Assignment #8

1.An opera is an extended dramatic composition in which all parts are sung to instrumental backgrounds, which usually include operatic solos, choruses, and vocal music intermediate between speaking and singing.  Also, an opera usually includes some type of planned dancing (usually ballet), acting, and stage scenery.  A light opera is still an opera however, rather than being dramatic in nature, the story line consists of light subject matter/comedy and a happy ending.  Musical Theater is a play or film whose action and dialogue is blended with singing and dancing.  Though there is strong overlap between opera and musical theater, the two are different.  The main difference is that there is more of an emphasis on dialogue within musical theater while, in opera the emphasis is on music.

2.  Opera singing is not something that a person can learn in a short period of time.  It takes countless years for a performer to establish a fully trained operatic voice.  This is because the performer must learn how to make his/her voice hit very high and very low notes for an extended period of time.  They also need to learn how to hold these difficult notes in different languages while dancing and performing.  An Opera singer needs a very experienced coach in order to assist them in developing their voice and many years of practice.  Many opera singers continue to develop their operatic voices throughout their whole career.

3.  La bohème is a romantic opera written by Puccini in 1896 and is often referred to as his most notable piece. The opera is based on the book Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger. The opera consists of a story about young bohemians living in the Latin Quarter of Paris during the 1840’s.  It focuses on the relationship between the main male character Rodolfo and the main female character Mimi. Rudolfo is a poet while Mimi is a seamstress. The two eventually meet and fall in love. However, they soon have a falling out.  Later, Rudolfo and Mimi are reunited once Rudolfo is told that Mimi is dying.  Realizing that he has always loved Mimi, Rudolfo is distraught. Entwined in the Rudolfo- Mimi love story are brief stories of Rudolfo’s friends who try to get Mimi and Rudolfo back together.  This opera is still very famous today.  A modern version of La bohème is the popular Broadway rock opera Rent.