h.m.s. pinafore study guide

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A Light Opera by Gilbert & Sullivan STUDY GUIDE 2014

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A  Light  Opera  by  Gilbert  &  Sullivan  

STUDY GUIDE 2014

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H.M.S. Pinafore by

Gilbert & Sullivan

Special thanks to: Intermountain Opera Association, Bozeman, Montana

Skylight Opera Theatre Guthrie Theater

Wendy Monson, Public Schools IOA Liaison Jackie Vick, IOA Executive Director

Bozeman Public Schools Fine Arts Department

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Table of Contents

Premiere  ……………………………………………….4  

Cast  of  Characters  ………………………………….4  

Plot  Synopsis  and  Musical  Highlights  ………5  

Historical  Background  …………………………..10  

A  Short  History  of  Opera  ………………………..13  

The  Operatic  Voice  ………………………………...14  

Voice  Chart  ……………………………………………15  

Opera  Production  …………………………………..16  

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Premiere Opera Comique, London, on 25 May 1878 – and ran for 571 performances, the second-longest run of any musical theatre piece up to that time. H.M.S. Pinafore was Gilbert and Sullivan’s fourth operatic collaboration and their first international sensation.

Cast of Characters The Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Porter, KCB, First Lord of the Admiralty comic baritone Captain Corcoran, Commander of H.M.S. Pinafore lyric baritone Ralph Rackstraw, Able Seaman tenor Dick Deadeye, Able Seaman bass-baritone Bill Bobstay, Boatswain’s Mate baritone Bob Becket, Carpenter’s Mate bass Josephine, The Captain’s Daughter soprano Cousin Hebe, Sir Joseph’s First Cousin mezzo-soprano Mrs. Cripps (Little Buttercup), Portsmouth Bumboat Woman contralto Chorus of First Lord’s sisters, His Cousins, His Aunts, Sailors, Marines Music by Arthur Sullivan, Libretti by Sir William Schwenck (W.S.) Gilbert

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PLOT SYNOPSIS AND MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS The  story  takes  place  aboard  the  British  ship  HMS  Pinafore.  The  captain's  daughter,  

Josephine,  is  in  love  with  a  lower-­‐class  sailor,  Ralph  Rackstraw,  although  her  father  

intends  her  to  marry  Sir  Joseph  Porter,  the  First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty.  She  abides  by  

her  father's  wishes  at  first,  but  Sir  Joseph's  advocacy  of  the  equality  of  humankind  

encourages  Ralph  and  Josephine  to  overturn  conventional  social  order.  They  declare  

their  love  for  each  other  and  eventually  plan  to  elope.  The  captain  discovers  this  

plan,  but,  as  in  many  of  the  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  operas,  a  surprise  disclosure  

changes  things  dramatically  near  the  end  of  the  story.  

Act I

The British warship H.M.S. Pinafore is at anchor off Portsmouth. The sailors are on the quarterdeck, proudly "cleaning brasswork, splicing rope, etc."

Little Buttercup, a Portsmouth "bumboat woman" (dockside vendor) – who is the "rosiest, roundest, and reddest beauty in all Spithead" – comes on board to sell her wares to the crew. She hints that she may be hiding a dark secret under her "gay and frivolous exterior". Ralph Rackstraw,[32] "the smartest lad in all the fleet", enters, declaring his love for the Captain's daughter, Josephine. His fellow sailors (excepting Dick Deadeye, the grim and ugly realist of the crew) offer their sympathies, but they can give Ralph little hope that his love will ever be returned.

Scene from 1886 Savoy Theatre souvenir programme

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The gentlemanly and popular Captain Corcoran greets his "gallant crew" and compliments them on their politeness, saying that he returns the favour by never ("well, hardly ever") using bad language, such as "a big, big D".[33] After the sailors leave, the Captain confesses to Little Buttercup that Josephine is reluctant to consider a marriage proposal from Sir Joseph Porter, the First Lord of the Admiralty. Buttercup says that she knows how it feels to love in vain. As she leaves, the Captain remarks that she is "a plump and pleasing person". Josephine enters and reveals to her father that she loves a humble sailor in his crew, but she assures him that she is a dutiful daughter and will never reveal her love to this sailor.

