Die Fledermaus (The Bat)
By Johann Strauss Jr.
Dress Rehearsal November 17, 2016
STUDY GUIDE
THE STUDENT OPERA EXPERIENCE
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Index
Part 1: Preparing for the Opera Experience (Pg 4)
Part 2: Activities and Projects (Pg 6)
Part 3: Die Fledermaus Resource Information (Pg 11)
Part 4: Die Fledermaus Composer, Characters,
Synopsis, Cast Biographies (Pg 14)
Part 5: Language and History of Opera (Pg 21)
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Introduction
Opera is a unique and exciting art form that combines the disciplines of music, drama, literature,
dance, visual, and technical arts like no other.
This guide will give you a backstage tour of all that is opera - terminology, inside information on
the production, the history behind the opera and the composer, as well as ideas for including
opera in your classroom learning.
We hope that this guide will assist you in making opera connections in fun and interesting ways
as well as to use Die Fledermaus as a point of departure for learning. Exposure to performing and
fine arts helps students develop critical analysis and problem solving skills, perseverance, and a
drive for excellence. The creative skills developed through the arts carry us toward new ideas,
new experiences and new challenges. Plus, there’s nothing like the excitement and magic of a
live professional performance!
All of us at Calgary Opera are thrilled you will be attending a dress rehearsal as this is a very
special opportunity! A big shout out to the teachers, for organizing students and supporting them
in their opera experience!
Emily Forrest
Education and Outreach Coordinator
Calgary Opera
Phone (403) 262-7286, Direct line (403) 802-3404
[email protected]
Let’s Create an Opera Sponsor
Community Outreach Sponsor
Emerging Artist Development
Emerging Artist Development Program is funded in part through the Arts Training Fund
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The Student Opera Experience
Part 1: Preparing for the opera experience
The more students are prepared for this experience, the more they will get out of it and enjoy
it. Knowing the story, the life and times of the composer and the music is very important to
make their opera experience a sensational one!
Before the Opera
Teachers should review the study guide and all of the suggested activities and discussions, to
decide which parts students will be engaged with. Some of the activities/discussions should be
started prior to seeing the opera. Preparing students ahead of time gives them a chance to
view the opera within the context of what they will be working on after i.e. history, reviewing,
character studies, discussions, etc.
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Read the enclosed synopsis of Die Fledermaus, which provides a background and helps
familiarize students and teachers with the story.

Listen to the music excerpts found in the downloadable zip file or linked directly in this
document.
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Read the history of the opera, composer and director, and familiarize your group with
opera terms (all items in the guide can be reproduced).

Familiarize students with the characters and their opera voice types (i.e. soprano, bass,
and tenor) so that students can identify which is which during the opera.

Discuss the characters and plot, and engage students in discussion around the
suggested themes.

You may wish to assign students to write a review on the opera – a guideline for
writing reviews is included in this study guide.
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Attending the Opera
There’s nothing more exciting than attending an opera! You’ll be a guest at the final dress
rehearsal of Strauss’ Die Fledermaus. Here’s what you’ll need to know about attending the opera:
At the Jubilee Auditorium, you may notice a long table with lights and people sitting behind it in
the centre of the main floor of the auditorium. Seated in this area is the production team:
Director, Lighting Designer, Fight Director, and Choreographer (among others). They’ll be taking
notes and communicating with the many people backstage who help make all of the operatic
magic happen. They’ll be able to talk to the crew so changes can be made. Should anything need
some adjustments, the rehearsal might be stopped or a part repeated to make sure that it is
perfect.
During the opera
Unlike actors on television or in the movies, performers onstage are very aware of the audience.
They want to share their love of performing with you. Everything you do in the audience affects
what happens on stage. You can show them how much you appreciate their work and the
opportunity to come to the rehearsal by being as quiet as possible.
Show your respect for the cast, musicians, the production team, and everyone in the theatre by
not talking. Give the artists and the production your full attention!
Here’s a list of DOs and DON’Ts so that everyone in the theatre can enjoy the opera:
Please Do...
› Use the bathrooms before the rehearsal begins or at intermission.
› Enter and exit the theatre in an orderly fashion.
› Think about what makes a good audience member.
› Turn off your cell phones and all electronic devices.
› Applaud when the conductor enters and bows, then again after the overture.
› Applaud after the arias as well as after the performance; you can shout
“Bravo!” for a man, “Brava!” for a woman, and “Bravi!” for more than one
person, or the whole performance.
› Enjoy the rehearsal. You’ve worked too hard preparing for the rehearsal not
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to!
The Student Experience Part 2: Activities and Projects
1. Write a review or critique of the performance
One of the best ways to encourage critical thinking of a performing arts production is to
encourage students’ honesty and draw out detailed opinions. A productive evaluation session
- spoken, written, visual or dramatized - should follow this basic ‘how-to’ outline below.
On the Internet, students can find many reviews of Die Fledermaus from other opera
companies’ performances to use as a guideline.
Excerpts from Reviews
“A warm summer’s night and a full moon over Opera Holland Park made an ideal setting for
Die Fledermaus (The Bat), Strauss’s frivolous operetta about one mad day and night in
Vienna.” – The Express, London, July 2016
“Almost 150 years ago, Die Fledermaus captivated its first audiences with saucy situations
and good tunes. Given attractive sets and costumes, good voices and clean orchestral
playing, it still delivers a heady mélange of farcical plot, stock characters, romantic
deceptions and reconciliations, and a few comic turns — which, in this production, are thanks
to Bard on the Beach’s Christopher Gaze.” – Vancouver Sun, January 2015
Guidelines for writing a review
When writing a theatre review you must remember four main components: the acting, the
singing, the technical, and the overall view. The acting and singing are probably the most
important aspects of the opera. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the opera and its
characters before you see it.
Make sure you know all of the characters and the singers who are playing them; this study
guide or the Calgary Opera website is an ideal place in which to find all this information. Did
the singers bring life to the music? What did they do to bring their particular character to life?
Could you see and hear the emotion while they sang? Did they interact well with others on
stage? Did any particular performer stand out to you and why? Keep in mind that everyone
has a very unique style of acting and maybe comment on that. How well are they giving and
taking focus? Is there any one person who sticks out in your head as “hogging” all the
attention?
The next aspect to look at is the technical. This includes everything from the lights and sound
to the costumes and make-up. In a school performance, control over the lighting is minimal,
and the set has to be simple in order to be transported from school to school. How well do
you think the set works given its limitations? Do the costumes properly illustrate the story and
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the characters?
The costumes and set should portray the time period and part of each character’s personality.
