Opera, Zarzuela, Musicals, Ballet: A Concise Overview

Posted on Feb 17, 2025 in Music

The Expansion of Opera

Opera spread rapidly throughout Europe. During the 17th century, many theaters were built specifically for opera performances. These theaters, called opera houses, were built with a specific space allocated for musicians. Some are true architectural wonders.

Opera Seria and Opera Comique

Opera seria is characterized by dramatic topics inspired by mythology, history, and powerful, distinguished figures like heroes and kings. The music was exquisite and refined. These operas were directed at a specific, culturally intelligent audience. On the other hand, opera comique is based on an entangled plot with comical situations and always has a happy ending. The topics were simple, based on daily life, and starred popular characters that were easy to identify with. The music was happy and joyous. This opera was meant to appeal to everyone.

Parts of an Opera

  • Overture and prelude: An orchestral piece that precedes the action or start of each act.
  • Chorus: This is the common song in specific parts of the opera where all characters unite.
  • Aria: An independent piece typically sung by one or more soloists and accompanied by the orchestra.
  • Recitative: A fragment between the arias where the singers appear to recite a text.

Principal Components of an Opera

  • Voices:
    • Soprano: High-range feminine voice, used to be the main female character.
    • Mezzo-soprano or contralto: Medium or lower-range voice. Used to be the nanny, mother, and rival.
    • Tenor: A high-range male voice. Used to be the main character, brave, hero, and gallant.
    • Baritone or bass: Medium or low-range male voice. Used to be the second characters such friends or enemies of the main character.
    • Chorus: Passersby, guests, slaves, soldiers…
  • The director of the orchestra and musicians: The director directs the musicians and singers from a platform between the pit and the stage.
  • The pit: Is the place reserved for the musicians. It’s below the stage.
  • The set: It used to be made of painted fabric.
  • The audience: The spectators that follow along in the libretto from their seats.

The Zarzuela

The zarzuela is a genre based on theatrical plays that alternates between sung and spoken scenes. These types of theatrical performances reflect Spanish culture, customs, and traditions. The main difference between zarzuela and opera is that an opera is performed entirely in song, and a zarzuela has some spoken parts (dialogue) and some that are sung.

Zarzuela Grande

Zarzuela grande began around 1850 and is characterized by:

  • Various acts, like an opera, with intermissions, choir movements, and large instrument displays.
  • Importance of the chorus.
  • Incorporation of different historical characters.

The Género Chico

The género chico emerged at the end of the 19th century when the zarzuela was entering into another period of crisis. The main characteristics are:

  • One act that reflects a popular topic and is performed with limited resources.
  • Less participation from the choir.
  • Incorporation of rhythms, harmonies, and traditional Spanish dancers.

The most famous composers are: Ruperto Chapí, Federico Chueca, and Tomás Bretón.

Musicals

A musical is a genre of theatre where the plot is developed with the incorporation of dancing and singing. The structure follows a complete story line. It is told through numerous musical numbers and dance. The music is popular urban music like blues or jazz—far from traditional classical music. The show The Black Crook is considered the very first musical. It premiered in NY in 1866. The most famous musicals are Grease, West Side Story, and The Lion King.

Ballet and Dance

Ballet is a theatrical performance based on music and dance. It began during the Italian Renaissance and was further developed in the French Royal Courts throughout the 16th century. In the 17th century, when it peaked, five basic foot positions were established. In 1827, Marie Taglioni danced on her tiptoes for the first time, giving way to the origin of a new concept of classical dance.

Contemporary Dance

Contemporary dance is characterized by substituting the technical bravura of previous decades for a looser style. Dancers use their whole body to move, giving more importance to the expression of an idea or feeling than to pure technique.

Operetta

Operetta is a musical genre derived from opera. It contains comical subject matter that incorporates both spoken and passages that are sung. Jacques Offenbach and his piece La belle Hélène (1864) exemplify this genre, which came about as a reaction against the French opera seria.