20 Questions About Opera

What is opera?
Opera is a complex art form that has been around since about 1600. Nowadays there are many styles of opera performance, but basically, they all have one thing in common - an opera is a play that is sung.

What is a typical opera story?
Initially, most opera stories were taken from mythology, or were loosely based on historical events. Since then composers have taken the stories from a variety of sources including literature, history, Shakespearean plays, children's stories, real events and even Hollywood movies!

How many people does it take to make an opera?
Many. The creation of an opera involves a composer, who writes the music and a librettist, who writes the words, usually adapted from an existing story. That's the easy part. The hard part is bringing an opera to life on the stage. This can involve an army of hundreds of workers that include the artists - singers, dancers, conductors, orchestral musicians, language coaches, music staff and directors; the designers - lighting, scenery and costumes; the makers - set builders, costumiers, wig makers; the technical staff - stage managers, lighting technicians, fly operators, stage mechanists and electricians, surtitle operators, dressers; and of course the managers who coordinate all of the above. Moliere said 'of all the noises known to man, opera is the most expensive.'

What comes first - the words or the music?
Good question. In fact there is an opera about which is more important - the words or the music - Richard Strauss' Capriccio. The short answer is that the creation of an opera is usually a collaboration - which means the composer and librettist work closely together.

What does it take to be an opera singer?
Years of determination and training. A singer needs to possess a good instrument (the voice) to start with and then spend years developing it. You may have seen the recent series Operatunity Oz, which illustrated the challenging path to becoming an opera singer. An opera singer needs to be able to sing acoustically in large auditoriums and be heard above an orchestra, which can sometimes have as many as 80 players.

What are the different kinds of operatic voices?
There are five major voice types - Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone and Bass. There is a further delineation into categories - Coloratura, Lyric, Spinto, and Dramatic, which help to define each particular voice. The Coloratura is the highest within each voice type whose extended upper range is complemented by extreme flexibility. The Lyric is the most common of the types. This instrument is recognised 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 characterised 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.

How long is an opera?
How long is a piece of string? An average opera is about 3 hours and usually has two or three acts. There are some longer and of course some shorter. Visit the opera's production pages to find out how long different operas are.

What is an aria?
This is a song for solo voice. The aria allows the singer to pause and reflect on action that has passed and express their inner thoughts and feelings.

What is a recitative?
Recitative was used in 18th and early 19th century opera much like dialogue is used in music theatre of today. There are two kinds of recitative: secco - accompanied on a harpsichord or accompagnato - accompanied by the orchestra. Julius Caesar contains both secco and accompagnato recitative.

What is an ensemble?
This is when you have two or more singers singing together, for example in a duet or trio. A large ensemble would be called the chorus.

Where will I be seeing the opera?
Victorian Opera performs in a variety of venues - each one is slightly different, often there are two levels of seating: the stalls, and the circle, sometimes there is a third - check out information, including seating plans for the different venues by selecting their names:
Hamer Hall, the Arts Centre
Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre
Merlyn Theatre, CUB Malthouse
Playhouse, the Arts Centre

What is a diva?
Literally, diva means 'goddess,' but commonly refers to a female opera star. Diva is often used to describe a demanding or fussy opera star. Nowadays any ridiculously demanding person is referred to as a diva.

In what language will the opera be sung?
It varies, it could be in Italian, French, German or English. Most operas are performed in the language of the composer, but are often translated into the local language where the performance will be held. Opera singers need to be able to sing in any language. The operas in the 2010 season will be sung in French, Italian and English.

How will I know what's happening?
There will be a translation of the text projected above the stage - these are called surtitles. Surtitle technology has made opera going much more accessible.

What should I wear?
Going to the opera used to be a very formal affair. Evening dress, jewellery - the works. Nowadays the manner of dress is more casual. Many people attend the opera after being at work or at school.

What should I expect?
Going to the opera is experiencing live theatre on large scale, so unexpected things may happen. You will see the singers on the stage and Orchestra Victoria in the pit, but there is also a large team of people behind the scenes that you won't see who all work together to create two hours of operatic magic - all live in front of your eyes. The most important thing is to allow yourself to be taken away to another place and time by the power of the music and the drama.

When do I applaud?
If you are unsure, play it by ear and follow along with the rest of the audience. However, audiences generally applaud at the end of the overture and often at the completion of arias - and of course wildly at the end.