Operas are extraordinary productions. Not to be confused with musical theatre, operas can be quite the spectacle. By definition an opera is a play having all or most of its text set to music, with arias, recitatives, choruses, duets, trios, etc. sung to orchestral accompaniment. Simply put operas are the highest form of artistic achievement. On February 8th, Opera Day, we commemorate Operas like Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), Madama Butterfly by Puccini, Wozzeck by Alben Berg and many more. To celebrate Opera Day we’ve complied of list of 7 unusually but interesting facts you probably did not know about Opera:
2. In Europe, whistling at many operas actually means “boo!”
3. The most frequently performed operas in the 2017-2018 season were La bohème, Tosca, La traviata, Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), Carmen, Don Giovanni, L’elisir d’amore(The Elixir of Love), Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), Aida, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot.
4. Opera music has been incorporated into many popular movies and commercials. For example, Léo Delibes’ “The Flower Duet” (“Sous le dôme épais”) from Lakmé can be heard in The American President, Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, Superman Returns, and Meet the Parents (as well as in numerous TV shows and commercials). Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia) has been featured in Babe: The Pig in the City, Deep Impact, Jumanji, Space Jam, Under the Tuscan Sun, and in an award-winning Nike commercial starring Charles Barkley.
5. Some opera composers would hire a group of people to cheer their works or boo the works of their rivals. This group was called a claque (clapping) and was common at European opera performances.
6. The first public opera house (San Cassiano) opened in Venice in 1637 where “the father of opera,” Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), shifted the emphasis from a more dialogue-based opera to a more musical opera. Monteverdi helped place Venice as the opera capital of the world.
Live Music Tutor offers music instruction and guidance. Learn more and improve your vocal skills and techniques with our instructors who are dedicated to helping you develop the right attitude and talent. Sign up today and utilize Live Music Tutor anywhere, anytime!