Sir Joseph comes on board, accompanied by his "admiring crowd of sisters, cousins and aunts". He recounts how he rose from humble beginnings to be "ruler of the Queen's Navee" through persistence, although he has no naval qualifications. He then delivers a humiliating lesson in etiquette, telling the Captain that he must always say "if you please" after giving an order; for "A British sailor is any man's equal" – excepting Sir Joseph's. Sir Joseph has composed a song to illustrate that point, and he gives a copy of it to Ralph. Shortly afterwards, elated by Sir Joseph's views on equality, Ralph decides that he will declare his love to Josephine. This delights his shipmates, except Dick Deadeye, who contends that "when people have to obey other people's orders, equality's out of the question". Shocked by his words, the other sailors force Dick to listen to Sir Joseph's song before they exit, leaving Ralph alone on deck. Josephine now enters, and Ralph confesses his love in terms surprisingly eloquent for a "common sailor". Josephine is touched, but although she has found Sir Joseph's attentions nauseating, she knows that it is her duty to marry Sir Joseph instead of Ralph. Disguising her true feelings, she "haughtily rejects" Ralph's "proffered love".

Ralph summons his shipmates (Sir Joseph's female relatives also arrive) and tells them that he is bent on throwing himself overboard. The crew expresses sympathy, except for Dick, who provides a stark counterpoint of dissent. Ralph puts a pistol to his head, but as he is about to pull the trigger, Josephine enters, admitting that she loves him after all. Ralph and Josephine plan to sneak ashore to elope that night. Dick Deadeye warns them to "forbear, nor carry out the scheme", but the joyous ship's company ignores him.

Act II

Later that night, under a full moon, Captain Corcoran reviews his concerns: his "kindly crew rebels", his "daughter to a tar is partial", his friends seem to desert him, and Sir Joseph has threatened acourt-martial. Little Buttercup offers sympathy. He tells her that, if it were not for the difference in their social standing, he would have returned her affection. She prophesies that things are not all as they seem and that "a change" is in store for him, but he does not understand her cryptic warning.

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Illustration of the characters in Act II by D. H. Friston, 1878

Sir Joseph enters and complains that Josephine has not yet agreed to marry him. The Captain speculates that she is probably dazzled by his "exalted rank" and that if Sir Joseph can persuade her that "love levels all ranks", she will accept his proposal. They withdraw, and Josephine enters, still feeling guilty about her planned elopement with Ralph and fearful of giving up a life of luxury. When Sir Joseph makes the argument that "love levels all ranks", a delighted Josephine says that she "will hesitate no longer". The Captain and Sir Joseph rejoice, but Josephine is now more determined than ever to marry Ralph.

Dick Deadeye intercepts the Captain and tells him of the lovers' plans to elope. The Captain confronts Ralph and Josephine as they try to leave the ship. The pair declare their love, justifying their actions because "He is an Englishman!" The furious Captain is unmoved and blurts out, "Why, damme, it's too bad!" Sir Joseph and his relatives, who have overheard this oath, are shocked to hear swearing on board a ship, and Sir Joseph orders the Captain confined to his cabin.

When Sir Joseph asks what had provoked the usually polite officer's outburst, Ralph replies that it was his declaration of love for Josephine. Furious in his turn at this revelation, and ignoring Josephine's plea to spare Ralph, Sir Joseph has the sailor "loaded with chains" and taken to the ship's dungeon. Little Buttercup now comes forward to reveal her long-held

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secret. Many years ago, when she "practised baby-farming", she had cared for two babies, one "of low condition", the other "a regular patrician". She confesses that she "mixed those children up .... The wellborn babe was Ralph; your Captain was the other."

Sir Joseph now realises that Ralph should have been the Captain, and the Captain should have been Ralph. He summons both, and they emerge wearing one another's uniforms: Ralph as Captain, in command of the Pinafore, and Corcoran as a common sailor. Sir Joseph's marriage with Josephine is now "out of the question" in his eyes: "love levels all ranks ... to a considerable extent, but it does not level them as much as that." He hands her to Captain Rackstraw. The former Captain's now-humble social rank leaves him free to marry Buttercup. Sir Joseph settles for his cousin Hebe, and all ends in general rejoicing.

