OPERA (the Italian word for “work”) is an art form that tells a

“Opera is complex for those story through music and singing. Unlike a musical, opera singers do
who perform it, not use microphones and the music, played by an orchestra, is
but also for those who listen performed live.
to it. It takes more time, When you hear the word “opera”, what pictures come to your mind?
more patience, and more Bugs Bunny dressed in silly costumes with a Viking helmet? The
spirit of sacrifice. All this is upper crust of society dressed in their best, holed up in boxes with
well worth it because opera tiny opera glasses? Or maybe you grew up listening to or going to
the opera, so you have fond memories of the stories and arias that
offers such deep sensations
floated through the air in the concert hall.
that they will remain in a
heart for a lifetime…” Whether you are completely new to opera, need a refresher, or are
- ANDREA BOCCELLI an ardent lover already I’ve aimed to make this guide accessible to
whatever level you find yourself.

If, like many people, the word opera inspires dread, let me encourage you to begin to sweep away
the hesitation and make space to learn over the next twelve weeks. The key to enjoying opera
(which is really the key to enjoying anything) is to learn about it. In fact, much of what we find
boring in life is often because we know nothing, or next to nothing about it in the first place. Like
our study of Renaissance Music, learning about opera is the chance to develop an interest where
others might automatically react with derision or boredom.

There is no one more to be pitied than the person who is always bored, or who is always looking
for something to happen to be a distraction from his or her life. But let me tell you a secret.
Interested people are happy people. Almost every subject becomes interesting when you know
something about it. If you have found yourself bored by the discussion or experience of opera thus
far; let me suggest to you that it might be because you haven’t had enough information to follow it
with interest just yet.

In the end, we all have the same choice over the next twelve weeks: to engage with this
opportunity to have a relationship with the great operatic composers, or to check out and miss
something that might be a source of excitement and satisfaction in life. Over the next twelve
weeks we will travel from a true love story in Ancient Egypt with Aida, to the struggle for freedom
in Switzerland with the William Tell Overture.

I can’t promise that you will love opera by the end of this study. I can promise that if you are able
to approach it with humility, interest, and a willingness to learn that you will walk away better
human beings who are more ready to interact with the world.

“The world is so full of a number of things,

I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.”
- ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

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For the teacher: There is a lot of material here and probably too much to cover in a simple
composer study lesson time. Make sure that you keep the joy in composer study by
choosing the elements of each section that you know will most appeal to your student(s)
and leave the rest. Use this guide to inform yourself and use the parts you feel will be the
most helpful to you. Remember to “keep the main thing the main thing.” Sometimes less
detail is better when it comes to helping students form a relationship with a composer or
style of music.

HOW TO ENJOY AN OPERA: PRACTICAL IDEAS

• Read the story first and if you are only listening to an act or a portion of the opera, make sure you
know what is happening in that particular part of the act. Be warned, many opera plots are weak and
don’t make very much sense so reading the story might not be very inspirational. But you will often
find as you listen that the composer has hidden within the plot meaning, excitement, drama, and
symbolism.

• Watch don’t just listen. Like Shakespeare, operas are intended to be watched. The opera will be
much more attractive and engaging if you can see what the actors/actresses are doing as they sing.

• If you can read music, one way to engage with the opera is to follow the musical score as you listen
to it.

• One of the keys to enjoying opera is letting it be what it is – an emotional retelling of a tale. A drama,
or play, can be intellectual and have subtleties that carry over to the audience. But opera must be
emotional because music is emotional. No one, in real life, would pause to express their feelings in
the lengthy soliloquies that are sometimes the highlight of operatic performances. Yet, the
magnificent performances in those parts of the operas usually don’t seem out of place because the
music frees emotional expression from the confines of mere talking.

• If it seems that opera singers move in a funny way – remember they must synchronize their
movements with the movements of the orchestra – both physically and vocally.

• There are many kinds of operas and no one who has developed any discrimination is going to like all
of them – just as no one likes all of the novels he reads, the paintings he sees, or the lectures he
hears. This also is encouraging because it means that if you don’t care for Verdi’s Aida, you might
love Il Travotore or be swept away by the William Tell Overture. Don’t write off all opera after hearing
just one act or one piece of an act – approach each encounter with hope and intelligence.

In our study we are going to focus on three composers; Giuseppi Verdi , Giacomo Pussini, and
Giocchino Rossini. There are many more opera composers, but these three have written some of
the most famous pieces in the opera world so we will focus on them over this term.