The make-up should do the same, but keep a look out for shadows and lines on the face. All
these things are very important to the performance of the show. Again, familiarizing yourself
with the opera before you go will assist with making these decisions.
The appeal of the music is often a matter of opinion because everyone likes different kinds of
music; however, it should accent the style and format of the performance.
The overall view of the theatre will give the reader a feel of exactly how well you enjoyed your
experience at this production. The audience is also a major part of your theatre experience.
Was the audience big? Did your classmates seem to enjoy the show? Did the singers interact
with the audience at all? Remember, you shouldn’t make this the main point, but it would be
good to comment on it. This entire portion should convey your opinion and feeling of how the
show went.
In conclusion, remember the singing and acting, the technical, and the overall view, and you’ll
have written a successful theatre review. Oh, and one more thing: don’t ever lie so as not to
hurt someone’s feelings. Constructive criticism can be helpful. Keep all these things in mind
when writing your review and it will be great. Have fun!
2. Engage students in meaningful discussions using the
following points of departure
 Discuss the differences between opera and operetta.
Die Fledermaus is an operetta. Strauss once said, of operetta: “If an operetta is to become
popular, everyone must find something in it that appeals to his taste…And the people in the
balcony must also get something that they can remember, for these people have no money to
buy piano scores and even fewer have a piano. There, one must manage to send them from the
performance so that something immediately sticks in their ear!”
The term operetta is often used to mean a light or comic piece. Operettas also fall under the
category of Singspiel. This type of singing makes different demands on opera singers, who need
training to be able to speak and project as well as sing. Much of the music is less demanding
vocally and often uses lighter voices. Characteristically, the music of an operetta is melodic,
popular and accessible, with stories that focus on love and romance. More information can be
found in the background information further in this section of the study guide.
 What are some other popular operettas?
 If you could write your own original operetta, what would it be about? What sorts of
crazy characters would you include? Who would be your antagonist and why?
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3. Creative writing project
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In Die Fledermaus Rosalinde has a maid named Adele. Adele appears as an actress
during the masquerade ball, and her lifelong dream to break into show business is
revealed after the party. Do you think she ever did? Write a biography for this fictional
character Adele, keeping in mind the setting is Vienna in the late 1800’s. What does a
typical day look like for her? Where was she born? Did she study acting or singing, or
dance? Why is she working as a maid? Did her career in show business take off, and if
so, what were her accomplishments? Did she always work for Rosalinde or what
happened to her after that part of her life?
At the beginning of Die Fledermaus, Eisenstein is about to leave to serve his five day jail
sentence for dueling. We are never informed as to why Eisenstein was dueling, this is
something that happens before the story of Die Fledermaus begins. Write a story or a
newspaper article dated in the late 1800’s, , that explains the events around the duel that
Eisenstein was involved in. Who was the other dueler? What was the conflict? What led
up to the duel?
4. Research and report on one of the following:

Operetta is a genre of the performing arts, related to opera, but lighter in terms of
both music and subject matter. Because it is closely related to both opera and also
to musical theater, in many cases, it is difficult to differentiate between them. There
are many differences between Opera, Operettas, and Musical Theatre such as:
-some of the libretto is spoken, not sung in an operetta
- Operettas are considered less serious than operas
-many operettas were set in a large open space
1. Compare and contrast these three magnificent genres of the performing arts.
2. Die Fledermaus also had many variances from the typical operetta that audiences had
come to expect. Research what these were and what made Die Fledermaus unique. See
the resource information in Part 3 of the study guide for more information

The history of the Viennese Waltz – Johann Strauss Junior’s father was known as ‘the
Waltz king’. He began a family legacy that was continued by Johann Strauss Junior who
went on to compose hundreds of waltzes and polka for which he is best remembered.
The Viennese Waltz as we know it today is actually the original form of the Waltz as we
know it! It's the oldest of all ballroom dances emerging in the second half of the 18th
Century influenced by German and Austrian dance styles. Research what made the
Viennese waltz unique in its time, including why it was considered scandalous when it first
emerged!

The Hungarian folk dance known as a Csárdás (pronounced "char-dash")
During Act 2 of Die Fledermaus, which takes place at a party at the prince’s villa,
Rosalinde is convinced to remove her mask. Rosalinde, the Hungarian countess, resists
the pleas of the guests to remove her mask, but finally does so and confirms her identity
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by singing a brilliant and fiery Hungarian czardas. The costumes worn for this traditional
dance in Hungary were very specific – include pictures or drawings of the costume in your
report!
More information on the Csardas can be found later on in this section of the study guide.
5. Johann Strauss Junior History Projects
Of all the famous composers, Strauss is one of the most successful in history. He came
from a musical family and by the end of his life he was considered the most prominent
member of his family. One of his biggest influences on opera history is the creation of the
Viennese operetta.
 Research Strauss’ life and what made him such an exceptional historical figure
 Strauss spent the most of his life in Vienna. He composed for the stage during the
1870’s. Research Vienna at this time. What was it like to live and work there?
6. Analyzing the music
Listen to the included tracks from the opera listed below, and discuss the following:
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There are many female roles in Die Fledermaus – Listen to each character and discuss
the similarities and the differences you hear in the three different female voices.
Discuss the emotions within the music. How does the melody support these emotions
or ideas?
What do you think the composer was trying to convey? Do you think the music fits the
subject manner?
Does the music make you feel anything, if so, what?
Why do you think Strauss’ music is so popular even today?
Adele (Soubrette Soprano)
Mein Herr Marquis (My dear Marquis)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kekog9ZzPNs
Also known as ‘the laughing song’ - In this scene, Adele has borrowed Rosalindes dress
and disguised herself as an actress named Olga to go to a party held by Prince Orlofsky.
She runs into Eisenstein (Rosalinde’s husband) who is disguised as Marquis de Renard
and he proceeds to tell her that she reminds him of his chambermaid. Adele sings her
aria saying that the accusation was so preposterous, it makes her laugh and asks him
how any of the way she acts or looks resembles a chambermaid in any way.
Orlofsky (Mezzo Soprano)
Chacun a Son Gout (To each their own)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU3KaheqrR0
In this aria, Orlofsky says that he enjoys throwing elaborate parties and having guests
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over. He confesses that he is bored most of the time, but if he sees any of his guests not
having a good time, he kicks them out without regret. When asked why he does this, he
responds with chacun a son gout – to each their own.
Rosalinde, Eisenstein, Adele (Lyric Soprano, Tenor, Soubrette Soprano)
To part is such sweet sorrow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jEBbOOiTZ8
Rosalinde, Eisenstein and Adele all have a secret they are hiding from each other.