Musical  numbers  

• OVERTURE  Act  I  

• 1.  "We  sail  the  ocean  blue"  (Sailors)  • 2.  "Hail!  men-­‐o'-­‐war's  men"  ...  "I'm  called  Little  Buttercup"  (Buttercup)  • 2a.  "But  tell  me  who's  the  youth"  (Buttercup  and  Boatswain)  • 3.  "The  nightingale"  (Ralph  and  Chorus  of  Sailors)  • 3a.  "A  maiden  fair  to  see"  (Ralph  and  Chorus  of  Sailors)  • 4.  "My  gallant  crew,  good  morning"  (Captain  and  Chorus  of  Sailors)  • 4a.  "Sir,  you  are  sad"  (Buttercup  and  Captain)  • 5.  "Sorry  her  lot  who  loves  too  well"  (Josephine)  • 5a.  Cut  song:  "Reflect,  my  child"  (Captain  and  Josephine)  • 6.  "Over  the  bright  blue  sea"  (Chorus  of  Female  Relatives)  • 7.  "Sir  Joseph's  barge  is  seen"  (Chorus  of  Sailors  and  Female  Relatives)                Rutland  Barrington  as  A.B.S.  Corcoran  at  the  end  of  Pinafore  

• 8.  "Now  give  three  cheers"  (Captain,  Sir  Joseph,  Cousin  Hebe  and  Chorus)  • 9.  "When  I  was  a  lad"  (Sir  Joseph  and  Chorus)  • 9a.  "For  I  hold  that  on  the  sea"  (Sir  Joseph,  Cousin  Hebe  and  Chorus)  • 10.  "A  British  tar"  (Ralph,  Boatswain,  Carpenter's  Mate  and  Chorus  of  Sailors)  • 11.  "Refrain,  audacious  tar"  (Josephine  and  Ralph)  • 12.  Finale,  Act  I:  "Can  I  survive  this  overbearing?"    

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Act  II  

(Entr'acte)  

• 13.  "Fair  moon,  to  thee  I  sing"  (Captain)  

• 14.  "Things  are  seldom  what  they  seem"  (Buttercup  and  Captain)  

• 15.  "The  hours  creep  on  apace"  (Josephine)  

• 16.  "Never  mind  the  why  and  wherefore"  (Josephine,  Captain  and  Sir  Joseph)  

• 17.  "Kind  Captain,  I've  important  information"  (Captain  and  Dick  Deadeye)  

• 18.  "Carefully  on  tiptoe  stealing"  (Soli  and  Chorus)  

• 18a.  "Pretty  daughter  of  mine"  (Captain  and  Ensemble)  and  "He  is  an  

Englishman"  (Boatswain  and  Ensemble)  

• 19.  "Farewell,  my  own"  (Ralph,  Josephine,  Sir  Joseph,  Buttercup  and  Chorus)  

• 20.  "A  many  years  ago"  (Buttercup  and  Chorus)  

• 20a.  "Here,  take  her,  sir"  (Sir  Joseph,  Josephine,  Ralph,  Cousin  Hebe  and  Chorus)1  

• 21.  Finale:  "Oh  joy,  oh  rapture  unforeseen"  (Ensemble)  2  

Poster illustration from original 1878 production  

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BACKGROUND  In  1875,  Richard  D'Oyly  Carte,  who  was  then  managing  the  Royalty  Theatre  for  Selina  Dolaro,  brought  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  together  to  write  their  second  show,  a  one-­‐act  opera  entitled  Trial  by  Jury.[1]  This  proved  a  success,  and  in  1876  D'Oyly  Carte  assembled  a  group  of  financial  backers  to  establish  the  Comedy  Opera  Company,  which  was  devoted  to  the  production  and  promotion  of  family-­‐friendly  English  comic  opera.[2]  With  this  theatre  company,  Carte  finally  had  the  financial  resources,  after  many  failed  attempts,  to  produce  a  new  full-­‐length  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  opera.[3]  This  next  opera  was  The  Sorcerer,  which  opened  in  November  1877.  It  too  was  successful,  running  for  178  performances.[4]  Sheet  music  from  the  show  sold  well,  and  street  musicians  played  the  melodies.[5]  