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 Giuseppi Verdi | Born October 10, 1813 in Busseto, Italy |
Died January 27, 1901 in Milan, Italy

Family and Career | Verdi was born to working class Italian parents.
Though the composer showed a musical talent at a young age, he
did not receive any music education until he was 19. Soon after,
Verdi began his career as a conductor and organist for his local
orchestra. After getting married and moving to Milan, he premiered
his first opera at age 25. Today, Verdi’s works are performed more
than any other composer’s, worldwide.

Video Introduction to Verdi

Read more about Verdi’s Life and Compositions Here

“Verdi was the last great hero of Italian opera, and with
him ends the lineage that started with Monteverdi.”
- PAUL HENRI LANG

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 WEEK 1: GIUSEPPI VERDI – “AIDA” The Triumphal March (Act II, Scene 2)

AIDA: eye-EE-da

Story Recommendations: Aida Summary from The New Complete Stories of Great Operas
Aida, by Leontyne Price (Picture Book)

Book of Centuries: November 1870, Aïda is written

December 24, 1871, Aïda performed for the first time to celebrate the
opening of the Khedival Opera House in Cairo, Egypt.

The Triumphal March is the opening of Act II, Scene 2. You can read a longer libretto in the
link above from The New Complete Stories of Great Operas. Aïda is set in ancient Egypt and
tells the complicated love story between the Egyptian general, Ramades, and Ethiopian
princess Aïda while their two countries are at war. Princess Aïda is enslaved to an Egyptian
princess named Amneris, who is also in love with Ramades.

The important thing to know about this scene is that much like a Roman triumph, the Egyptian
armies are returning from conquest in Ethiopia; dragging their slaves and spoils with them. The
triumphant march is a scene of immense internal conflict for our princess Aïda, whose love,
Ramades, has just won a battle against her home country.

A massive chorus (Gloria all’ Egitto) bursts forth declaring the glory of Egypt and rises with a
great crescendo as Radames rides up in his chariot. Banners, arms, chariots, statues of the
gods and dancing slave girls are all paraded before the King of Egypt showing the spoils of
victory.

Interesting Fact: The Triumphal March is often used in graduation ceremonies in Latin
America and the Philippines.

1) Watch or Listen to the Triumphal March (both parts)

Just like Shakespeare, operas are performed in
Part One (7 min, 45 sec.) sections called Acts and each act can have several
Part Two (5 min, 48 sec.) scenes. Aida has four acts with several scenes
making up each act.

After you listen:

 How did this music make you feel? Was there a particular part of the music that you liked
better than the others? Why or why not?
 Can you hum, sing, or drum the beginning of the march?
 What instruments did you hear? Which of them made the piece sound “triumphant”?
 Did you like or dislike this piece of opera? Why?

The libretto is a text explanation of what

is happening in each part of the opera.
Since many operas are in languages other
A chorus, in opera, is a group of singers with more than English, reading it before listening or
than one person singing each part. The Triumphal watching that part of the opera can help
March and Anvil Chorus (next week) are both you know what is happening, leading to
examples of a chorus. more enjoyment.

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 WEEK 2: GIUSEPPI VERDI – “IL TROVATORE” Anvil Chorus (Act II, Scene 1)

Il Trovatore: eel tRaw-vah-taw-Re (Italian Pronunciation)

Story Recommendations: Il Trovatore Summary from The New Complete Stories of Great Operas

Interesting Fact: Although the Roman premiere of Il Trovatore took place on the same day that the Tiber
overflowed, and the audience had to wade through water and mud to get to the theater, the house was
crowded and the enthusiasm highly vocal. In Venice, three different companies had to perform Il Trovatore
simultaneously to keep up with the demand.

Anvil Chorus is in Scene 1 of Act II. You can read a longer libretto in the link above from The
New Complete Stories of Great Operas. Il Trovatore is set in 15th century Spain and is
considered by many to be the ultimate example of opera from the Romantic period of the arts.
Il Trovatore is about a troubadour named Manrico, who was raised by gypsies. He has fallen
in love with a woman named Leonore, who is also loved by a powerful count.

The piece you are about to listen to takes

In the Middle Ages, troubadours were the shining knights of place in a gypsy camp. The Gypsies of
poetry (in fact, some were ranked as high as knights in the Spain's Golden Age suffered a
feudal class structure). Troubadours made chivalry a high art, persecution unknown to any other race in
writing poems and singing about chivalrous love, creating a Spanish history. The Gypsies lived in
mystique of refined damsels, and glorifying the gallant knight isolated communities governed by strict,
on his charger. self-devised Gypsy laws devised to
preserve racial unity (they were

Romanian) and loyalty. You may know from watching “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, or if
you are reading Children of the New Forest or Emma, that gypsies were regarded with
suspicion and fear. Gypsies were often accused of sorcery and witchcraft, laziness and
uncleanliness.