Eisenstein says he is going to jail, but he is actually going out to a party in disguise. Adele
is going to the same party in a dress she borrowed from Rosalinde without her
permission, and Rosalinde has plans to meet up with an old Italian flame while
Eisenstein is gone. In this part of the opera, they are all pretending to be sad, when in
fact they are all excited for their secret plans for the night.
Marquis and the Countess (Tenor and Lyric Soprano)
The Watch Duet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxWrivXswg4
Rosalinde finds out that her husband Eisenstein was attending the
party instead of paying his dues in jail. She is outraged and decides
to disguise herself as a Hungarian countess and trick her husband
into giving her his favorite watch. Eisenstein, disguised as Marquis,
falls for Rosalinde’s trap and ends up giving her the watch, which
she later presents to him proving that that she was the countess at
the party.
7. Become an opera star
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Find out what it’s like to be an opera star by playing this fun improvisation game with
students.
Form a team of 3 - 5 people.
Ask for a fairy tale from the audience (ie. Cinderella, The Three Little Pigs).
Act out the story by singing all of the lines with everyone picking a character to play.
Experiment with different tones and melodies. Don’t be afraid to use songs you know,
but try to make up your own tunes too!
8. Learn more about Calgary Opera
Visit Calgary Opera’s website to learn more about Calgary Opera and the history of opera.
9. Opera composer word search
The word search puzzle is located at the end of this guide. For more word search puzzle activities,
visit http://www.musicwithease.com/word-search-composers-b.html
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The Student Opera Experience
Part 3: Die Fledermaus resource information
Interesting Facts about Die Fledermaus
 Some have written that Die Fledermaus, opened on April 5, 1874 was such a failure that it
had to be taken off stage after 16 nights. Not true! A visiting operatic company season
had been pre-booked at the theater. After that season finished, the operetta returned for
its second premiere opening September 1874.
 When it premiered at the Theater an Der Wien on Easter Sunday, 1874, Die Fledermaus
diverged in several ways from Viennese works that preceded it. Operetta audiences had
come to expect elaborate costumes and stage design to accompany a story set in some
distant land. But in this work, performers dressed in contemporary public attire instead of
the fussy adornments typical of most operettas, and the sets required only the interiors of
private homes and the local police station. While many operettas opened with a rousing
chorus set in a large open space or outside, in Die Fledermaus, the curtain rose on a
family living room and no chorus appears until the second act. Audiences and critics
immediately noticed the departure from the norm; as the third act began at the work’s
premiere, a listener in the balcony exclaimed, “Another room already!”
 Some have written that the work was composed in 42 days. The fact is that although the
work was sketched out in 6 weeks (42 days), 6 months elapsed from the start of the
composition to production.
 Geistinger, the first performer to play Rosalinde, had formerly performed Rosalinde’s
csárdás. Assuming a disguise as a Hungarian countess provided the means for its inclusion
at Prince Orlofsky’s party in the operetta.
 The original Dr. Falke was Ferdinand Lebrecht who died of a heart attack on stage at the
Theater an der Wien in September 1874. Alexander Girardi assumed his first Strauss role
then and began a long association performing in other Strauss productions.
 Originally, Prince Orlofsky was a mezzo-soprano. Since World War I, the role has been
sung either by a mezzo or a baritone. Mezzo-sopranos often sing the parts of young men
in opera.
 The Austrian stock market crash of May 1873 left theaters scrambling to stay afloat in any
way they could. With many fortunes ruined overnight, even enthusiastic theater goers
were reluctant to spend money on tickets, much less invest in producing new,
extravagant works. Theaters were forced to make do with existing sets and performers,
who in those days were required to provide their own costumes. With Die Fledermaus,
companies could present a more credible ensemble by wearing contemporary fashions
instead of the exotic outfits of the past.
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 Die Fledermaus contains some of Strauss’ most easily grasped melodies, a quality for
which he strove. Strauss once observed: “If an operetta is to become popular, everyone
must find something in it that appeals to his taste…And the people in the balcony must
also get something that they can remember, for these people have no money to buy
piano scores and even fewer have a piano. There, one must manage to send them from
the performance so that something immediately sticks in their ear!”
 Former New York Mayor Rudolf Giuliani has appeared in two Metropolitan Opera
performances of Die Fledermaus, singing O Solo Mio on his way to the Times Square New
Year’s Eve party.
Background to Die Fledermaus
The Strauss family was Vienna’s leading musical family from the 1830s to the 1960s. It was
Johann Strauss the elder and his oldest son, Johann, who essentially created what is now known
as the “Viennese waltz.” Die Fledermaus is an operetta, a musical form similar to operas but
telling the story with ‘popular’music and more spoken dialogue. The operetta is considered to
have originated in the 1850s in Paris by the composer Jacques Offenbach. He wrote one act
comedies mocking the political and social climate of the time. The story of Die Fledermaus is
based on a German play, Das Gefängnis (The Prison) and on the French vaudeville play, Le
Réveillon, by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. The original language of this operertta was
written and sung in German. Calgary Opera will be performing it in English.
Overview of Operettas
Normally, in an operetta, some of the libretto is spoken rather than sung. Instead of moving
directly from one musical number to another, the singers are given periods dialogue interspersed
between the musical segments, which are performed without any singing or musical
accompaniment, though sometimes musical themes are played quietly under the dialogue. Some
operettas include passages of recitative, a style of semi-sung, semi-spoken text used in light
opera between the musical numbers.
Operettas are often considered less "serious" than operas, although this has more to do with the
often comic (or even farcical) plots than with the caliber of the music. Topical satire is a feature
common to many operettas, although this is also true of some more serious operas as well.
Formerly, opera expressed politics in code in some countries, such as France; for example, the
circumstances of the title character in the opera Robert le diable was a code for the parental
conflict and resolution of the king of France at its first performance.
Operetta is a precursor of the modern musical comedy. At
the same time, it has continued to exist alongside the
newer form—with each influencing the other. There is a
fundamental but subtle distinction between the two
forms—and this distinction is quite useful, provided one
recognizes that nothing about the definition is clear,
simple, or unambiguous. Photo from the 1906
production of Victor Herbert's The Red Mill.
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Most operettas can be described as light operas with acting, whereas most musicals are closer to
being plays with singing. This can best be seen in the performers chosen in the two forms. The
cast of an operetta will normally be classically trained opera singers; indeed, there is essentially
no difference between the scores for an opera and an operetta, except for the operetta's
lightness, and the dialogue segments between the numbers. A musical is more likely to be cast
with actors who sing, usually not in an operatic style. The actors in a musical are also often
required to dance.