Instead  of  writing  a  piece  for  production  by  a  theatre  proprietor,  as  was  usual  in  Victorian  theatres,  Gilbert,  Sullivan  and  Carte  produced  the  show  with  their  own  financial  support.  They  were  therefore  able  to  choose  their  own  cast  of  performers,  rather  than  being  obliged  to  use  the  actors  already  engaged  at  the  theatre.  They  chose  talented  actors,  most  of  whom  were  not  well-­‐known  stars  and  did  not  command  high  fees,  and  to  whom  they  could  teach  a  more  naturalistic  style  of  performance  than  was  commonly  used  at  the  time.  They  then  tailored  their  work  to  the  particular  abilities  of  these  performers.[6]  The  skill  with  which  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  used  their  performers  had  an  effect  on  the  audience;  as  critic  Herman  Klein  wrote:  "we  secretly  marvelled  at  the  naturalness  and  ease  with  which  [the  Gilbertian  quips  and  absurdities]  were  said  and  done.  For  until  then  no  living  soul  had  seen  upon  the  stage  such  weird,  eccentric,  yet  intensely  human  beings  ....  [They]  conjured  into  existence  a  hitherto  unknown  comic  world  of  sheer  delight."[7]  

Punch  cartoon,  1877,  portraying  First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty  W.  H.  Smith  as  aland-­‐lubber,  saying:  "I  think  I'll  now  

go  below."  In  Pinafore,  Sir  Joseph  similarly  sings:  "When  the  breezes  blow  /  I  generally  go  below".  

The  success  of  The  Sorcerer  paved  the  way  for  another  collaboration  by  Gilbert  and  Sullivan.  Carte  agreed  on  terms  for  a  new  opera  with  the  Comedy  Opera  Company,  and  Gilbert  began  work  on  H.M.S.  Pinafore  before  the  end  of  1877.[8]  Gilbert's  father  had  been  a  naval  surgeon,  and  the  nautical  theme  of  the  opera  appealed  to  him.[9]He  drew  on  several  of  his  earlier  "Bab  Ballad"  poems  (many  of  which  also  have  nautical  themes),  including  "Captain  Reece"  (1868)  and  "General  John"  (1867).[10]Some  of  the  characters  also  have  prototypes  in  the  ballads:  Dick  Deadeye  is  based  on  a  character  in  "Woman's  Gratitude"  (1869);  an  early  version  of  Ralph  Rackstraw  can  be  seen  in  "Joe  Go-­‐Lightly"  (1867),  with  its  sailor  madly  in  love  with  the  daughter  of  someone  who  far  outranks  him;  and  Little  Buttercup  is  taken  almost  wholesale  from  "The  Bumboat  Woman's  Story"  (1870).[11][12]  On  27  December  1877,  while  Sullivan  was  on  holiday  on  the  French  Riviera,  Gilbert  sent  him  a  plot  sketch  accompanied  by  the  following  note:[13]  

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I  have  very  little  doubt  whatever  but  that  you  will  be  pleased  with  it.  ...  there  is  a  good  deal  of  fun  in  it  which  I  haven't  set  down  on  paper.  Among  other  things  a  song  (a  kind  of  'Judge's  Song')  for  the  First  Lord  –  tracing  his  career  as  office-­‐boy  ...  clerk,  traveller,  junior  partner  and  First  Lord  of  Britain's  Navy  ....  Of  course  there  will  be  nopersonality  in  this  –  the  fact  that  the  First  Lord  in  the  Opera  is  a  Radical  of  the  most  pronounced  type  will  do  away  with  any  suspicion  that  W.  H.  Smith  is  intended.[13][14]  

Despite  Gilbert's  disclaimer,  audiences,  critics  and  even  the  Prime  Minister  identified  Sir  Joseph  Porter  with  W.  H.  Smith  (a  politician  who  had  recently  been  appointed  First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty  despite  having  neither  military  nor  nautical  experience).[15]  Sullivan  was  delighted  with  the  sketch,  and  Gilbert  read  a  first  draft  of  the  plot  to  Carte  in  mid-­‐January.[16]  

