#Marriage of Figaro artwork

[donnabellas]

The Marriage of Figaro (ILe nozze di Figaro) Opera Art Sketchbook

The Marriage of Figaro (Italian: Le nozze di Figaro) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Artist Night Sketchbook. The San Diego Opera allows artists to come in during a dress rehearsal for a live sketch artist night. Artist night was from October 17, 2018.

The Marriage of Figaro (Italian: Le nozze di Figaro) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Artist Night Sketchbook. The San Diego Opera allows artists to come in during a dress rehearsal for a live sketch artist night. Artist Night was from October 17, 2018. These sketches were initially drawn as pencil on paper. Watercolor washes followed by pastel were added over the top. Art by Laurel Latto. The…

[catovyen]

Hard to believe that this is my first character that's more focused on murdering 🗿 it's inspired by an analog horror.

(Content warning for gore, blood and body horror)

I named him based on Lalo Salamanca (BCS) and Marriage of Figaro by Mozart.

Lalo is an obsessed and sadistic person who kills his victims in the most obscene and brutal ways. His signature is leaving paintings, twisted depictions of their victims accompanied by a title according how the victim was murdered. Lalo was never caught by the police and always gets away without trace, none of his murders has been confirmed. He only murders victims who made a negative impact to his lives, from those who hurted him the most to the ones who irritated him - expressing his anger into an artwork for a showcase.

Personality wise, he is considered charming, gentle, smooth and sensitive - some considered him as perfect. He wears a ring on his left hand to create a fake a relationship, he frequently got asked out and he finds it to be annoying. However, that doesn't mean he doesn't want to have a love life. He has an interest in someone already and she's an opera singer who is also Lalo's friend.

Living in an elegant mansion all by himself, he never feels lonely but he found peace. He loves painting scenery (especially garden with flowers) in impressionist style. He has a skill to copy a specific style and use them onto a canvas. He also has a special interest in classical music, which reminds him of his younger days he used to lived with a family. With that interest grew on him, he starts to learn piano as a hobby. As he lives by himself, he is able to cook his own food - people who got invited to his house for dinner considers his cooking to be delicious.

When you have two artstyles 💀

[rabbitcruiser]

Opera Day

Dust off your windpipes, take a deep breath and get ready to belt out your appreciation for Opera Day! Operas have been captivating audiences since the sixteenth century, and this highly revered art form continues to gain new enthusiasts, complete with its own special day…

A crash course in opera

While many of us would recognize an opera if we heard one, we may not be as familiar with the definitions and distinctions surrounding this complex musical genre. In short, an opera is a piece of performance art that combines music with text to create a dramatic enactment of a story, complete with acting, scenery, costumes and dance. The term opera is in fact the Italian for “work”, and the text is called the libretto, meaning “small book”. There are a whole range of types, from opera seria (noble and serious) and opera buffa (comedic) to operetta (light opera) and semi-opera (combining spoken dialogue with masque-like sections).

Generally speaking, operas consist of two kinds of music: recitatives and arias. Recitatives closely resemble speech and are there to help move the plot along, whereas arias are elaborate and often long songs for individual characters, allowing them to express their thoughts and emotions to the audience. This is one of opera’s defining characteristics compared with most musicals; whereas the more modern genre tends to intersperse its hits with spoken dialogue, operas are pretty much entirely sung, even if this means the recitative passages aren’t always especially tuneful!

History of Opera Day

Opera developed as part of the classical music tradition in the West, first springing up in Italy and quickly spreading across Europe, including France, England, Germany and Russia. The first operas aimed to rekindle Ancient Greek drama, especially the role of the chorus, and it wasn’t long before opera became popular entertainment, with the first opera season taking place in Venice in 1637.

This versatile art form has evolved and diverged in numerous ways throughout its history. For much of the 18th century, opera seria, with its elevated style and virtuoso performances, was the prevailing force in Italy. Yet as with all artistic movements, others reacted against this trend – Mozart is well-known for his comic operas such as The Marriage of Figaro, while Verdi is famous for confident, patriotic operas. Wagner meanwhile was one of the most influential opera composers, dissolving the distinct recitatives and arias into “endless melody” and developing the idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk (“complete artwork”), a synthesizing of different art forms into one.

