Outline of opera


The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to opera:
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work, which combines a text and a musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. While the scale of opera can be larger or smaller—there are many different genres of opera—performance typically involves different types of artist and technical staff. Usually an orchestra led by a conductor accompanies the singers. In contrast to spoken theatre, the opera world is international. Italian, German, French, English, and Russian works are performed worldwide in their original languages, and artists travel from country to country performing.
The following is a list of articles on general opera topics:

Essence of opera

History of opera

Operas have been written in a diversity of languages with many countries or regions developing their own operatic style, tradition and history.
Over the centuries, the original form of opera, as established by Claudio Monteverdi and his contemporaries, has diversified into distinct and recognisable genres, in addition to the national traditions listed above. These include, but are not limited to, the following.

English opera terms

  • Breeches role
  • Chest voice
  • Concert performance
  • Duodrama
  • Head voice
  • Insertion aria
  • Mad scene
  • Melodrama
  • Monodrama
  • Number
  • Opera house
  • Patter song
  • Prompter
  • Sung-through
  • Surtitles

    French opera terms

  • Claque
  • Coup de glotte
  • Divertissement
  • Encore
  • Entr'acte
  • Haute-contre
  • Intermède
  • Overture
  • Répétiteur
  • Roulade
  • Timbre
  • Tragédie en musique
  • Travesti

    German opera terms

  • Fach
  • Gesamtkunstwerk
  • Kammersänger
  • Kapellmeister
  • Leitmotif
  • Literaturoper
  • Regieoper
  • Singspiel
  • Sitzprobe
  • Spieloper
  • Sprechgesang

    Italian opera terms

  • Aria
  • Aria di sorbetto
  • Arioso
  • Banda
  • Bel canto
  • Bravura
  • Brindisi
  • Burletta
  • Cabaletta
  • Cadenza
  • Cantabile
  • Castrato
  • Cavatina
  • Chiaroscuro
  • Coloratura
  • Comprimario
  • Contralto
  • Convenienze
  • Da capo aria
  • Diva
  • Falsetto
  • Falsettone
  • Fioritura
  • Impresario
  • Intermezzo
  • Legato
  • Libretto
  • Licenza
  • Maestro
  • Melodramma
  • Messa di voce
  • Mezzo-soprano
  • Musico
  • Opera seria
  • Ossia
  • Passaggio
  • Pasticcio
  • Portamento
  • Prima donna
  • Recitative
  • Ritornello
  • Sinfonia
  • Solita forma
  • Soprano
  • Soprano sfogato
  • Spinto
  • Squillo
  • Stagione
  • Stile rappresentativo
  • Tenore contraltino
  • Tenore di grazia
  • Tessitura
  • Verismo
  • Vibrato

    Opera terms from other languages

  • Hovsångare

    Music concepts relevant to opera

  • Concert version
  • Libretto
  • *Electronic libretto
  • Offstage instrument or choir part
  • Tessitura
  • Vocal range
  • Vocal weight
  • Voice type - classification of singers by the range, weight, and color of their voices
  • Voice projection

    Theatre concepts relevant to opera

  • Act
  • Blocking
  • Curtain call
  • Prop - short for "theatrical property"
  • Rake
  • Rehearsal
  • Stage clothes
  • Stagecraft
  • Theatrical scenery
  • Ticket

    Opera house

  • Auditorium
  • *Box
  • *Gallery
  • Backstage facilities
  • *Green room
  • Orchestra pit
  • Stage
  • *Fly system
  • *Footlight
  • *Prompt corner
  • *Revolving stage
  • *Safety curtain
  • *Stage curtain
  • *Star trap

    People in opera

Opera composers, librettists, directors

Opera performer - similar to, but more specialized than performers in other theatrical productions. Opera performers are at the same time both singers and actors, and often dancers as well.
; Other participants are: