Opera

Lovers Violin Concerto is a western instrument, but however it is still able to capture some of the Chinese style. In this essay, I will be comparing the recording of the original composition of The Butterfly Lovers with Violin solo and the Yue Opera. This piece portrays the famous Chinese folktale ‘Liang-Zhu’ (The Butterfly Lovers). Although this is a one-movement programmatic concerto, it has…

classical Opera was reformed in various ways. Emphasis on dramatic aspects increased over musical formalities, the structure became more flexible and choruses were used more frequently. The aria did not dominate the opera and the Da Capo aria allowed freer arias for solo singers. Ostentatious virtuosity lost popularity and soloists were no longer the main attraction. The recitativo secco became uncommon and was replaced by a more melodic recitative with orchestral accompaniment. The comic opera…

symphony’s showing of Schubert’s Unfinished symphony “The Sounds of Hope”. The Symphony was filled with incredible pieces by Verdi, Schubert, and contemporary composers Nigel Westlake and Lior Attar. The evening began with Verdi’s Nabucco from his opera that follows the plight of the Jews as they were subsequently exiles from their homeland by the Babylonian King Nabucco. The next piece was Franz Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony, Schubert started this piece in 1822 but wasn’t finished after the…

Monteverdi is known as one of the most important and universal composers of his time and marked the change between the Renaissance and the Baroque periods. His perfected monodic style was a predecessor to Baroque Italian opera, in fact, he wrote the first known successful opera, Orfeo. Although Monteverdi was the most acknowledged composer of early Baroque, he wasn’t the only important composer of the time. Arcangelo Corelli and Antonio Vivaldi were two very important composers, especially for…

would be a slow and quite piano solo in deep tones. Most people would describe it as either thoughtful or a saddening piece. The main character in my book is a famous Russian composer by the name of Dmitri Shostakovich who wrote emotional symphonies, operas, and ballets for the people around him. “May 12, 1926, was a date Shostakovich called his “second birth”. He celebrated it for the rest of his life. It was the day his First Symphony was performed by a full orchestra, the Leningrad…

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, also known as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart was an Austrian composer who was recognized as one of the greatest composers in the history of classical music. Mozart created operas, concertos, symphonies, and sonatas that shaped classic music. Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, to Leopold Mozart and Anna Maria, née Pertl at Salzburg. He was the youngest of seven children, five of his siblings died at infancy. Only two had survived. One of his…

transition from the Renaissance period to the Baroque period. Monteverdi was also one of the most important developers in the new style, opera. He is also recognized for bringing a “modern” style into church music. This resulted in considerable fame during his lifetime. During his long life he composed many works including 8 books of madrigals and forty operas. Claudio Monteverdi was born in Cremona Italy on May 15, 1567. His father was a Barer-surgeon and alchemist. While it is not confirmed…

When I signed up to take music appreciation, I knew it would be the perfect class for me. I myself take up being a musician as a hobby, I’ve played the guitar for years and have a basic understanding of music in the world. I knew that music had deep history within its roots, but I always had a curiosity to learn a slice of that history which is exactly what this class did. Besides playing an instrument and make music, I also became very fond of listening to music as a hobby. I began to have a…

Johann Hummel at one point was an opera director, because of that we here material of the operas that were common during his time (Phillips, 2008). Phillips (2008) discusses the important aspects of each movement of Concerto for Trumpet. As for movement III, he considers that there are three styles; contredanse, march…

While producers of operas often cast extraordinary singers and performers, it is quite difficult to find the appropriate actress to portray Carmen and Don Jose. Unexpectedly, Jennifer Johnson Cano appeared to be a good fit for the role, both in beauty and voice, though not ethnicity. Her gift in performance was clear in her commanding presence upon the stage and she was quite appropriate for the role of the femme fatale. Aided by theatrical elements and her role, it was clear the audience could…