Composers in the 20th century continued to push musical boundaries, experimenting with concepts such as atonality and dissonance. And of course the modern era saw the explosion of musical theater, the younger sister of opera. While there are a number of key differences, some musicals closely resemble opera – look no further than Les Misérables for plenty of recitative passages! The genre has also influenced current entertainment, with soap operas revolving around personal dramas in much the same way that opera has always done.

The power of opera singers

Another particularly distinctive aspect of opera is its singing style – opera singers are renowned for their powerful voices, able to belt out melodies to such a volume that they fill a whole opera house without a microphone!

Famous performers include Luciano Pavarotti, Maria Callas, Andrea Bocelli and Jenny Lind (also known as the ‘Swedish Nightingale’ and familiar to modern-day audiences thanks to The Greatest Showman). Singers are categorized according to their range: male singers with the lowest voices are known as basses while female singers with the highest voices are called sopranos. In fact, the term prima donna (literally “first woman”) stems from opera, originally meaning the leading female singer but nowadays usually meaning someone who’s a bit of a diva!

Of course, what we all really want to know is whether opera singers can truly shatter glass – and it turns out they can! By singing at the same resonance of very fine glass, opera singers are able to reach a volume at which the vibrations generated cause the glass to break. The trick takes volumes of over 100 decibels (normal speech being around 50) and requires years of training, so probably not one to try at home – plus spare your neighbors!

How to celebrate Opera Day

There is no better time to celebrate your passion for opera than Opera Day. And if you have yet to develop a passion for opera, then Opera Day is the perfect day to begin!

The most standard way of celebrating is to experience an opera for yourself. Check with your local theater and see if there is a performance you can attend. If this isn’t an option, the Internet has made it easy to experience the wonder of opera from the comfort of your own home. Try browsing YouTube for performances of masterpieces by the likes of Verdi, Mozart and Wagner or see if there are any livestreams available.

If you’re into architecture, then why not take a guided tour of your local opera house? Opera houses are usually very beautiful and elaborate buildings – picture the Sydney Opera House or the Vienna State Opera! And they may well offer show discounts on Opera Day so it’s definitely worth keeping an eye out for these. Also make sure to check out the café and see if you can get yourself a slice of delicious opera cake (layered almond sponge cake with coffee buttercream and ganache)!

If you’re musically inclined, you can take your Opera Day celebrations a step further. Get together with your most musical friends and put on an opera of your own. It is easy to find the text of famous operas online, and you can divide the parts up amongst yourselves and have a riot of a time.

Source

[aloneandforsakenbyfateandbyman]

I visited the Rothschild Villa on Cap Ferrat and it was probably the most beautiful place I've ever been to !

It's a cute candy pink colored mansion filled with gorgeous artwork and antiques, and outside are luxurious gardens with roses and all kinds of exotic plants.

There's a big fountain that flows while Mozart's Marriage of Figaro plays, and marble statues of Cherubs and Venuses everywhere. It's like a dream from the past.

Also my bf got me a replica in the gift shop of the statue in the last pic I'm in love with it.

[loadingseeker540]

Lyric Opera

Principal Artist Auditions

Lyric Opera Kc

Famous Opera Lyrics

Lyric Opera Kcmo

Lyric Opera Of The North

Auditions are by appointment only (through management or individual-arranged). For more information contact Sarah Zsohar at szsohar@kcopera.org. If you are going to be in the Kansas City area and would like to inquire about auditioning, please send your resumé and request to Sarah Zsohar at szsohar@kcopera.org.