Following  the  example  of  his  mentor,  T.  W.  Robertson,  Gilbert  strove  to  ensure  that  the  costumes  and  sets  were  as  realistic  as  possible.[17]  When  preparing  the  sets  for  H.M.S.  Pinafore,  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  visited  Portsmouth  in  April  1878  to  inspect  ships.  Gilbert  made  sketches  of  H.M.S.  Victoryand  H.M.S.  St  Vincent  and  created  a  model  set  for  the  carpenters  to  work  from.[18]  This  was  far  from  standard  procedure  in  Victorian  drama,  in  which  naturalism  was  still  a  relatively  new  concept,  and  in  which  most  authors  had  very  little  influence  on  how  their  plays  and  libretti  were  staged.[19]  This  attention  to  detail  was  typical  of  Gilbert's  stage  management  and  would  be  repeated  in  all  of  hisSavoy  Operas.[20]  Gilbert's  focus  on  visual  accuracy  provided  a  "right-­‐side-­‐up  for  topsy-­‐turvydom",  that  is,  a  realistic  point  of  reference  that  serves  to  heighten  the  whimsicality  and  absurdity  of  the  situations.[21]  Sullivan  was  "in  the  full  swing"  of  work  on  the  piece  by  the  middle  of  April  1878.[22]  The  bright  and  cheerful  music  of  Pinafore  was  composed  during  a  time  when  Sullivan  suffered  from  excruciating  pain  from  a  kidney  stone.[23][24]  The  cast  began  music  rehearsals  on  24  April,  and  at  the  beginning  of  May  1878,  the  two  collaborators  worked  closely  together  at  Sullivan's  flat  to  finalise  the  piece.[25][26]  

In  Pinafore,  Gilbert,  Sullivan  and  Carte  used  several  of  the  principal  cast  members  that  they  had  assembled  for  The  Sorcerer.  As  Gilbert  had  suggested  to  Sullivan  in  December  1877,  "Mrs.  Cripps  [Little  Buttercup]  will  be  a  capital  part  for  Everard  ....  Barrington  will  be  a  capital  captain,  andGrossmith  a  first-­‐rate  First  Lord."[13]  However,  Mrs  Howard  Paul,[27]  who  had  played  Lady  Sangazure  in  The  Sorcerer,  was  declining  vocally.  She  was  under  contract  to  play  the  role  of  Cousin  Hebe  in  Pinafore.  Gilbert  made  an  effort  to  write  an  amusing  part  for  her  despite  Sullivan's  reluctance  to  use  her,  but  by  mid-­‐May  1878,  both  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  wanted  her  out  of  the  cast;  unhappy  with  the  role,  she  left.  With  only  a  week  to  go  before  opening  night,  Carte  hired  concert  singer  Jessie  Bond  to  play  Cousin  Hebe.[28][29]  Since  Bond  had  little  experience  as  an  actress,  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  cut  the  dialogue  out  of  the  role,  except  for  a  few  lines  in  the  last  scene,  which  they  turned  into  recitative.[30]  Other  new  cast  members  were  Emma  Howson  and  George  Power  in  the  romantic  roles,  who  were  improvements  on  the  romantic  soprano  and  tenor  in  The  Sorcerer.[12]  

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Gilbert  acted  as  stage  director  for  his  own  plays  and  operas.  He  sought  realism  in  acting,  just  as  he  strove  for  realistic  visual  elements.  He  deprecated  self-­‐conscious  interaction  with  the  audience  and  insisted  on  a  style  of  portrayal  in  which  the  characters  were  never  aware  of  their  own  absurdity  but  were  coherent  internal  wholes.[31]  Sullivan  conducted  the  music  rehearsals.  As  was  to  be  his  usual  practice  in  his  later  operas,  Sullivan  left  the  overture  for  the  last  moment,  sketching  it  out  and  entrusting  it  to  the  company's  music  director,  in  this  case  Alfred  Cellier,  to  complete.[4]    

Theatre poster, 1879

 

