Appendix:Glossary of opera

This is a glossary of opera.

Contents:	A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

aria

aria di sorbetto

arioso

B

bel canto

breeches role

burletta

C

cabaletta

cadenza

A part of a piece of music, such as a concerto, that is very decorative and is played by a single musician.

cantabile

castrato

cavatina

chest voice

claque

coloratura

Florid or fancy passages in vocal music.

comprimario

convenienze

coup de glotte

D

da capo aria

diva

Any female celebrity, usually a well known singer or actress.

duodrama

E

entr'acte

F

fach

falsetto

The "false" (singing) voice in any human, usually airy and lacking a purity of vowels; created by utilizing the next highest vocal folds above those used for speech and normal range singing.

fioritura

G

gesamtkunstwerk

H

head voice

I

intermezzo

A short piece of music or act in the interval of the main spectacle.

K

kammersänger

L

leitmotif

A melodic theme associated with a particular character, place, thing or idea in an opera.

legato

libretto

The text of a dramatic musical work, such as an opera.

literaturoper

M

mad scene

maestro

melodrama

In opera, a passage in which the orchestra plays a somewhat descriptive accompaniment, while the actor speaks; as, the melodrama in the grave digging scene of Beethoven's "Fidelio".

monodrama

A play in the form of a monologue.

messa di voce

O

opera house

P

passaggio

portamento

prima donna

prompter

R

recitative

A dialogue, in an opera etc, that, rather than being sung as an aria, is reproduced with the rhythms of normal speech, often with simple musical accompaniment or harpsichord continuo; serves to expound the plot

regietheater

répétiteur

ritornello

S

sitzprobe

spinto

sprechgesang

squillo

stagione

surtitles

T

tessitura

timbre

V

vibrato

The musical effect or technique where the pitch or frequency of a note or sound is quickly and repeatedly raised and lowered over a small distance for the duration of that note or sound.