Additional Auditions

Children's Chorus Auditions

Support the Lyric. When you donate to Lyric Opera, you help us bring world-class opera to Kansas City and broaden our reach into the community through our many education programs. Text KCOPERA to (855) 735-2437 to donate now! Lyric Opera of Kansas City is a 501(c)(3) organization with Tax ID number. Connecticut Lyric Opera is pleased to announce that the National Endowment for the Artworks has awarded a grant in the amount of $24,000 for “To support the presentation and tour of The Emperor of Atlantis (Der Kaiser von Atlantis) by Composer Viktor Ullmann. Contact Us Please send all payments or contributions to our secure lockbox:Boston Lyric OperaDepartment 1660P.O. Box 986500Boston, MA Boston Lyric Opera Administrative Office133 Federal Street, Suite 800Boston, MA 02110Phone: 617.542.4912Fax: 617.542.4913Directions to the BLO Administrative OfficeBLO's administrative office is located on the eighth floor of 133 Federal Street and can. Lyric Opera of the North is a Professional Company Member of Opera America. Thank you to our Corporate Sponsors for their support Operating support is made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Used in 52 countries - FREE for the public, FREE 30 day trial for DJs. Karaoke and DJ digital song books on mobile devices - requests sent to your DJ/KJ laptop! Also integrates with PCDJ™ karaoki and MTU Hoster. Karaoke song books on mobile devices. Mobile phone karaoke song books, karaoke song list search, mobile karaoke song search. Songbook list. How To Get Songs Into SongBook. SongBook stores all songs and playlists in a directory on your disk. You can change the song directory on the Settings page. Use Windows Explorer to copy your song files into the SongBook directory, then tap Refresh to update the song list. A sample song Greensleeves is available via the bottom right menu.

Auditions for Lyric Opera main stage production Children’s Choruses are held on a per need basis. Audition information will be listed below if a Children’s Chorus is needed for a production.

Supernumerary Information

Help the show go on! Armida opera. Volunteer to be a supernumerary (super) in a Lyric Opera of Kansas City production. For more information about becoming a super or to request that your name be placed on a contact list for open opportunities, contact Sarah Zsohar at szsohar@kcopera.org.

Orchestra Information

Members of The Kansas City Symphony comprise the orchestra used for performances by the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. For audition information, please call the symphony’s administrative offices at (816) 471-1100 or visit kcsymphony.org.

New Visions Spring 2021 Season

It’s springtime in Kansas City, and we are celebrating by announcing our New Visions 2021 Spring season! Our popular outdoor Soundscapes in the City programming returns with performances at Powell Gardens in Missouri and Meadowbrook Park in Prairie Village, Kansas. Then, play ball with us on May 7th for the opening of Baseball: A Musical Love Letter. Join us as we reflect on American society and culture through the lens of our favorite pastime, baseball.

GIVE THE GIFT OF OPERA!

LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT GIFT? A LYRIC OPERA GIFT CERTIFICATE IS THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING!

Gift certificates are currently not available for purchase on our website, so please call Ticketing & Patron Services at (816) 471-7344. A gift certificate can be emailed directly to you or to the recipient!

Lyric Opera gift certificates are only redeemable towards single ticket, digital content and subscription purchases made through the Lyric Opera of Kansas City website, box office counter or phone line. Giuseppe verdi rigoletto. They are not available for use towards tickets sold through the Kauffman Center.

Past Seasons and Performances

2019-2020

Mainstage Season:

The Abduction from the Seraglio, September 21 – 29, 2019

La bohème, November 9 – 17, 2019

Lucia di Lammermoor, March 7 – 15, 2020

The Shining, April 25 – May 3, 2020

Explorations Series:

“…When there are nine,” January 18, 2020

Cabaret: In the Mood for Love, February 1, 2020

2018-2019

Mainstage Season:

West Side Story, September 22 – September 30, 2018

Madama Butterfly, November 3 – November 11, 2018

Cosí fan tutte, March 16-24, 2019

The Pearl Fishers, April 27 – May 5, 2019

Lyric Opera Kc

Explorations Series:

High Fidelity Opera, November 17, 2018

Cabaret: Mack the Knife is the Man I Love, February 9, 2019

Penelope, March 30-31, 2019

2017-2018

Famous Opera Lyrics

Main Stage Season:

Eugene Onegin, September 30 – October 8, 2017

Everest, November 11 – 19, 2017

Rigoletto, March 3 – 11, 2018

The Barber of Seville,April 28; May 2, 4, and 6, 2018

Explorations Series:

Meet the Resident Artists, September 24, 2017

Arias and Barcarolles | The Bernstein Songbook, October 14, 2017

As One, January 27-28, 2018

American Voices, March 24, 2018

2016-2017

Main Stage Season:

Lyric Opera Kcmo

Hansel and Gretel, September 17 – 25, 2016

The Marriage of Figaro, November 5 – 13, 2016

Dead Man Walking, March 4 – 12, 2017

The Pirates of Penzance, April 22 – 30, 2017

Lyric Opera Of The North

Explorations Series:

Meet the Resident Artists, September 11, 2016

Schubert | Beatles, October 1, 2016

The Juliet Letters, January 28 and 29, 2017

American Voices, March 19, 2017

Update

In the face of this uncertain and unpredictable public health epidemic, we determined it was in the best interest of our patrons, our artists, staff, volunteers, and musicians to postpone the rest of the 2020-2021 season until we can best determine that they are safe for all concerned. The postponed performances include The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs scheduled for Feb. 27 – Mar. 7, 2021, and Carmen scheduled for Apr. 24 – May 2, 2021.

