6.2 Opera seria: conventions and reforms

Opera seria dominated 18th-century Italian opera with serious themes and strict conventions. It featured elaborate vocal ornamentation, mythological plots, and specialized roles like the castrato. But by mid-century, composers and librettists sought reforms to improve dramatic integrity.

Reformers like Gluck simplified plots, reduced da capo arias, and gave the orchestra a bigger role. These changes influenced later composers and paved the way for new operatic styles. Despite resistance, opera seria gradually declined as tastes changed and new genres emerged.

Characteristics of Opera Seria

Dramatic and Musical Conventions

Top images from around the web for Dramatic and Musical Conventions

• 

  More on the Baroque Period | Music 101 View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Opera - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Serious Opera | Music Appreciation View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  More on the Baroque Period | Music 101 View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Opera - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Dramatic and Musical Conventions

• 

  More on the Baroque Period | Music 101 View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Opera - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Serious Opera | Music Appreciation View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  More on the Baroque Period | Music 101 View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Opera - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Opera seria dominated 18th-century Italian opera with serious subject matter, elaborate vocal ornamentation, and adherence to dramatic and musical conventions
• Libretti drew from ancient Greek and Roman mythology or history, focusing on conflicts and emotions of noble or heroic characters
• Structure followed a rigid formula, alternating between recitative (sung dialogue) and da capo arias (ternary form arias with an ornamented repeat of the A section)
• Staging was often elaborate and spectacular, with complex set designs, machinery, and special effects used to create a grand visual spectacle (e.g., grandiose sets, mythological creatures, supernatural events)

Vocal Roles and Orchestration

• Vocal roles were highly specialized
  • Principal male role usually written for a castrato (a male singer castrated before puberty to preserve a high vocal range)
  • Principal female role typically sung by a soprano
  • Supporting roles included contraltos, tenors, and basses
• Orchestra primarily served to accompany the singers and rarely had independent musical material
  • Overture and occasional instrumental interludes were exceptions
  • Orchestral accompaniment supported the emotional content of the arias and recitatives
  • Typical orchestral instruments included strings, harpsichord, and occasional wind instruments (oboes, horns)

Reforms in Opera Seria

Dramatic Reforms

• In the mid-18th century, composers and librettists sought to reform opera seria by emphasizing dramatic integrity and naturalness
• Christoph Willibald Gluck and librettist Ranieri de' Calzabigi introduced reforms that prioritized drama over vocal display
  • Simplified plots and reduced the number of da capo arias in favor of more varied musical forms
  • Called for a greater role for the chorus and a more expressive and integrated use of the orchestra to enhance emotional impact
• Librettist Pietro Metastasio refined conventions by crafting more psychologically complex characters and focusing on moral and emotional conflicts

Musical Innovations

• Niccolò Jommelli experimented with new musical forms and techniques to create a more continuous and dramatically cohesive work
  • Ensemble finales brought together multiple characters to advance the plot and heighten dramatic tension
  • Accompanied recitatives featured a more active orchestral accompaniment to underscore emotional content
• Composers sought to create a more seamless integration of recitative and aria, blurring the line between the two forms
• Orchestration became more expressive and colorful, with greater use of wind instruments and dynamic contrasts to convey mood and atmosphere

Impact of Reforms on Opera Seria

Influence on Later Composers and Styles

• Gluck's reforms influenced later composers such as Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who sought to create more dramatically integrated and emotionally expressive operas
• Emphasis on dramatic integrity and reduction of vocal ornamentation anticipated the emergence of the bel canto style in the early 19th century, prioritizing beautiful singing and melodic expression
• Reforms paved the way for the emergence of new operatic styles and genres, such as opera buffa and singspiel

Resistance and Decline

• Some composers, singers, and audiences preferred the traditional conventions of opera seria and the showcasing of vocal virtuosity, leading to resistance against reforms
• Despite reforms, opera seria gradually declined in popularity in the late 18th century
  • Changing tastes and the rise of new genres like opera buffa and singspiel challenged its dominance
  • Socio-political changes, such as the French Revolution, shifted cultural priorities and aesthetics
  • Economic factors, including the high cost of producing elaborate opera seria productions, contributed to its decline

Opera Seria Composers: Styles vs Comparisons

Individual Compositional Styles

• George Frideric Handel: known for expressive and technically demanding vocal writing, and use of da capo arias to showcase star singers' skills
  • Examples: "Giulio Cesare" (1724), "Alcina" (1735)
• Niccolò Jommelli: experimented with ensemble finales and accompanied recitatives for a more continuous and dramatically cohesive work
  • Examples: "Armida abbandonata" (1770), "Ifigenia in Tauride" (1771)
• Christoph Willibald Gluck: prioritized dramatic integrity over vocal display, simplifying plot and musical structure, and giving greater role to chorus and orchestra
  • Examples: "Orfeo ed Euridice" (1762), "Alceste" (1767)

Comparisons and Contrasts

• Johann Adolph Hasse: known for elegant and expressive melodic writing, and ability to adapt style to tastes and preferences of different audiences and singers
  • Contrasted with Gluck's reforms by maintaining traditional opera seria conventions
  • Examples: "Cleofide" (1731), "Artaserse" (1730)
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: combined traditional opera seria conventions with innovative musical language and psychological insight
  • Bridged the gap between opera seria and opera buffa, incorporating elements of both genres
  • Examples: "Idomeneo" (1781), "La clemenza di Tito" (1791)