No matter how the distinction is drawn between operetta and musical, there are bound to be
exceptions. W.S. Gilbert, for example, said that he preferred to use actors who could sing for his
operetta productions, while opera singers have appeared on Broadway, for example Ezio Pinza, a
great Don Giovanni, appeared in the Broadway musical South Pacific. In addition, there are
features of operetta vocal style in Kern's musical, Show Boat (1927),
Bernstein's Candide, and Walt Disney's animated Snow White (1937), among others. – from New
World Encyclopedia
Hungarian Folk Dance: Csardas
Csárdás (pronounced [ˈt͡ʃaːrdaːʃ], "char-dash") is a
traditional Hungarian folk dance. It originated in Hungary
and was popularized by Roma music bands in Hungary
and neighboring lands of Vojvodina, Slovakia, Slovenia ,
Croatia, Carpathian Ruthenia, Transylvania-(Hungarian
Kingdom) and Moravia, as well as among the Banat
Bulgarians, including those in Bulgaria. Its origins can be
traced back to the 18th century Hungarian verbunkos,
used as a recruiting dance by the Hungarian army.Csárdás
is characterized by a variation in tempo: it starts out
slowly (lassú) and ends in a very fast tempo (friss, literally "fresh"). There are other tempo
variations, called ritka csárdás, sűrű csárdás and szökős csárdás. The music is in 2/4 or 4/4 time.
The dancers are both male and female, with the women dressed in traditional wide skirts, usually
colored red, which form a distinctive shape when they whirl.Classical composers who have used
csárdás themes in their work include Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms, Johann Strauss, Pablo de
Sarasate, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and others. Probably the best-known csardas is the eponymous
composition by Vittorio Monti written for violin and piano. This virtuosic piece has 5 tempo
variations.
Source: Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org)
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THE STUDENT OPERA EXPERIENCE: PART 4
Strauss, Characters, Synopsis & Cast Biographies
Composer Johann Strauss Jr.
1825-1899
Johann (Baptist) Strauss II, the oldest son of celebrated
composer and violinist Johann Strauss, was born in Vienna on
October 25, 1825. Despite his great success, the elder Strauss
was adamantly opposed to the idea of his son pursuing a career
in music and intended Johann II to enter the banking profession.
The younger Johann, however, displayed musical gifts at an
early age. He began composing when he was six years old, and
his mother arranged for him to secretly study violin with Franz
Amon, the leader of his father's dance orchestra. When the
senior Strauss abandoned the family, Johann pursued additional
formal musical training. Johann II formed his own orchestra and
made his professional debut as concertmaster and conductor in
1844, performing both his own works and those of his father.
When his father died in 1849, Johann II combined the two
orchestras. He was named Hofballmusik direktor from 1863
until 1871, and engaged his brothers Josef and Eduard (both of whom were also composers) as
conductors and violinists.
Johann II enjoyed tremendous success as both a composer and conductor, touring Europe,
Russia, and the United States. He was (correctly) deemed the heir of his father's musical legacy,
and inherited his father's title of "The Waltz King." Indeed, Johann Strauss II is best remembered
for his waltzes and polkas, which include “An der schönen blauen Donau” (“On the Beautiful Blue
Danube”) and the “Pizzicato-Polka,” which he wrote with his brother Eduard. Most of his better
known dances were composed during the 1860's and early 1870's. He brought the Viennese
waltz to its highest form with his gifts for melody, interesting harmonic structures, and clever
orchestrations. By the 1870s, however, Strauss began to turn his attention towards the stage.
Offenbach's comic operas were extremely popular n Vienna, and Strauss' first wife, the singer
Henriette (Jetty) Treffz, joined members of the Vienna theater establishment in encouraging him
to try his hand at operetta. After resigning his position as Hofballmusikdirektor in 1871, he
devoted himself primarily to composing for the stage. Most of Strauss' subsequent dance music
was excerpted from his operettas.
Johann II was not as comfortable with music for the stage as he was with waltzes and polkas. He
found the necessity of working within a specific text confining, and would often compose scenes
and entire finales with only a brief excerpt of the libretto as reference. He lacked a strong
theatrical sense and was more proficient at instrumental than vocal writing. The enduring
success of his two finest stage works, Die Fledermaus and Der Zigeunerbaron, is due in part to
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the excellent work of his librettists (Richard Genée for Die Fledermaus and Ignaz Schnitzer for Der
Zigeunerbaron).
Strauss' first complete operetta, Indigo und die vierzig Räuber, premiered in 1871. The work was
successful, as was his next operetta, Carneval in Rom, which debuted in 1873. Die Fledermaus
(1874) is regarded as his masterpiece and the finest example of Viennese operetta.
Strauss' works took operetta in a new direction, gradually veering away from the French opéras
bouffes and evolving into a style that was purely Viennese. While Die Fledermaus is based upon
the Offenbach model, Der Zigeunerbaron is a fusion of operetta with comic opera. Der
Zigeunerbaron had serious as well as humorous elements, and established a new type of
operetta that proved influential for other composers such as Lehár.
Strauss also aspired to compose serious opera. His efforts culminated in Ritter Pázmán, which
premiered in 1892. It was not particularly successful, and Strauss resumed composing operettas.
Many of his works underwent numerous revisions, sometimes as drastic as setting an entirely
new libretto to the music. During his lifetime and after his death, there were many attempts to
create new operettas based upon collections of his best-known dance compositions, particularly
the waltzes.
Throughout his career, Strauss was very much in the public eye, both in Vienna and in his
international travels. After the death of his first wife in 1878, he married the actress Angelika
Dittrich. After nine years, Strauss separated from her and had to become a Protestant and give
up his Austrian citizenship to divorce her. He then married Adele Strauss (her married name from
a previous spouse who was not related to Johann's family). It was Adele who supported Johann's
efforts to compose serious opera. Johann II became the most prominent member of the Strauss
family. He died wealthy and famous in 1899.
From Arizona Opera
The Librettists – Carl Haffner and Richard Genée
The original source for Die Fledermaus is a farce by German playwright Julius Roderich Benedix
(1811– 1873), Das Gefängnis (The Prison). Another source is a French vaudeville play, Le
Réveillon, by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Their play was first translated by Carl Haffner
(1804 – 1876) as a play to be produced in Vienna but was adapted into a libretto for Strauss; Jr.
Richard Genée (1823 – 1895) became involved at this point to complete the adaptation. Genée is
said to have taken credit for the translation of the play and to have claimed he never knew
Haffner.