Subscribers for our 2020-2021 season will receive a credit to their Lyric Opera accounts for the value of their tickets for postponed performances. These credits can be applied to subscriptions to our 2021-2022 season and will be noted on renewal information when distributed. If you would prefer to discuss other options, please email patronservices@kcopera.org or call us. Our ticketing staff is available to help 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday – Thursday.

On July 7, 2020, we announced the cancellation of our Fall 2020 productions including La Traviata scheduled for Sept. 26-Oct 4, 2020 and The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess scheduled for Nov. 7-15, 2020. Subscribers who did not request a refund or donated the value of their tickets by September 10, 2020 have received a credit to their Lyric Opera account.

Lifehacker lastpass. Whether you’re looking to make a change in your password management just because, or you’re a LastPass user annoyed with the service’s recent changes to its free tier, switching to the much. LastPass lives inside your browser as an extension. It’s available for just about every major browser, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera. Head to the LastPass downloads page and install. With your LastPass data retrieved, head to the 1Password website and sign in. Click on your account name in the top right of the page and select Import. Select LastPass and then choose the relevant.

Ticket Holders

[theartwcoin]

Modern Art

There was a time when artistic endeavors couldn’t depart from the traditions of culture or politics without serious repercussions to the artist. When Geniuses like Mozart and his renowned Marriage of Figaro Opera were treated with disdain for abstaining from norms or flouting conventions established by the imperial powers of the time.  When Vincent Van Gogh’s red vineyard only sold for 400 francs and was the sole painting he managed to sell before his death. When Author/Thinker Franz Kafka never sold a book yet today he stands a titan of 20th century literature and even has an overused English word coined in his name “Kafkaesque”, a feat seldom any author has come close to. All of these people, these great influencers shared one common insight, one we characterize progressive men by, thinking beyond the boundaries of culture.

Rules, laws, conventions, all delimit artistic expression and in doing so also delimit our perception of the world.Modern art has been conceptualized as art that defers from long-established practices of art institutions prior to the 18th Century. The 18th century otherwise dubbed as the enlightenment era saw a fascinating movement in painting that separated it from the contemporary practice of portraying reality just as it is. This movement involved printing the artist’s impression of the subject rather than simply trying to copy the subject itself. This was done in many different ways such creating contrasts in strokes, colors and light. Portraying the subjects of paintings in this manner gave a whole new depth to the art because it made possible to capture the surrealism of the moments experienced by the artists.

This ripe, new avant-garde genre gave a whole new connotation to art through its aesthetic innovations by using colors expressively, experimenting with unconventional techniques and materials. Following the publication of Sigmund Freud’s “The Interpretation of dreams” which postulated the idea that part of our worldviews and decisions are imposed by our subconscious, artists began experimenting with different styles of portraying reality. The belief vested in theventure was that art could reflect the artists own dreams, symbolisms and subjective experiences and that this would offer greater insight into the human mind and its subconscious projections than conventional art.

This movement can be traced back to the Industrial revolution in Europe, so around the time of the first railroads and trains. Although art of this style wasn’t awarded much consideration or merit, it was a time of profound change in culture and lifestyle, change that still managed to seep into artwork. And it’s probably because prior to 19th Century in Europe, most art was financed by wealthy institutions, royalty or the Catholic Church and was only really used to depict mythology or religious ideas and dignitaries. The birth of Modernism can be said to have begun when artists decided to create art that personally reflected them, their subjective experiences and on topics of their choosing. Challenging the notion that art must depict the world was not received well as one can guess, but after the 20th Century, these works were given due credit and valuation. Today artists are inspired to take keep surprising us by taking their art in new and unforeseen directions, showing us just how truly big our world is. Modern art focuses more on interpreting the aesthetical experience of reality than copying it in its crude form.