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A Short History of Opera

The word opera is the plural form of the Latin word opus, which translates quite literally as work. The use of the plural form alludes to the plurality of art forms that combine to create an operatic performance. Today we accept the word opera as a reference to a theatrically based musical art form in which the drama is propelled by the sung declamation of text accompanied by a full symphony orchestra. Opera as an art form can claim its origin with the inclusion of incidental music that was performed during the tragedies and comedies popular during ancient Greek times. The tradition of including music as an integral part of theatrical activities expanded in Roman times and continued throughout the Middle Ages. Surviving examples of liturgical dramas and vernacular plays from Medieval times show the use of music as an “insignificant” part of the action as do the vast mystery and morality plays of the 15th and 16th centuries. Traditional view holds that the first completely sung musical drama (or opera) developed as a result of discussions held in Florence in the 1570s by an informal academy known as the Camerata which led to the musical setting of Rinuccinií’s drama, Dafne, by composer, Jacopo Peri in 1597. The work of such early Italian masters as Giulio Caccini and Claudio Monteverdi led to the development of a through-composed musical entertainment comprised of recitative sections (secco and accompagnato) which revealed the plot of the drama; followed by da capo arias which provided the soloist an opportunity to develop the emotions of the character. The function of the chorus in these early works mirrored that of the character of the same name found in Greek drama. The new “form” was greeted favorably by the public and quickly became a popular entertainment. Opera has flourished throughout the world as a vehicle for the expression of the full range of human emotions. Italians claim the art form as their own, retaining dominance in the field through the death of Giacomo Puccini in 1924. Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi, and Leoncavallo developed the art form through clearly defined periods that produced opera buffa, opera seria , bel canto, and verismo . The Austrian Mozart also wrote operas in Italian and championed the singspiel (sing play), which combined the spoken word with music, a form also used by Beethoven in his only opera, Fidelio. Bizet (Carmen), Offenbach (Les Contes dí’Hoffmann), Gounod (Faust), and Meyerbeer (Les Huguenots) led the adaptation by the French which ranged from the opera comique to the grand full-scale tragedie lyrique . German composers von Weber (Der Freischu ̈tz), Richard Strauss (Ariadne auf Naxos), and Wagner (Der Ring des Nibelungen) developed diverse forms such as singspiel to through-composed spectacles unified through the use of the leitmotif . The English ballad opera , Spanish zarzuela and Viennese operetta helped to establish opera as a form of entertainment, which continues to enjoy great popularity throughout the world. With the beginning of the 20th century, composers in America diverged from European traditions in order to focus on their own roots while exploring and developing the vast body of the countryí’s folk music and legends. Composers such as Aaron Copland, Douglas Moore, Carlisle Floyd, Howard Hanson, and Robert Ward have all crafted operas that have been presented throughout the world to great success. Today, composers John Adams, Philip Glass, and John Corigliano enjoy success both at home and abroad and are credited with the infusion of new life into an art form, which continues to evolve even as it approaches its fifth century.

