston Hughes Bookwriter: Elmer Rice Source: Rice's play Producer: Dwight Deere Wiman & The Playwright's Co. Ran: Jan. 9, 1947 Billing: dramatic musical (later broadway opera, later an american opera) Tony Awards: first to win best original score, no broadway revivals yet 148 performances |
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Main characters: |
Main families: -The Maurrants- Frank, Anna, Rose, and Willie -The Kaplans- Abraham, Shirley, and Sam The Neighbours: -The Joneses- George, Emma, Mae, Vincent and Queeie (dog) -The Fiorentinos- Lippo and Greta -The Olesens- Carl and Olga -The Hildebrands- Laura and her kids Jennia, Mary, and Charlie |
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Critical Reception |
-american opera like Porgy and Bess -best contemporary musical production |
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Kurt Weill |
-composer, born in Germany, came to US in 1935 -known for innovative musical theatre works: The Threepenny Opera, Lady in the Dark, Street Scene |
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Langston Hughes |
-american poet, novelist, and playwright -known for his portrayals of black life in America in 20s through 60s |
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Elmer Rice |
-american playwright, director, novelist -graduated from law school b4 writing plays -won a pulitzer prize for his play street scene |
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"Ain't it Awful, the Heat?" |
-establishing
-contrast b/w highbrow music and lowbrow lyrics -discontent/gossiping -jazzy music feel (urban location) |
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"Ice Cream Sextet" |
-operatic ensemble
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"Wrapped in a Ribbon and Tied in a Bow" |
-charm song -large scale antithesis- opposites -optimistic, light-hearted |
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"Lonely House" |
-ballad -"I am" song -Form: V, A, A, B, A1 |