15
Characters in Die Fledermaus
Rosalinde Von Eisenstein, Gabriel’s wife
Gabriel Von Eisenstein, Rosalinde’s husband
Frank, the Prison Warden
Prince Orlofsky, a Russian prince
Alfred, an Italian tenor
Dr. Falke, Eisenstein’s friend
Blind, a Lawyer
Adele, Rosalinde’s Chambermaid
Sally, Adele’s sister
Frosch, the Jailer
Yvan, the Prince’s valet
Guests and servants of the Prince
soprano
tenor
baritone
mezzo-soprano
tenor
baritone
tenor
coloratura soprano
soprano
speaking role
speaking role
Pronunciation Guide
Die Fledermaus.................................................................Dee Flay-Der-Mouse
Rosalinde Von Eisenstein.......................................Rosa-Linda fon Eyes-En-Shtein
Gabriel Von Eisenstein...........................................Gabe-ri-el fon Eyes-En-Shtein
Adele ..................................................................................................... A-dell
Dr. Falke………………………………………………………………………………………….………...Dr. Falk-uh
Prince Orlofsky……………………………………………………………………….…….…..Prince Or-lov-ski
Blind ..................................................................................................... .Blint
16
Die Fledermaus - SYNOPSIS
The story is set in Vienna (Austria) in the late 19th century
It was originally sung in German but Calgary Opera’s production will be sung in English.
ACT1
Eisenstein’s house
Rosalinde’s one-time suitor, Alfred, serenades Rosalinde from off-stage, much to her horror. Rosalinde’s
maid Adele enters and reads a letter from her sister inviting her to a party at prince Orlofsky’s. Adele
pleads with Rosalinde to get the evening off by telling Rosalinde that her Aunt is very ill and she needs to
take care of her. But Rosalinde dismisses her request since Rosalinde’s husband, Eisenstein, is due in jail
that night and Adele must stay.
Alfred bursts in and Rosalinde tells him to leave. Alfred agrees to go on the condition that he may come
back when Eisenstein is in jail. Rosalinde consents. Eisenstein enters with his stammering lawyer, Blind.
Eisenstein is furious with Blind. They have been at court trying to reduce Eisenstein’s sentence, but the
sentence has been lengthened instead. Eisenstein must leave immediately after supper.
Eisenstein’s friend Falke arrives and persuades Eisenstein to go to Prince Orlofsky’s. He tells Eisenstein his
sentence can wait until the morning. Eisenstein is reluctant to go but the prospect of young, willing
beauties wins him over. Eisenstein and Falke rejoice in anticipation of the night ahead. Rosalinde enters
and finds their sudden gaiety peculiar. Her confusion continues as Eisenstein proceeds to put on his best
suit. She shrugs it off and tells Adele that she can take the night off after all. All three go their separate
ways after feigning great sadness for the loss of one another’s company.
Alfred arrives and puts on Eisenstein’s dressing gown and nightcap and begins drinking. Frank, the prison
warden, arrives to escort Eisenstein to jail. He mistakes Alfred to be Eisenstein. Rosalinde implores Alfred
to play along to save her reputation, so Frank takes him to jail.
ACT2
Prince Orlofsky’s villa
All are enjoying themselves except for Prince Orlofsky who is terribly bored. Falke then promises him
entertainment. Falke tells him a farce called “The Bat’s Revenge” that will play out during the party. The
actors are introduced one after another: first, the actress Olga (actually Adele); second, Marquis Renard
(actually Eisenstein); third, Chevalier Chagrin (actually Frank); and finally, a Hungarian Countess (actually
Rosalinde). All are aware of the ruse in varying degrees except Eisenstein and Frank, who are clueless.
Falke has sent a letter to Rosalinde stating that Eisenstein would be at the party. She arrives masked and
finds Eisenstein flirting with Adele. Eisenstein next approaches Rosalinde and proceeds to charm her as
best he can. Rosalinde steals his watch to prove his infidelity in the morning. With Orlofsky’s support,
Rosalinde, as the Hungarian countess, resists the pleas of the guests to remove her mask. She confirms
her identity by singing a brilliant and fiery Hungarian Czardas* (see definition below).
Orlofsky asks about the bat story he was promised. Eisenstein chimes in that it was a joke he played on
Falke three years ago: they went to a masked ball; Falke wore a bat suit; Eisenstein got Falke drunk and
then left him sleeping in the forest; when Falke walked home, everyone laughed at his ridiculous costume.
All toast to a future revenge, then a waltz begins. Afterward, Frank and Eisenstein, realizing how late it is,
hastily leave Orlofsky’s. Eisenstein heads to prison to fill his sentence.
17
ACT3
The prison
The jailer Frosch talks to himself in between slugs of slivovitz (plum Brandy) and yells at the singing Alfred
to be quiet. Frank enters drunk and stumbles through the memories of the evening. Frosch tells him that a
marquis wants to see him and that Alfred has asked for a lawyer.
Eisenstein arrives and explains that he is not the marquis but actually Eisenstein. Frank takes it as a joke
and explains how he locked up Eisenstein, who was really Alfred, the night before.
Blind enters. Eisenstein takes Blind’s robe, glasses, and wig for a disguise and approaches Alfred and the
newly arrived Rosalinde who came to the jail to seek a divorce from her husband. They mistake him for
Blind and ask him how to best handle their delicate situation. Eisenstein, disguised as the lawyer, criticizes
Rosalinde and Alfred’s behavior. Rosalinde is taken aback by his lack of impartiality. To sway his sympathy,
she tells him of her husband’s transgressions at Orlofsky’s. No longer able to repress his anger, Eisenstein
reveals himself. Rosalinde then produces his watch.
Falke enters and explains the ruse that was revenge for the bat (Fledermaus) incident. He takes credit for
all the night’s events including Alfred’s visit with Rosalinde. The Revenge of the Bat is complete. And
everything unaccounted for is found to be the fault of the champagne.
