This is a
glossary
A glossary (from grc, γλῶσσα, ''glossa''; language, speech, wording) also known as a vocabulary or clavis, is an alphabetical list of Term (language), terms in a particular domain of knowledge with the definitions for those terms. Tradi ...
list of opera genres, giving alternative names.
"
Opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most composers used more precise designations to present their work to the public. Often specific genres of opera were commissioned by theatres or patrons (in which case the form of the work might deviate more or less from the genre norm, depending on the inclination of the composer). Opera genres are not exclusive. Some operas are regarded as belonging to several.
Definitions
Opera genres have been defined in different ways, not always in terms of stylistic rules. Some, like
opera seria
''Opera seria'' (; plural: ''opere serie''; usually called ''dramma per musica'' or ''melodramma serio'') is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and "serious" style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1710s to abo ...
, refer to traditions identified by later historians,
[McClymonds, Marita P and ]Heartz, Daniel
Daniel Heartz (1928–2019) was an American Musicology, musicologist and professor emeritus of music at the University of California, Berkeley.
Heartz studied at Harvard University. He lived in Berkeley, California.
Honors
* Recipient of Gugg ...
: "Opera seria" in '' The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'', ed. Stanley Sadie
Stanley John Sadie (; 30 October 1930 – 21 March 2005) was an influential and prolific British musicologist, music critic, and editor. He was editor of the sixth edition of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (1980), which was publ ...
(London, 1992) and others, like
Zeitoper, have been defined by their own inventors. Other forms have been associated with a particular theatre, for example
opéra comique
''Opéra comique'' (; plural: ''opéras comiques'') is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged from the popular '' opéras comiques en vaudevilles'' of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent (and to a l ...
at the
theatre of the same name, or
opéra bouffe at the
Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens.
This list does not include terms that are vague and merely descriptive, such as "
comic opera
Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue.
Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...
",
["A general name for an operatic work in which the prevailing mood is one of comedy." Warrack John; Ewan West, ''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera'', (1992), ] "sacred opera", "tragic opera" or "one-act opera" etc. Original language terms are given to avoid the ambiguities that would be caused by English translations.
List
See also
*
Operas by genre
The following cover other forms of entertainment that existed around the time of the appearance of the first operas in Italy at the end of the 16th century, which were influential in the development of the art form:
*
Intermedio
*
Masque
*
Madrigale concertato
*
Madrigal comedy Madrigal comedy is a term for a kind of entertainment music of the late 16th century in Italy, in which groups of related, generally ''a cappella'' madrigals were sung consecutively, generally telling a story, and sometimes having a loose dramatic p ...
References
{{Opera topics
Genres