About ARTW

The ARTW is a blockchain based Art verification and art trading platform. We are building an Art ecosystem which will enable all the stakeholders of the industry - Artists, collectors, art enthusiasts, art exhibitors & galleries and institutional buyers to buy/sell genuine, verified artwork from our trading platform. Moreover, ARTW Token is the inherent part of our art ecosystem. It is a utility token based on binance smart chain BEP 20 standard. Our tokens can be used to purchase Artworks from the participating galleries and our own ART marketplace.

To know more about ARTW visit theartwcoin.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/3jSqTqq

Image Source: ebay

[liszten]

The Marriage Of Figaro, KV 492 - Overture

By Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Performed By Conductor Laurence Gordon Siegel And The London Philharmonic Orchestra

Artwork : “The Orchestra Seat” (1856-57) By Artist Honore Daumier

[williamemcknight]

Summer celebration of art, creativity and imagination at Borde Hill Garden

Borde Hill is celebrating its 125th year since Colonel Stephenson Robert Clarke purchased the estate and created the Garden. This summer will feature an event programme offering a feast for the senses, celebrating art, creativity and imagination throughout July, August and September.

Andrewjohn Stephenson Clarke, owner and managing director said: “To celebrate our special anniversary and the beauty of our Garden, which has been carefully planted and tended for 125 years, we want visitors to experience something extra special this year and are offering a wide variety of arts and music events, both free and ticketed, to make it a summer to remember!”

The school summer holiday begins with ‘The Garden of Imagination’, a mystical trail with fantasy creatures and other worldly beings, including unicorns, fairies, giants and a golden phoenix. The trail will run through the Garden and Woodland from 1 to 31 August. There will also be children’s activities on selected dates, including the chance to ‘meet a mermaid’ and ‘make your own fairy garden’.

Throughout July and August, visitors can enjoy the Rose Garden at its peak, with 750 David Austin rose plants filling the air with a heavenly scent, or relax in the serenity of the Italian Garden, with its striking water feature, created by internationally renowned sculptor Angela Conner.

Photographic workshops for adults, children and teens, on 15 and 25 July, offer budding photographers a chance to improve their skills in the beautiful surroundings of Borde Hill Garden.

From 1 August to 30 September, visitors can also enjoy meandering through ‘The Artist’s Garden’; an exhibition of artwork inspired by the beauty of nature in stone, stained glass, ceramic, resin and metalwork. Kindly sponsored by 1st CENTRAL.

Borde Hill will also host an eclectic musical programme, offering something for everyone to enjoy. This kicks off with a special 125th Anniversary Operatic High Tea, sponsored by NFU Mutual, offering an elegant afternoon of operatic delights, performed by Opera Brava with a sumptuous high tea and a glass of fizz on 1 July.

Opera Brava will be back again to perform full length open air productions of La Boheme on 27 July and The Marriage of Figaro on the 28 of July, against the stunning backdrop of the Elizabethan Mansion House.

On the weekend of 7 and 8 July, Borde Hill will host ‘A Boundless Summer’, in the Parkland. The legendary UB40 will be headlining on 7 July, supported by ASWAD, whilst The Gipsy Kings, featuring Nicolas Reyes and Tonnino Baliardo, will headline on 8 July.

As an added enjoyment for all visitors to the Garden, there will be ‘Musical Picnics’ every Sunday in August between 1 and 3pm, where families are invited to bring their own picnic, kick back and relax to live music in the beauty of the Garden.

Throughout July and August the Garden will be open 10am to 6pm daily.

Find out more and book for ticketed events at www.bordehill.co.uk, 01444 450326

The post Summer celebration of art, creativity and imagination at Borde Hill Garden appeared first on Pro Landscaper - The industry's number 1 news source.

[rabbitcruiser]

Opera Day

Dust off your windpipes, take a deep breath and get ready to belt out your appreciation for Opera Day! Operas have been captivating audiences since the sixteenth century, and this highly revered art form continues to gain new enthusiasts, complete with its own special day…

A crash course in opera

While many of us would recognize an opera if we heard one, we may not be as familiar with the definitions and distinctions surrounding this complex musical genre. In short, an opera is a piece of performance art that combines music with text to create a dramatic enactment of a story, complete with acting, scenery, costumes and dance. The term opera is in fact the Italian for “work”, and the text is called the libretto, meaning “small book”. There are a whole range of types, from opera seria (noble and serious) and opera buffa (comedic) to operetta (light opera) and semi-opera (combining spoken dialogue with masque-like sections).