Characters/Cast List – Die Fledermaus
Role
Conductor
Stage Director
Repetiteur & Assistant Conductor
Stage Manager
Lighting Designer
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Name
Gordon Gerrard
Glynis Leyshon
Christopher Mokrzewski
Donna Sharpe
Harry Frehner
Gary Eckhart, Fort Worth Opera
Ed Kotanen, Malabar
Singers in order of appearance on stage:
Orlofsky
Norine Burgess
Ivan
Matt Chittick
Adele
Tracy Dahl
Rosalinde
Sally Dibblee
Alfred
Thomas Glenn
Eisenstein
Roger Honeywell
Frosch
Christopher Hunt
Falke
Bruce Kelly
Sally
Ann-Marie MacIntosh
Frank
Doug MacNaughton
Dr. Blind
Jason Ragan
Guests and Servants
The Chorus
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Voice Type
Mezzo-Soprano
speaking role
Coloratura Soprano
Soprano
Tenor
Tenor
speaking role
Baritone
Soprano
Baritone
Tenor
Cast Biographies
Director – Glynis Leyshon
Glynis is one of Canada’s most respected opera and theatre directors. Her recent and
upcoming schedule includes productions of Albert Herring for Vancouver Opera, the world
premiere of Estacio’s Ours for Opera on the Avalon, Mikado and La Traviata for Calgary
Opera and Otello for Opéra de Montréal and Pacific Opera Victoria. Ms. Leyshon has been
Artistic Director of Vancouver’s Playhouse Theatre, Victoria’s Belfry Theatre and she was
Head of Banff’s Opera as Theatre program. Further credits include Edmonton’s Citadel
Theatre, the Shaw Festival, Canadian Stage, Tarragon Theatre and Theatre Calgary. Ms. Leyshon has a particular
passion for teaching emerging artists and is the recipient of Canada’s Commonwealth Medal for her
contributions to the arts.
Conductor – Gordon Gerrard
Gordon is a respected figure in the new generation of Canadian musicians. Trained first as a
pianist and subsequently as a specialist in operatic repertoire, Gordon brings a fresh
perspective to the podium. This year, Gordon begins his tenure as the 15th Music Director of
the Regina Symphony Orchestra. Gordon was the Associate Conductor of the Vancouver
Symphony Orchestra for four seasons, and before that was Resident Conductor and Repetiteur
for Calgary Opera. Last season, Gordon made his debut with the National Ballet of Canada in
their production of The Nutcracker, and has been invited back for their 16/17 season.
Orlofsky – Norine Burgess
Praised for her bright, elegant and lambent-toned voice, Canadian mezzo-soprano Norine
Burgess has performed in opera houses and with leading orchestras throughout North America
and around the world. Norine’s refreshingly compelling, charismatic and touching
interpretations bring vigour and dimension to her signature roles, including Maddalena in
Verdi’s Rigoletto, Prince Orlofsky in Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, Siebel in Faust, Nicklausse in
Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffmann and Miss Mary Lloyd in the Vienna Volksoper’s production of
Kálmán’s Die Herzogin von Chicago (available on DVD). Other roles include Annio in La
Clemenza di Tito, Neris in Cherubini’s rarely-performed opera Médée, Mother Marie in Dialogues des Carmélites,
Meg Page in Falstaff, and 2nd Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte.
Adele – Tracy Dahl
Canada’s premiere coloratura soprano Tracy Dahl has appeared throughout her career with
such opera houses as the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera,
Santa Fe Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Teatro alla Scala (Milan) and the Théâtre du
Châtelet (Paris)Her recent operatic engagements include concert performances of Candide
with Bramwell Tovey and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra; Despina in Così fan Tutte with
Canadian Opera Company; the title roles in Lucia di Lammermoor and Maria Stuarda with
Pacific Opera Victoria and Madame Mao in Nixon in China with Opera Colorado and Vancouver
Opera.
Rosalinde – Sally Dibblee
Canadian soprano Sally Dibblee is critically acclaimed as a “tour-de-force of vocal control and
expressive flexibility”.Recent engagements include her debut in the title role of The
Merry Widow with Edmonton Opera, and with Calgary Opera she debuted the role of Anna
Sorensen in the Canadian première of Silent Night by Kevin Puts. Other career highlights
include Musetta in La Bohème with Canadian Opera Company, Pat Nixon in the Canadian
premiere of John Adams’ Nixon in China and Madama Butterfly with Calgary Opera. Upcoming
is Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with Fredericton Symphony Orchestra, and her theatre debut in
the play Souvenir about the famed singer Florence Foster Jenkins with St. Andrews Summer Theatre.
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Alfred - Thomas Glenn
Grammy Award-winning tenor Thomas Glenn has performed with international and regional
North American opera companies in repertoire ranging from Mozart to contemporary
operas. He created the role of physicist Robert Wilson in John Adams' DOCTOR ATOMIC for
its world premiere at San Francisco Opera and reprised the role at the Metropolitan Opera
(HD broadcast now available on DVD), Lyric Opera of Chicago, Netherlands Opera (also
available on DVD), and English National Opera. Mr. Glenn is an alumnus of San Francisco
Opera's prestigious Adler Fellowship, and his roles with the company include Janek
MAKROPULOS CASE, Trabuco LA FORZA DEL DESTINO, and the Steersman DER FLIEGENDE
HOLLÄNDER.
Eisenstein - Roger Honeywell
Canadian tenor Roger Honeywell has been described by Anthony Tommasini as a performer
who brings, “burnished sound and crisp diction to the sweeping vocal lines, full of leaps and
dips." Career highlights of the 2016/17 season include a return to Boston Lyric Opera as
Don Jose in Carmen, Utah Opera as Capt. Ahab in Jake Heggie’s Moby Dick and Capt. Vere in
Britten’s Billy Budd with Des Moines Metro Opera. Mr. Honeywell is a graduate of the
Ryerson Theatre School in Toronto and has received numerous awards, among which are a
Dora Mavor Moore Award for his role of Arnaud de Tilh in The House of Martin Guerre, a
Maureen Forrester Award, and a Tyrone Guthrie Award from the Stratford Festival.
Falke – Bruce Kelly
Baritone Bruce Kelly’s extensive career has taken him to important opera houses and
concert halls of Europe, such as Nice, Strasbourg, Lieges, Avignon, Vienna, Paris, Brussels,
and Moscow, as well as those of his native Canada. He has appeared in a variety of leading
roles including Germont (LA TRAVIATA), Der Sprecher (DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE), Walton (I
PURITANI), Capulet (ROMÉO ET JULIETTE), Marcello (LA BOHEME), Sharpless (MADAMA
BUTTERFLY) and Dr. Engel in THE STUDENT PRINCE. Recent and upcoming projects include
Quince in MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM and Sharpless in MADAMA BUTTERFLY for Pacific
Opera Victoria, Sacristan in TOSCA for Opéra de Québec and Falke in Calgary Opera’s DIE
FLEDERMAUS.
