Romantic Opera

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Romantic Opera

• Verdi VS Wagner
• Part I Verdi

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Verdi and Italian Bel Canto opera

• Opera Buffa dominated the opera scene at the turn
  of the 19th century, but serious, often tragic
  opera resurged in the 1820s.
• Romantic opera borrowed the realism and fast
  pacing of comic opera, creating greater dramatic
  intensity.
• Orchestra took on a more powerful role,
  accompanying all parts of the opera (not just
  arias and ensembles) including the recitatives.
• Divisions between Recit, Aria and ensemble become
  less evident. The idea was to create a sense of
  continuous momentum and dramatic urgency.
• Bel Canto Beautiful Singing - elegant
  Italian vocal style characterized by florid
  melodic lines delivered by voices of great
  agility, smoothness, and purity of tone.

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Act IV, scene ii

• Radames The fatal stone closes over me
• This is my tomb,
• The light of day Ill never see again
• Ill never see Aida.
• Aida, where are you?
• Live happily, and never know
• Of my terrible death

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Act IV, scene ii

• Radames What sound was that? A ghost? A vision?
• No, a human form Aida!
• Aida Yes
• Rademes You, in this tomb!
• Aida A presentiment of my heart foretold your
  sentence
• This tomb awaited you
• I hid secretly in it,
• and here, far from any human gaze, I wanted to
  die in your arms.

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Act IV, scene ii

• Radames (with passion) Dying, so innocent and
  beautiful, Dying for love of me! So young to up
  life! You were made in heavn for love and I have
  killed you by loving you! You cannot die! I
  love you too much, you are too beautiful!

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Act IV, scene ii

• Aida (accompanied by high ethereal strings) See,
  the angel of death Approaches us in radiance,
  Leading to eternal joys, On his golden wings. I
  see the heavens open Here pain ceases, Here
  begins the ecstasy of immortal love.

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Act IV, scene ii

• Chorus (on the upper stage) Great Ptah, the
  worlds creative spirit we invoke thee.
• Aida Mournful chant!
• Radames The priestly rites . . .
• Aida Our funeral Hymn
• Radames All of my strength cannot move that
  fatal stone!
• Aida In vain all is finished For us on earth.
• Radames True, it is true.

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Act IV, scene ii

• Aida and Radames (Duet) Farewell to earth, vale
  of tears,
• Dream of happiness which vanishes in grief
• The heavens open
• And our fleeing souls
• Escape the rays of eternal day.
• (Repeated with chorus continuing their funeral
  chant)

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Act IV, scene ii

• Amneris Rest in peace, I pray, beloved spirit
  May Isis, placated, welcome you to heaven
  peace, peace (pace timploro, pace).
• (Violins continue with O Terra theme, Amneris
  continues singing Pace, Pace and Chorus
  continues Immenso Ftha! to the end of the opera)

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Romantic Opera

• Verdi VS Wagner
• Part II - Wagner

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Wagner and Music Drama

• Singspiel German equivalent to opera buffa
• Wagner most influential composer of the
  nineteenth century (next to Beethoven)
• Wagner completely rejected the use of recitative
  and aria conventions, claiming that arias were
  hopelessly artificial, opera had degenerated to
  Concert in Costume.
• Gesamtkunstwerk Complete work of art.
• Wagner Opera should be an all-encompassing
  human experience employing music, drama,
  literature, art, dance, philosophy, mythology,
  religion, and politics.
• Wagnerian operas become one long, unbroken music
  web, with orchestral and vocal strands cleverly
  interwoven
• Leitmotif Leading motive, or basic recurring
  theme, representing a person, object, or idea.

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Tristan und Isolde, Philter Scene Act I

• Brangaene Where lives a man who does not love
  you? Who sees you and sinks not unto bondage
  blest? And, if any bound to you were cold, if
  any magic drew him from thee, I could soon draw
  the villain back and bind him in the links of
  love.

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Tristan und Isolde, Philter Scene Act I

• Barangaene continues In Dialogue with Isolde
• Mindst thou not thy mothers arts? Do you think
  that she, the all-wise, helpless in distant lands
  would she have sent me with you?
• Isolde My mothers counsel I mind aright And
  highly her magic arts I hold Vengance for
  treachery, Rest for the broken heart! Yon casket
  hither bear!

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Tristan und Isolde, Philter Scene Act I

• Brangaene It holds a balm for thee (brings out
  a golden medicine chest) Your mother filled it
  with the most potent magic philters for pain and
  wounds theres salve, For poisons, antidotes
  ther noblest draught is this one (takes out a
  flask)
• Isolde Not so, you err I know a better I made
  a mark to know it again Heres the drink that
  will serve me! (Seizes another flask)

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Tristan und Isolde, Philter Scene Act I

• Barangaene The death philter!
• Sailors (offstage) Ho, Heave ho! Watch the
  lower mast! The mainsail in! Heave ho!
• Isolde They tell of a swift journey Woes me!
  Near to the land!

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Tristan und Isolde, Philter Scene Act I

• Kurvenals Song
• Up, up ye ladies!
• Look lively now! Bestire you!
• Be ready, and quick, prepare!
• Dame Isolde, Im told to tell you,
• By Tristan our hero, our master
• That the mast is flying the joyful flag
• It waveth landwards aloft
• From King Marks royal castle
• It makes our approach be seen.
• So Dame Isolde, he bids you hasten
• For land to prepare you,
• So that he may conduct you.

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Verdi VS Wagner
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Verdi VS Wagner