Development of Opera - Essay Example

?Trace the development of opera and analyze what elements make opera so expressive of Baroque cultural values. Secondly, paying attention to the characteristics of Baroque music, choose one work by Bach and another by Handel. Listen carefully to each piece and describe its Baroque characteristics. Perhaps one of the most important developments during the 1600s was the emergence of the opera. It was first staged in Florence and has become a popular form of performance and cultural entertainment since. Baroque, likewise, emerged around this period - the 1600s. It is, hence, easy to understand how opera was developed in order to satisfy the Baroque contemporary requirements. To demonstrate this, the opera contains several elements that express Baroque cultural values and this paper will cite them. In order to understand the relationship of the opera to the Baroque artistic style, it is important to explain what it is all about. Here, Guisepi's work becomes helpful. He explained that the term literally means "irregular" and was applied to the dynamic and undisciplined artistic creativity that "grew out of the Catholic pomp and confidence accompanying the Counter-Reformation." Rome is central to this musical development wherein many musicians converge in order to study or find work in numerous choirs and for families like Colonna and Borghese (Sabene 2011). It would then come to symbolize the power of the European monarchies as Baroque gained prominence and popularity. These developments led to a kind of artistic style that is unbridled and sought to impress and awe. Opera was an inevitable offshoot of this environment since, along with visual art, the Church and rich Roman families and nobles commissioned musical pieces as well. The sheer pomp and pageantry of the Baroque society, particularly of its festivities and celebrations, called for a type of music that would similarly reflect it and its grand events. Stone recounted an account of one important celebration, which could provide an idea of what this point means - the public performance arranged by Medina Coeli in celebration of the birthday of the Queen back in 1696: Before the Royal Palace a huge amphitheater was built on which was performed Scarlatti's cantata Il Trionfo dell Stagioni (The Triumph of the Seasons). This was a performance of Mahlerian proportions with 150 instrumentalists and a chorus of 50; the whole construction was illuminated by some 900 torches and lanterns… In these events the entire community was brought together, not as equal spectators, but as participants in a celebration of hierarchy, which sought, to image power relations of that society (89). Combination of Art Essentially, what makes the opera Baroque in style is the idea that it combines all music and art forms together. First, it is based "on the linking of text to music such that the music followed and augmented the natural speech flow" (Modern Baroque Opera Newsletter 2004). Then, it would utilize and integrate other forms of art such as literature, drama, painting and elaborate stage settings (Guisepi). No wonder many people and music enthusiasts even today refer to it as one of the most exciting artifact of European art and culture. Opera implies a certain grandness that can only be equated with the powers of the European monarchs and the magnificence of the Christian God. The construction of elaborate opera houses depicted the dynamics of grandeur that characterize the opera. Opera houses in many Italian cities demonstrate this such as the La Scala in Milan and in other countries as well as like the Paris Opera in France with its ornate ceiling and general architecture considered as a masterpiece of the French Baroque. The cavernous and ornate architecture sought to highlight the drama and grandeur of each performance as with the other elements integrated in the whole experience. It is perhaps safe to say that opera or experiencing the opera is incomplete without the imposing Baroque magnificence of these buildings. The Margravial Opera House in Germany is an excellent example of the importance of the opera in court life. It was, specifically, constructed as part of the materiality and decorative programme of the court ceremonies of the Baroque with its loge structure and halftimbered construction in wood and painted canvas (Bayerische Schlosserverwaltung). There was also the fact that, in the pursuit for stage dramatics, those mechanisms such as the pulleys that made it possible for visual stage effects to be achieved were invented during the Baroque period. In the opera, one can see the gods actually descending from above and actual changes in sceneries. This heightened the passive viewing experience and demonstrated a kind of dramatics that are significantly elevated in comparison to previous musical forms. In fact, the methods and innovations used by opera of old are seen today in many Broadway musicals as well. Opera also came to express the Baroque’s penchant for freedom and innovation. Lang, for example, pointed out that the Italian Baroque with its language peppered with open vowels and terminal vowels made it easy to compose free, melismatic extension of phrases that flow into each other (72). Then, according to Hoffer, opera is characterized by improvisation – an important element of Baroque music: An organist was expected to be able to improve intricate and complex music. During their lifetimes Bach, Handel and several other Baroque composers were known for their ability to improvise for their compositions. Singers and instrumentalists frequently added ornaments to a melody (71). Operatic Elements One can say, especially in consideration with its predecessors such as the High Renaissance music, that the opera became refined. For instance, in the past there was an emphasis on the various organs, instruments and voices coming together to present one musical piece. But with opera, it is different. It cultivated what is known as the homophonic characteristic. As previously mentioned, opera opted to have one vocal dominate one line of song and the rest were relegated as accompaniment. This is in contrast to the earlier Renaissance music, which incorporated all voice parts together, creating a polyphonic music that is often difficult for the text to understand. This transition can be seen in the earliest opera composed by Claudio Monteverdi, particularly in his four published books of polyphonic madrigals then onto the succeeding books that are already homophonic pieces (Hoffer). This development transpired between 1587 and 1603. The Baroque elements in the opera are excellently demonstrated in the works of Handel and Bach. For Handel, there was his popular Messiah and, for Bach, there were his cantatas. Handel, in Messiah, has added a new element in the chorus – the oratorio. This element is the same in the character of Bach’s cantata in the sense that it has all the elements found in the opera – that of instrumental pieces that alternated with vocal recitatives. The recitative characteristic is of particular import. Here, the main objective is to express the text, by heightening it in parts wherein the drama where action is carried forward (Adas, Liftig and Barrett, 144) In BWV 4, Christ lag in Todesbanden, for instance, Bach employed the repetitive vocal elements that created balanced structure for this particular piece. There was also the BWV 208, the Was mir Behagt, which featured several important solo vocals combined with concerto grosso formats. According to Hoffer, this music encourages artistic expression in the performance, wherein performers can act out expressions, opening up a new dimension in vocal music as well as allowing for a kind of rhythmic freedom. This latter factor also underpins a unique Baroque character – that of being a strictly metrical form of music. Conclusion Unarguably, the opera expressed not just the Baroque artistic style but also the dynamics and values behind the Baroque phenomenon. As this paper has pointed out, Baroque was all about pomp and pageantry, a sort of imposition of power. Opera functioned and operated in the same way. The most important argument in this respect is the way it integrated many art forms in order to create an impeccable and magnificent performance. The opera is not just about the music, it is all about the experience that is heightened by the musical style and the environment, which is characterized by details and beauty, design to elicit awe. Works Cited Adas, Jane, Liftig, Robert and Barrett, Marguerite, "CLEP Humanities W/CD-ROM (REA)," Google Books. Web. 27 March 2011. Bayerische Schlosserverwaltung, "The Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth – outstanding Monument of Baroque Theatre Culture," Bayerische Schlosserverwaltung. 2011. Web. 28 March 2011. Guisepi, R.A. "The Baroque Era in the Arts: Cultural Expressions of the Age." History-World International. Web. 28 March 2011. Hoffer, Charles, "Western Music Listening Today," Google Books. Web. 28 March 2011. Lang, Paul, "George Frideric Handel," Google Books. Web. 27 March 2011. "Contemporary Opera or Baroque Modern?" Modern Baroque Opera Newsletter.. Web. 27 March 2011. Sabene, Stefano. "The Blazing Music of the Roman Baroque," Opera Omnia. Web. 27 March 2011. Stone, Harold, “Vico's cultural history: the production and transmission of ideas in Naples.” BRILL/Google Books. Web. 27 March 2011 Read More