For the purposes of our composer study; it is dawn and the gypsy camp begins to awaken. The
Anvil Chorus, or "Vedi! Le fosche notturne" begins as the gypsies sing about hard work and good
wine while striking their anvils in the early morning.

1) Watch or Listen to Anvil Chorus (2 mins, 50 sec.)

Version 1 (Note: This version has captions so you can see what is being sung)

Version 2

After you listen:

 Did any of the instruments used stand out to you in this piece?
 How is the Anvil Chorus similar to The Triumphal March? How is it different?
 How are the stories told by these two pieces different? (A possible answer: The triumphal
march is about a conquering people who are celebrating triumph in war while the Anvil
chorus is sung by people who are outcasts.)
 Would you have waded through an overflowing river to see this opera? Why or why not?

If you are part of a co-op and want to have something for them to take home, you could
purchase and print these gypsy caravan examples for them to color. It might also help to make a
connection that Toad’s “caravan” in The Wind in the Willows is a gypsy caravan.

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 WEEK 3: GIUSEPPI VERDI – “LA TRAVIATA” BRINDISI (Act I, Scene 2)

La Traviata: lah trah-vyah-tah (Italian Pronunciation)

lah trah-vee-ah-tuh (American Pronunciation)

Story Recommendations: La Traviata from The New Complete Stories of Great Operas

Interesting Fact: La Traviata was not the smashing success that Il Trovatore was. The first performance
was met with boos and hisses as many considered the opera immoral and others didn’t like that the
performers were in modern costume. It wasn’t until Verdi revised the opera to put his characters in costume
that the emotional impact and drama of this opera was able to strike its audience.

Brindisi, or “The Drinking Song” is in Scene 2 of Act I and is another example of a chorus. You
can read a longer libretto in the link above from The New Complete Stories of Great Operas.
La Traviata is the story of a tragic romance between Violetta; a beautiful courtesan in Paris,
and Alfredo, a sincere and poetic young man of a poor family.

In the story, Violetta is hosting party despite being ill with consumption. Violetta says, “I give
myself to pleasure, since pleasure is the best medicine for my ills.” She is essentially treating
her illness with a good time. This song serves as a toast, for the guests of the party give a toast
to Violetta’s supposed improving health. "Libiamo ne’lieti calici” means “Let’s drink, drink from
the joyful chalices.”

Just like in literature, poetry, and music, Verdi had to make decisions when organizing the
piece in a way that allows his purpose to be supported. This work is written in a way that
features each of the soloists and the joyous atmosphere of the party, which is
Consumption: An old term brought to light in the particular sections in which the chorus and soloists are
for the disease tuberculosis.
combined. As a drinking song, this piece features a hummable melody and a
In the 1800s and earlier it was
not uncommon for people to relatively simple accompaniment, mostly the triple-meter “oom pah pah” in the
contract and die of strings.
tuberculosis.

1) Watch or Listen to the Brindisi Chorus (2 mins, 54 sec.)

Both versions below have been linked by Ambleside and both have captions. The second
version shows some women in dresses that are slightly more revealing; though historically
accurate. You may want to preview the words to this song as well as the dresses to see
if this piece and the costumes meet with your families’ standards.

Version 1
Version 2

After you listen:

 What was your first impression of the music? What thoughts crossed your mind as you were listening?
 Are you able to whistle or hum part of the main chorus?
 For Older/ Music Students: Halfway through Alfredo’s verse the accompaniment shifts from the bright,
major key to a darker, minor one. This happens when he sings of love and Violetta’s irresistible eyes.
Why might Verdi have chosen to do this?

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 WEEK 4: GIUSEPPI VERDI – RIGOLETTO “La Donna É Mobile” (Act III, Scene 2)

What is an Aria? “Aria” comes from the Italian word for air. At its simplest level, an aria is a solo piece
sung in an opera or another large-scale vocal work, like an oratorio. The piece we are going to listen to
this week is an example of what an aria is. Arias are an opportunity to showcase one solo voice and to
get to know what is going on in the mind of the character in the moment. Usually, when an aria starts the
action of the plot stops. This is one of the great strengths of opera, there is time taken to let the audience
into how the character feels and what they might do next.

