Opera

Opera

Industry: Drama

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Opera

basso cantante

Drama; Opera

A bass voice that demonstrates a melodic, lyrical quality, such as the role of King Philip in Verdi’s Don Carlo.

basso profundo

Drama; Opera

The lowest and often serious bass voice. Sarastro in Mozart’s The Magic Flute or Osmin in Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio are typical examples.

beat

Drama; Opera

The basic regular unit of time in a musical composition; also, the hand or baton movement used by the conductor to indicate this unit.

An Italian phrase literally meaning "beautiful singing." A traditional Italian style of singing that emphasizes tone, phrasing, coloratura passages and technique. Also refers to opera written in this ...

blocking

Drama; Opera

The moving of people around the stage by the stage director to effect the patterns to be followed in the performance of the opera.

bravo

Drama; Opera

Literally, “brave, courageous.” A form of applause when shouted by members of the audience at the end of an especially pleasing performance. Strictly speaking, bravo is for a single man, brava for a ...

cabaletta

Drama; Opera

A brisk aria in Italian opera, usually on the heels of a more lyrical, thoughtful aria. The cabaletta usually expresses a contrasting state of mind frequently inspiring the character to a course of ...