Frank – Doug MacNaughton
Doug MacNaughton began his singing career at the age of 20, when he made his operatic
debut with Edmonton Opera. Since then, he has gone on to sing throughout Canada, the
United States and Europe. In 2016, Doug performed the role of Antonio in The Marriage of
Figaro for the Canadian Opera Company. Previous appearances with Calgary Opera
include Cenerentola in 1996, and Die Fledermaus in 2000. In fact, Die Fledermaus is a very
special piece for Doug – he has performed the roles of Dr. Blind and Frosch for Edmonton
Opera in 1984, the role of Eisenstein for Toronto Operetta Theatre in 1994, the role of
Falke for Calgary Opera in 2000 and for Opera Saskatchewan in 2002. His CD Guitarias,
featuring Doug as both a singer and a guitarist, was released in February of 2014.
20
THE STUDENT OPERA EXPERIENCE Part 5: language and the
history of opera
The History of Opera
Theatrical performances that use music, song and dance to tell a story can be found in many
cultures. Opera is just one example of music drama. Have you ever wondered where opera got
its start? Back in the late 1500s during the height of the Renaissance, a group of men called
the Florentine Camerata got together to create a new and moving theatrical experience. They
wanted to recreate what the ancient Greeks did during their legendary dramas. The result was
something entirely new – opera!
Most of the early operas were based on Greek myths. The first opera that we know of was
called Dafne by Jacopo Peri in 1598, but the most famous opera of this early period that is still
performed today is Claudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo (1607). Certain basic ingredients were
included in opera: songs, instrumental accompaniments, costumes, dance, and scenery. We
still use all of these ingredients today! The early operas were first performed in the grand
courts of Italian nobility, but soon opera became popular with the public, too. As it became all
the rage, productions became more lavish.
Soon, theatres began to be built just to mount operas. These theatres had elaborate stage
machinery to create special effects like flying actors or crumbling buildings. Not everyone
embraced the new form of theatre. Some critics thought that all of the stage antics in opera
detracted from the music and drama. Some people even believed that seeing too much
comedy in opera could make you immoral.
During the Baroque period (about 1600 to 1750), Italian
opera spread all over Europe. The Italian style of opera was
so popular that even non-Italians wrote in this style. For
example Léo Frederic Handel (1685–1759) was a Germanborn composer who lived and worked in England. His operas,
like Julius Caesar (1724), were written in the Italian language
and used an Italian style of music. The only nation to create
its own national operatic style was France. Ballet played a
Léo Frederic Handel (1685-1759)
large role in the French culture, and operas often included
ballets in the middle of the opera. The most famous French
Baroque opera composers were Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632- 1687) and Jean-Philippe Rameau
(1683-1764).
21
The 18th century was full of change for both Europe and opera. This time period was known as
the Age of Enlightenment. People were starting to talk about new forms of government and
organization in society, especially the ever-growing middle class. Music displayed this new
thinking as composers dropped the Baroque era’s complicated musical style for simpler, more
emotional music. In less-flashy music, characters could express their thoughts and feelings
more believably. One of the first operas to use this new style was Christoph Willibald Gluck’s
Orfeo ed Euridice (1762).
In 1789 the French Revolution changed the world. The first modern democracies were born,
and to match the times in which they were created, audiences wanted to see characters like
themselves on stage, not gods and goddesses. They also wanted to see issues that were
important to them. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (1786) featured a
timely story of aristocratic class struggles that had both servants and nobility in lead roles. The
ideals of the Enlightenment also came to the stage in Ludwig van Beethoven‘s only opera,
Fidelio, a story about equality and freedom.
In the 1800s opera continued to grow. The Italian tradition continued
in the bel canto movement, which literally translates to “beautiful
singing.” These operas asked performers to sing complicated groups
of fast notes in the melodies. The most famous bel canto composers
were Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868), Gaetano Donizetti (1797–
1848), and Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835). Their operas, like Rossini’s
popular comedies The Barber of Seville (1816) and Cinderella (1817),
are still some of the most popular operas performed today. By the
middle of the century, the Romantic Movement led many composers Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
to champion their own national identities. As a result, operas in
languages other than Italian became more common; new works often reflected pride in a
country’s people, history, and folklore.
German operas like Carl Maria von Weber’s Der
Freischütz (1821), Russian operas like Mikhail
Glinka’s A Life for the Tsar (1836) and French operas
like Léos Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots (1836) started
to be performed across Europe. By using
nationalism in his operas like Nabucco (1842),
Italian Giuseppe Verdi became a national hero. In
Johanna Heinze, Mezzo-Soprano, 1907
Germany Richard Wagner took Romanticism to the
extreme in a four-part operatic miniseries based on Norse mythology, The Ring of the
Nibelung (1876), which takes over 15 hours to perform! The operatic stereotype of the singer
in the Viking helmet comes from these operas.
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Opera in 20th century became even more experimental. Composers like Léos Delibes (La
Bohème, 1896), Claude Debussy (Pelléas et Mélisande, 1902), Richard Strauss (Salome, 1905),
and Benjamin Britten (Peter Grimes, 1945) evolved their national styles. Others, horrified by
the destruction of World War I (1914-1919) and other aspects of modern life, created music
that was new and drastically dissonant. These operas often explored either dark psychological
topics (Wozzeck by Alban Berg, 1925), or simple and absurd (The Rake’s Progress by Igor
Stravinsky, 1951). American opera had a huge hit with Léo and Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess
(1935), which included jazz and blues musical styles.
Not only did American composers embrace popular music in opera but also a repetitive,
hypnotic style called minimalism. American composer Philip Glass’s Einstein on the Beach
(1976) is the popular example of minimalism in opera.
OPERA IN CANADA
At Calgary Opera, we have been more than fortunate to be able to expose our patrons to several
new Canadian operas. New operas, though not rare, are expensive and very labour intensive to
create.
Opera came to Canada with the first French settlements. Samuel de Champlain organized an opera
performance even before he founded Quebec in 1608. As the railroads moved westward in the 19th
Century, so did opera. Each province eventually established at least one opera company.
There is evidence of light operas being performed in Canada from 1914 onward, but there was a real
outburst of activity in the early 1940s due to the patronage of the burgeoning Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation. Many operas were written for radio, such as Healy Willan’s Transit through Fire, which
was broadcast in 1942. Canada’s 100th birthday in 1967 marked a high moment of Canadian
nationalism, so it is not surprising that Canadian opera flourished. Government money through the
Canada Council was made available for new commissions and there was an explosion of new
productions, such as Murray Adaskin’s Grant, Warden of the Plains, Raymond Pannell’s The Luck of
Ginger Coffey, and perhaps the best known, Mavor Moore and Harry Somers’ Louis Riel.