Generally speaking, operas consist of two kinds of music: recitatives and arias. Recitatives closely resemble speech and are there to help move the plot along, whereas arias are elaborate and often long songs for individual characters, allowing them to express their thoughts and emotions to the audience. This is one of opera’s defining characteristics compared with most musicals; whereas the more modern genre tends to intersperse its hits with spoken dialogue, operas are pretty much entirely sung, even if this means the recitative passages aren’t always especially tuneful!

History of Opera Day

Opera developed as part of the classical music tradition in the West, first springing up in Italy and quickly spreading across Europe, including France, England, Germany and Russia. The first operas aimed to rekindle Ancient Greek drama, especially the role of the chorus, and it wasn’t long before opera became popular entertainment, with the first opera season taking place in Venice in 1637.

This versatile art form has evolved and diverged in numerous ways throughout its history. For much of the 18th century, opera seria, with its elevated style and virtuoso performances, was the prevailing force in Italy. Yet as with all artistic movements, others reacted against this trend – Mozart is well-known for his comic operas such as The Marriage of Figaro, while Verdi is famous for confident, patriotic operas. Wagner meanwhile was one of the most influential opera composers, dissolving the distinct recitatives and arias into “endless melody” and developing the idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk (“complete artwork”), a synthesizing of different art forms into one.

Composers in the 20th century continued to push musical boundaries, experimenting with concepts such as atonality and dissonance. And of course the modern era saw the explosion of musical theater, the younger sister of opera. While there are a number of key differences, some musicals closely resemble opera – look no further than Les Misérables for plenty of recitative passages! The genre has also influenced current entertainment, with soap operas revolving around personal dramas in much the same way that opera has always done.

The power of opera singers

Another particularly distinctive aspect of opera is its singing style – opera singers are renowned for their powerful voices, able to belt out melodies to such a volume that they fill a whole opera house without a microphone!

Famous performers include Luciano Pavarotti, Maria Callas, Andrea Bocelli and Jenny Lind (also known as the ‘Swedish Nightingale’ and familiar to modern-day audiences thanks to The Greatest Showman). Singers are categorized according to their range: male singers with the lowest voices are known as basses while female singers with the highest voices are called sopranos. In fact, the term prima donna (literally “first woman”) stems from opera, originally meaning the leading female singer but nowadays usually meaning someone who’s a bit of a diva!

Of course, what we all really want to know is whether opera singers can truly shatter glass – and it turns out they can! By singing at the same resonance of very fine glass, opera singers are able to reach a volume at which the vibrations generated cause the glass to break. The trick takes volumes of over 100 decibels (normal speech being around 50) and requires years of training, so probably not one to try at home – plus spare your neighbors!

How to celebrate Opera Day

There is no better time to celebrate your passion for opera than Opera Day. And if you have yet to develop a passion for opera, then Opera Day is the perfect day to begin!

The most standard way of celebrating is to experience an opera for yourself. Check with your local theater and see if there is a performance you can attend. If this isn’t an option, the Internet has made it easy to experience the wonder of opera from the comfort of your own home. Try browsing YouTube for performances of masterpieces by the likes of Verdi, Mozart and Wagner or see if there are any livestreams available.

If you’re into architecture, then why not take a guided tour of your local opera house? Opera houses are usually very beautiful and elaborate buildings – picture the Sydney Opera House or the Vienna State Opera! And they may well offer show discounts on Opera Day so it’s definitely worth keeping an eye out for these. Also make sure to check out the café and see if you can get yourself a slice of delicious opera cake (layered almond sponge cake with coffee buttercream and ganache)!

If you’re musically inclined, you can take your Opera Day celebrations a step further. Get together with your most musical friends and put on an opera of your own. It is easy to find the text of famous operas online, and you can divide the parts up amongst yourselves and have a riot of a time.