Rigoletto: rih-guh-LEH-tow

Story Recommendations: Rigoletto from The New Complete Stories of Great Operas

Book of Centuries: March 1851, Rigoletto peformed

Interesting Fact: Rigoletto is based on Victor Hugo’s play Le Roi s’amuse; originally a story about intrigue,
treachery, and revenge at the court of Francois I of France. Because of the political unrest in France at the
time, authorities didn’t think it was wise to present a story of royal decadence and philandering; so, the
libretto location was changed to the palace of the Duke of Mantua, a petty Italian nobleman, and the name
was changed to Rigoletto.

La Donna É Mobile, translated as, “Woman is fickle” is one of the most popular tenor arias ever
written. The Duke of Mantua sings this song in Act III of Rigoletto, as he is disguised as a
soldier. It first comes across as light hearted and comical as he is singing about how women
are fickle (‘mobile’) and yet it is the womanizing Duke himself who is ‘mobile.’ However, the
song takes on a horrible irony during the reprise, later in the act, as it is the cue to Rigoletto
that the body he is dragging triumphantly toward the river is not that of the Duke but of his
daughter.

This aria is often recognizable to people who may have never attended the opera as it has
frequently been heard in pop culture. It has been parodied on television in episodes of
“Seinfeld” as well as commercials for tomato sauce. The melody itself is also popular among
English soccer league supporters, who have particular lyrics set to the melody.

1) Watch or Listen to La Donna E Mobile (2 mins, 54 sec.)

Version 1 Performed by Luciano Pavarotti

Version 2 Performed by the Three Tenors

After you listen:

 Have you hear this piece of music before? Where?

 Were the musical sounds in this piece smooth or lively? What did it make you feel like doing with your
body?
 For Older/ Music Students: This is supposed to be a comic part of the opera. How does Verdi
accomplish making the Duke sound ridiculous in the music?

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 Giacomo Puccini (jaa-kuh-mow poo-chee-nee)|
Born December 22, 1858 in Lucca, Italy | Died November 29, 1924 in
Brussels, Belgium

Family and Career | Puccini was the last descendant of a family that
for two centuries had provided the musical directors of the Cathedral
of San Martino in Lucca. Puccini initially dedicated himself to music,
therefore, not as a personal vocation but as a family profession. He
was orphaned at the age of five by the death of his father, and the
municipality of Lucca supported the family with a small pension and
kept the position of cathedral organist open for Giacomo until he
came of age.

The pieces we will listen to in this study are largely from what is
known as his “Middle Career” with Turandot being the only one from
his late career.

Video Introduction to Puccini

Read more about Puccini’s Life and Compositions Here

Interesting Fact: Puccini might have been content to be a church organist, choirmaster, and writer of
church music had he not, late in his boyhood, heard a performance of Verdi’s Aida. What he heard affected
him more deeply than other piece of music had up to that point. It may be that an opera composer was
born that evening in Pisa.

“Within his chosen limits he was unequalled in his

musical expression of the emotions of everyday people.”
- PATRICK HUGHES

Voice Types Since the early 19th century, voices have usually been classified in six, basic types; three male and three
female based on their range. SOPRANO is the highest pitch of the female voices, but also can be possessed by boys
until their voices mature and break. MEZZO-SOPRANO is for a female voice between soprano and contralto.
CONTRALTO is the lowest female voice, also called alto. TENOR is used for the highest naturally occurring voice type
in adult males. BARITONE is for the male voice between tenor and bass. BASS is used for the lowest male voices.

If you want to illustrated the different registers without reading all the descriptions you can watch An Introduction to
Opera’s Voice Types (5 mins, 56 sec.)

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 WEEK 5: GIACOMO PUCCINI – LA BOHÉME “O Soave Fancuilla” (Act I) +
“Quando M'en Vo” (Act II)
La Boheme: la bo-EMM

Story Recommendations: La Boheme from The New Complete Stories of Great Operas
Act I Summary from the MET Opera Guide

La Boheme is built around the Latin quarter of Paris. Four struggling bohemians – a poet, a painter, a
musician and a philosopher are living together in Paris, when one freezing Christmas Eve their lives are
changed forever. A girl named Mimì (a seamstress who lives next door) knocks on their door looking for a
candle light, and she and Rodolfo fall in love.

O Soave Fancuilla, is a duet between Rodolfo and Mimi where they declare their love for one another.

A duet is a piece sung by two vocalists.

1) Watch or Listen to O Soave Fancuilla

Both versions below are the ones linked by Ambleside. I’ve listed my favorite one first (only because the
video quality is better than Version 2.

Version 1 (1 min, 34 sec.)

Version 2 (4 min, 39 sec.)