Louis Riel was first performed at the O’Keefe Centre in Toronto in 1967 and had a revival as a McGill
University student production in 2005. Harry Somers, in collaboration with Rod Anderson, has also
written Mario and the Magician, based on Thomas Mann’s novel of the same name, which was
performed by the Canadian Opera Company at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto in 1992.
The Golden Ass, written by Randolph Peters and the late Robertson Davies, was performed at the
O’Keefe Centre to great acclaim in 1999. Pacific Opera Victoria produced Mavor Moore and Louis
Applebaum’s Erewhon in 2000. Tapestry Music Theatre produced Chan Ka Nin’s The Iron Road, an
opera about Chinese labourers on the Western Canadian Railway. Another exciting operatic venture
about Canada’s little discussed history of slavery is the passionate tale of Beatrice Chancy by James
Rolfe and Léo Elliot Clarke.
In 2003, Calgary Opera embarked on our first full-length new work, a co-commission with The Banff
Centre, Filumena. The opera told the true story of Filumena, a young immigrant woman hanged for the
23
death of an RCMP officer. It was presented to standing ovations and rave reviews, so in 2007 Calgary
Opera and The Banff Centre reunited the creative team - John Estacio, John Murrell, Kelly Robinson,
Harry Frehner, Sue LePage - to create Frobisher. Frobisher tells a story of love, loss, and adventure in
Canada’s North. Set against the backdrop of the Northern Lights and the forbiddingly beautiful Arctic
landscape, the story weaves back and forth in time, with powerful parallel stories of exploration and
discovery, 500 years apart.
Who best to receive new Canadian works but children? Many new works that have been created are
geared towards the younger generation, an audience virtually ignored in the history of opera. In
2008 Hannaraptor, by Allan Gilliland and Val Brandt, was created. Taking place in the rugged
landscape of the Drumheller area, Hannaraptor followed the emotional story of a young girl who
discovers a fossil of a yet undiscovered dinosaur. The production struck a chord with young people
as it toured to communities and schools throughout southern Alberta. Hannaraptor was remounted
in Calgary Opera’s 2012-13 season and toured to communities in and around Calgary as well as
towns as far reaching as Lac la Biche and Bonnyville in northern Alberta.
Dean Burry’s The Hobbit and The Brothers Grimm have been produced across Canada. The Brothers
Grimm toured with our own Emerging Artists in March 2007 and again in March 2011. By 2012 it had
been performed over 500 times, making it the most performed new Canadian work of all time.
Vancouver Opera has toured Naomi’s Road and the Canadian Children’s Opera chorus has generated
Dr. Cannon’s Cure and A Mid-Winter Night’s Dream. In 2009 Calgary Opera performed Vancouver
Opera’s production of The Barber of Barrhead, a Canadian adaptation of The Barber of Seville.
Reuniting Calgary Opera’s creative team of John Murrell and John Estacio, Vancouver Opera recently
entered onto the new work front with Lillian Alling, the story of an intrepid yet mysterious woman
searching for a man she scarcely knew, wherever it might take her. In 2011, Calgary Opera
presented the world premiere of Bramwell Tovey and John Murrell’s The Inventor, the story of the
black sheep nephew of the famous Keith brewing family.
Most recently, Calgary Opera has embarked on a new venture with, What Brought Us Here - A New
Community Opera, by Arthur Bachmann and Clem Martini, created from the collected stories of new
immigrants to Canada. This new opera premiered in September 2012 at the Arrata Opera Centre
with a hugely positive response.
In the landscape of opera, new Canadian operas are alive and well, and will continue to flourish in
the future.
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The Language of Opera
Act - Main sections of a play or opera.
Aria - A solo song sung in an opera.
Audience - People who watch a
performance and sit in the “house” or
auditorium.
Ballet - Dance set to music within an
opera.
Blocking - Action on stage.
Character - Person who is part of the
opera’s story.
Chorus - Music composed for a group of
singers or the name of a group of singers
in an opera.
Conductor - Person who rehearses and
leads the orchestra & the singers.
Duet - A song performed by two singers.
Libretto - the words of the opera.
Opera - a musical work in one or more
acts, made for singers and
instrumentalists.
Opera Buffa - Funny, light opera.
Opera Seria - Serious, dramatic opera.
Operetta – Light, comic with some
spoken dialogues
Orchestra - A group of musicians who
play together on various musical
instruments.
Overture - A piece of instrumental music
played at the beginning of an opera.
Program - Booklet that contains
information about the opera, composer,
performers, and the opera company.
Recitative - Words that are sung in the
rhythm of natural speech.
Rehearsal - Time when singers/actors
practice with or without the orchestra;
time when musicians practice together
with the conductor.
Repetiteur – Plays piano for all
rehearsals leading up to the opera, prior
to the orchestra taking over.
Scene - Segments of action within the
acts of an opera.
Voice types
Soprano - Highest pitched female voice.
Mezzo-Soprano - Female voice between
soprano and contralto.
Contralto – Lowest pitched female voice
Tenor - Highest pitched male voice.
Baritone - Male voice between tenor and
bass.
Bass - Lowest pitched male voice.
25
Activity Sheet: The Language of Opera
Connect the terms
1. Opera Seria
2. Baritone
3. Opera
4. Ballet
5. Orchestra
6. Libretto
7. Duet
8. Aria
9. Soprano
10. Chorus
11. Act
12. Contralto
13. Tenor
14. Opera Buffa
15. Recitative
16. Bass
17. Overture
A. Dance spectacle set to music.
B. Highest pitched woman’s voice.
C. Dramatic text adapted for opera.
D. Low female voice.
E. Comic opera.
F. A dramatic or comedic musical work
in which singing is the essential factor;
very little is spoken.
G. Opera with dramatic and intense
plots.
H. Music composed for a singing group.
I. A song written for two performers to
sing together.
J. A group of musicians who play
together on various musical
instruments.
K. Highest pitched man’s voice.
L. A musical style in which the words are
spoken in the rhythm of natural speech.
M. Male voice between bass and tenor.
N. A piece of music originally designed
to be played before an opera or musical
play.
O. Deepest male voice.
P. Elaborate solo in an opera or
oratorio.
Q. Main division of a play or opera
26
Opera composer word search
Many, many people have written music for operas. Can you find the names of 16 of
the most famous opera composers in the puzzle grid below? Hint: Some words are
written right to left, some are bottom to top, and some are on a diagonal going any
of four different directions.
MOZART
WAGNER
VERDI
BEETHOVEN
BELLINI
BIZET
BRITTEN
DONIZETTI
GERSHWIN
GOUNOD
MASCAGNI
MASSENET
MENOTTI
THOMAS
PUCCINI
STRAUSS
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