Source

[rabbitcruiser]

Opera Day 

Dust off your windpipes, take a deep breath and get ready to belt out your appreciation for Opera Day! Operas have been captivating audiences since the sixteenth century, and this highly revered art form continues to gain new enthusiasts, complete with its own special day…

A crash course in opera

While many of us would recognize an opera if we heard one, we may not be as familiar with the definitions and distinctions surrounding this complex musical genre. In short, an opera is a piece of performance art that combines music with text to create a dramatic enactment of a story, complete with acting, scenery, costumes and dance. The term opera is in fact the Italian for “work”, and the text is called the libretto, meaning “small book”. There are a whole range of types, from opera seria (noble and serious) and opera buffa (comedic) to operetta (light opera) and semi-opera (combining spoken dialogue with masque-like sections).

Generally speaking, operas consist of two kinds of music: recitatives and arias. Recitatives closely resemble speech and are there to help move the plot along, whereas arias are elaborate and often long songs for individual characters, allowing them to express their thoughts and emotions to the audience. This is one of opera’s defining characteristics compared with most musicals; whereas the more modern genre tends to intersperse its hits with spoken dialogue, operas are pretty much entirely sung, even if this means the recitative passages aren’t always especially tuneful!

History of Opera Day

Opera developed as part of the classical music tradition in the West, first springing up in Italy and quickly spreading across Europe, including France, England, Germany and Russia. The first operas aimed to rekindle Ancient Greek drama, especially the role of the chorus, and it wasn’t long before opera became popular entertainment, with the first opera season taking place in Venice in 1637.

This versatile art form has evolved and diverged in numerous ways throughout its history. For much of the 18th century, opera seria, with its elevated style and virtuoso performances, was the prevailing force in Italy. Yet as with all artistic movements, others reacted against this trend – Mozart is well-known for his comic operas such as The Marriage of Figaro, while Verdi is famous for confident, patriotic operas. Wagner meanwhile was one of the most influential opera composers, dissolving the distinct recitatives and arias into “endless melody” and developing the idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk (“complete artwork”), a synthesizing of different art forms into one.

Composers in the 20th century continued to push musical boundaries, experimenting with concepts such as atonality and dissonance. And of course the modern era saw the explosion of musical theater, the younger sister of opera. While there are a number of key differences, some musicals closely resemble opera – look no further than Les Misérables for plenty of recitative passages! The genre has also influenced current entertainment, with soap operas revolving around personal dramas in much the same way that opera has always done.

The power of opera singers

Another particularly distinctive aspect of opera is its singing style – opera singers are renowned for their powerful voices, able to belt out melodies to such a volume that they fill a whole opera house without a microphone!

Famous performers include Luciano Pavarotti, Maria Callas, Andrea Bocelli and Jenny Lind (also known as the ‘Swedish Nightingale’ and familiar to modern-day audiences thanks to The Greatest Showman). Singers are categorized according to their range: male singers with the lowest voices are known as basses while female singers with the highest voices are called sopranos. In fact, the term prima donna (literally “first woman”) stems from opera, originally meaning the leading female singer but nowadays usually meaning someone who’s a bit of a diva!

Of course, what we all really want to know is whether opera singers can truly shatter glass – and it turns out they can! By singing at the same resonance of very fine glass, opera singers are able to reach a volume at which the vibrations generated cause the glass to break. The trick takes volumes of over 100 decibels (normal speech being around 50) and requires years of training, so probably not one to try at home – plus spare your neighbors!

How to celebrate Opera Day

There is no better time to celebrate your passion for opera than Opera Day. And if you have yet to develop a passion for opera, then Opera Day is the perfect day to begin!

The most standard way of celebrating is to experience an opera for yourself. Check with your local theatre and see if there is a performance you can attend. If this isn’t an option, the Internet has made it easy to experience the wonder of opera from the comfort of your own home. Try browsing YouTube for performances of masterpieces by the likes of Verdi, Mozart and Wagner or see if there are any livestreams available.

If you’re into architecture, then why not take a guided tour of your local opera house? Opera houses are usually very beautiful and elaborate buildings – picture the Sydney Opera House or the Vienna State Opera! And they may well offer show discounts on Opera Day so it’s definitely worth keeping an eye out for these. Also make sure to check out the café and see if you can get yourself a slice of delicious opera cake (layered almond sponge cake with coffee buttercream and ganache)!

If you’re musically inclined, you can take your Opera Day celebrations a step further. Get together with your most musical friends and put on an opera of your own. It is easy to find the text of famous operas online, and you can divide the parts up amongst yourselves and have a riot of a time.

Source