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The Operatic Voice

A  true  (and  brief)  definition  of  the  “operaticî”  voice  is  a  difficult  proposition.    Many  believe  the  voice  is  “born”,  while  just  as  many  hold  to  the  belief  that  the  voice  is  “trained.”  The  truth  lies  somewhere  between  the  two.  Voices  that  can  sustain  the  demands  required  by  the  operatic  repertoire  do  have  many  things  in  common.  First  and  foremost  is  a  strong  physical  technique  that  allows  the  singer  to  sustain  long  phrases  through  the  control  of  both  the  inhalation  and  exhalation  of  breath.  Secondly,  the  voice  (regardless  of  its  size)  must  maintain  a  resonance  in  both  the  head  (mouth,  sinuses)  and  chest  cavities.  The  Italian  word  “squillo”  (squeal)  is  used  to  describe  the  brilliant  tone  required  to  penetrate  the  full  symphony  orchestra  that  accompanies  the  singers.  Finally,  all  voices  are  defined  by  both  the  actual  voice  “type”  and  the  selection  of  repertoire  for  which  the  voice  is  idea    Within  the  five  major  voice  types  (Soprano,  Mezzo-­‐Soprano,  Tenor,  Baritone,  Bass  )  there  is  a  further  delineation  into  categories  (Coloratura,  Lyric,  Spinto,  and  Dramatic  )  which  help  to  define  each  particular  instrument.  The  Coloratura  is  the  highest  within  each  voice  type  whose  extended  upper  range  is  complimented  by  extreme  flexibility.  The  Lyric  is  the  most  common  of  the  “types.”  This  instrument  is  recognized  more  for  the  exceptional  beauty  of  its  tone  rather  than  its  power  or  range.  The  Spinto  is  a  voice  which  combines  the  beauty  of  a  lyric  with  the  weight  and  power  of  a  Dramatic  ,  which  is  the  most  “powerful”  of  the  voices.  The  Dramatic  instrument  is  characterized  by  the  combination  of  both  incredible  volume  and  “steely”  intensity.    While  the  definition  presented  in  the  preceding  paragraph  may  seem  clearly  outlined,  many  voices  combine  qualities  from  each  category,  thus  carving  a  unique  niche  in  operatic  history.  Just  as  each  person  is  different  from  the  next,  so  is  each  voice.  Throughout  her  career  Maria  Callas  defied  categorization  as  she  performed  and  recorded  roles  associated  with  each  category  in  the  soprano  voice  type.  Joan  Sutherland  as  well  can  be  heard  in  recordings  of  soprano  roles  as  diverse  as  the  coloratura  Gilda  in  Rigoletto  to  the  dramatic  Turandot  in  Turandot.  Below  is  a  very  brief  outline  of  voice  types  and  categories  with  roles  usually  associated  with  the  individual  voice  type.    

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Voice Chart

16

Opera Production Opera is created by the combination of myriad art forms. First and foremost are the actors

who portray characters by revealing their thoughts and emotions through the singing voice.

The next very important component is a full symphony orchestra that accompanies the singing actors and actresses, helping them to portray the full range of emotions possible in the operatic format. The orchestra performs in an area in front of the singers called the orchestra pit while the singers perform on the open area called the stage. Wigs, costumes, sets and specialized lighting further enhance these performances, all of which are designed, created, and executed by a team of highly trained artisans.

The creation of an opera begins with a dramatic scenario crafted by a playwright or dramaturg who alone or with a librettist fashions the script or libretto that contains the words the artists will sing. Working in tandem, the composer and librettist team up to create a cohesive musical drama in which the music and words work together to express the emotions revealed in the story. Following the completion of their work, the composer and librettist entrust their new work to a conductor who with a team of assistants (repetiteurs) assumes responsibility for the musical preparation of the work. The conductor collaborates with a stage director (responsible for the visual component) in order to bring a performance of the new piece to life on the stage. The stage director and conductor form the creative spearhead for the new composition while assembling a design team which will take charge of the actual physical production.

Set designers, lighting designers, costume designers, wig and makeup designers and even choreographers must all be brought “on board” to participate in the creation of the new production. The set designer combines the skills of both an artist and an architect using “blueprint” plans to design the actual physical set which will reside on the stage, recreating the physical setting required by the storyline. These blueprints are turned over to a team of carpenters who are specially trained in the art of stage carpentry. Following the actual building of the set, painters following instructions from the set designers’ original plans paint the set. As the set is assembled on the stage, the lighting designer works with a team of electricians to throw light onto both the stage and the set in an atmospheric as well as practical way. Using specialized lighting instruments, colored gels and a state of the art computer, the designer along with the stage director create a “lighting plot” by writing “lighting cues” which are stored in the computer and used during the actual performance of the opera.

During this production period, the costume designer in consultation with the stage director has designed appropriate clothing for the singing actors and actresses to wear. These designs are fashioned into patterns and crafted by a team of highly skilled artisans called cutters, stitchers, and sewers. Each costume is specially made for each singer using his/her individual measurements. The wig and makeup designer, working with the costume designer, designs and creates wigs which will complement both the costume and the singer as well as represent historically accurate “period” fashions. As the actual performance date approaches, rehearsals are held on the newly crafted set, combined with costumes, lights, and orchestra in order to ensure a cohesive performance that will be both dramatically and musically satisfying to the assembled