Opera

Opera

Industry: Drama

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Opera

incidental music

Drama; Opera

Music which provides background for a story or play.

instrumentation

Drama; Opera

The particular combination of instruments used in a piece of music. Example: a string quartet’s instrumentation is two violins, one viola, and one cello.

A short middle section of a musical composition usually offered between the acts of a longer operatic work. These were light-hearted in nature, with very small casts: La serva padrona by Pergolesi is ...

key

Drama; Opera

The base note of the main scale used in a piece of music. Music in the key of ‘g’, for example, has the sound of being based on the note g and often returns to g as a home note..

largo

Drama; Opera

A musical term meaning “ slow and dignified”; also a piece to be played in this manner.

legato

Drama; Opera

A smooth, connected style of singing and playing.

leitmotiv

Drama; Opera

A musical theme used throughout an opera to represent a character or plot situation. Also called a ‘signature tune’. It is identified with Wagner’s operas in which the device was developed.