The words of an opera are known as the libretto (literally "little book"). Some composers, notably Richard Wagner, have written their own libretti; others have worked in close collaboration with their librettists, e.g. Mozart with Lorenzo Da Ponte. Traditional opera, often referred to as "number opera," consists of two modes of singing: recitative, the plot-driving passages sung in a style designed to imitate and emphasize the inflections of speech, and aria (an "air" or formal song) in which the characters express their emotions in a more structured melodic style. Duets, trios and other ensembles often occur, and choruses are used to comment on the action. In some forms of opera, such as Singspiel, opéra comique, operetta, and semi-opera, the recitative is mostly replaced by spoken dialogue. Melodic or semi-melodic passages occurring in the midst of, or instead of, recitative, are also referred to as arioso. During the Baroque and Classical periods, recitative could appear in two basic forms: secco (dry) recitative, accompanied only by continuo, which was usually a harpsichord and a cello; or accompagnato (also known as strumentato) in which the orchestra provided accompaniment. By the 19th century, accompagnato had gained the upper hand, the orchestra played a much bigger role, and Richard Wagner revolutionised opera by abolishing almost all distinction between aria and recitative in his quest for what he termed "endless melody". Subsequent composers have tended to follow Wagner's example, though some, such as Stravinsky in his The Rake's Progress have bucked the trend.
Vocabulary
notably – îñîáëèâî
collaboration – ñï³âïðàöÿ
mode – ñïîñ³á
plot - ñþæåò
inflection – ìîäóëÿö³ÿ, ³íòîíàö³ÿ
midst – ñåðåäèíà
to abolish – ñêàñîâóâàòè
to buck - ïðîòèâèòèñÿ
Task 2. Choose the correct answer
1. Tradional opera consists of
a. 3 modes b. 2 modes c. 4 modes d. 1 mode
2. How many basic forms could recitative appear in?
a. one b. two 3. three 4. four
Task 3. Put the questions to the underlined words:
a. Some composers, notably Richard Wagner, have writtentheir own libretti
b. By the 19th century, accompagnato had gained the upper hand, the orchestra played a much bigger role, and Richard Wagnerrevolutionised opera
Task 4. Answer the following questions:
1. What is the libretto?
2. What is recitative?
3. What is aria?
4. What is arioso?
5. What is accompagnato?
Task 5. Retell the text.