Author: ghianeanden

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Music is the inarticulate speech of the heart, which cannot be compressed into words, because it is infinite. — Richard Wagner

What is Romantic Era Opera?

When we think the word Romantic, what comes into our mind? Some thinks about sweet stuff. Some thinks about love. Others think about movies.

Romanticism is the golden age of the opera. No wonder that it was popular in the Romantic Period. It combines drama and at the same time music. It shows forceful feelings of love and death. It includes poetry, scenery, music, drama, acting, costumes, and dancing. It is a story mentioned by the composers through music while using the words of the librettist. Of course, if there’s an opera there is also opera composers. They began to produce music that expressed their deepest feelings – the Romantic era. Self-awareness became the new way to create. History, folklore, folk music, and nationalism is what they’re focused on.

Romantic-Era Opera is gorgeous mostly for its nature, culture and uniqueness.

COMPONENTS OF OPERA :

Score is the book that the librettist and composer combines. It contains words, ideas, and musical notes to help the performers to share the story.

Recitative is used in the dialogue parts of an opera which is also called declamatory singing.

Libretto is the text of an opera.

Aria is solo singing which makes the opera, an opera to be remembered.

Acts is the main division of the opera.

Scene is where the opera takes place.

NOW, LET’S STUDY THE COMPOSERS OF THE OPERA IN THE ROMANTIC PERIOD

1. Guiseppe Verdi

He is an Italian opera composer born in 1813. He wrote a lot of compositions like La traviata, Nabucco, Aida, Rigoletto, Messa da Requiem, Va, pensiero, Macbeth, Otello, Ernani, La forza del destino, Don Carlos, Falstaff, Un ballo in maschera, Attila, Simon Boccanegra, Luisa Miller, Alzira and more. He is known for his skill in creating melody and his profound use of theatrical effect.

WATCH SOME OF HIS COMPOSITIONS

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XttF0vg0MGo
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zknCUtF2KWU

2. Franz Schubert

He is an Austrian composer born in 1797. He died at the age of 31. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast oeuvre, including more than 600 secular vocal works, seven complete symphonies, sacred music, operas, incidental music and a large body of piano and chamber music. He is noted for the melody and harmony in his songs (lieder) and chamber music. Some example of his notable works are : Fierrabras, Alfonso und Estrella, and Sakuntala.

WATCH SOME OF HIS COMPOSITIONS

3. Giacomo Puccini

He is an Italian opera composer born in 1858. He is called “the greatest composer of Italian opera after Verdi”. Verismo style is the style of how he wrote. His renowned works are Turandot, Tosca, and La bohème.

WATCH SOME OF HIS COMPOSITIONS

4. Richard Wagner

He is a German opera composer born in 1813. He wrote the libretto and music. Some of his works are Der Ring des Nibelungen, Die Walküre, and Tristan and Isolde.

WATCH SOME OF HIS COMPOSITION

https://www.opera-online.com/en/items/works/tristan-und-isolde-wagner-wagner-1865

https://www.opera-online.com/en/items/works/die-walkure-wagner-wagner-1870

To my fellow youth, I encourage you to listen and acknowledge the uniqueness of the Romantic-Era music. It doesn’t only have music, but also literature. Treasure and preserve it so we can still share it to the next generations.

Listen, explore and treasure it! Thank you for reading!