After you listen:

Bohemians: In La Boheme these are
people who lived outside of expected  What did you hear in this piece?
societal norms of their day. They  How do the characters of Rodolfo and Mimi sound when they are singing
were usually anti-establishment in together? How do they use their voices to show what their characters are
their attitudes. supposed to be feeling?
 What instruments did you hear? Which ones did Puccini choose to show
the longing the characters are feeling when the singing got loud?
 What voice types did you hear in this piece, do you think?

One of the most interesting and theatrically exciting aspects of opera is the possibility of having several
characters express different thoughts at the same time in simultaneous lines of melody and harmony. In
the hands of the right composer, this can be an amazing tool to manage the audience’s attention, to
create a musical moment or scene that has greater impact than the sum of individual performers singing
individual parts.

The scene is set in Café Momus. Shortly after Mimì, Rodolfo, and their friends have taken seats for a
drink, Marcello’s former girlfriend, Musetta, shows up with her current patron, the elderly Alcindoro. They
quarrel for a bit, then the episode begins as Musetta initiates her move on Marcello. She grabs the
spotlight, musically speaking, for a short self-promoting aria.

2) Watch or Listen to Quando M’en Vo/Musetta’s Waltz

Both versions below are the ones linked by Ambleside. Version 2 should be watched before
you decide if you want to use it. Version 1 has only Ms. Petrebko and not any male singers.

Version 1 (3 min, 25 sec.) Performed by Anna Petrebko

Version 2 (2 min, 21 sec.) Performed by Olga Kulchynska

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After you listen:

 What voice type(s) did you hear in this piece?

 Do you think this piece is easy to sing? Why or why not?
 How was this piece different from the first one you listened to?
 Which piece did you like better?

WEEK 6: GIACOMO PUCCINI – TOSCA “E Lucevan Le Stelle” (Act III)

Sometimes operas can be challenging to listen to since many of them are in other languages, but often if
we watch the faces of the performers and listen to the music we can tell if a piece is supposed to lead us
to be happy or sad.
Tosca: tos·ca

Story Recommendations: Tosca from The New Complete Stories of Great Operas

Interesting Fact: The word had spread that Puccini’s enemies planned attending the premiere of Tosca to
throw a bomb on the stage. However, except for a ten-minute delay, the first performance went off without
a disturbance.

Tosca is another love story; this time set in Rome. Floria Tosca, a celebrated singer in the early nineteenth
century Rome, is loved passionately by Baron Scarpia, chief of police. But her love lies elsewhere, with the
painter Cavaradossi. Tosca and Cavaradossi fall into Scarpia’s hands when they help a political prisoner
escape.

E Lucevan Le Stelle is a poignant aria sung by Cavaradossi. This first version we are going to listen to
doesn’t have the words on the screen, just listen to the music and the singing. Then we’ll discuss and
watch the same song by a different singer.

1) Watch or Listen to E Lucevan Le Stelle – Version 1

Version 1 (3 min, 57 sec.) performed by Luciano Pavarotti

After you listen:

 How would you describe this aria?

 How did this music make you feel? How do you think we are supposed to feel in this part of the opera?
Why do you think that?
 What do you think the character is thinking of as he is singing this piece?

Now we are going to listen to the second version of this song. Let’s see if your interpretations were correct.

2) Watch or Listen to E Lucevan Le Stelle – Version 2

Version 2 (3 min, 12 sec.) Has captions so you can see what is being sung.

After you listen:

 Were you correct in your guess from listening to it the first time?
 Did seeing the words help you in engaging with the opera?
 Do you think Mr. Pavarotti or Mr. Licitra performed the piece better? Why do you think that?
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WEEK 7: GIACOMO PUCCINI – MADAME BUTTERFLY “Un Bel Di Vedremo” (Act II)
Story Recommendations: Madame Butterfly from The New Complete Stories of Great Operas
Free Coloring Page

Interesting Fact: Madame Butterfly, or Madama Butterfly is set in Japan, not in Italy, and tells the tragic
love story of an American naval lieutenant, Pinkerton, for a geisha girl, Cio-Cio-San. For him, she
renounces her gods and her family and disobeys the rules of the geisha by marrying him.

The first production of Madame Butterfly as an opera was a complete failure. For reasons no one seems to
understand it was met with violent dislike. Revised, and presented again a few months later it was a
success.

Madame Butterfly is another name for Cio-Cio-San. Un Bel Vedremo is a soprano aria performed by our
geisha and means “One fine day we’ll see.” Lieutenant Pinkerton, having fallen in love with Cio-Cio-San
and married her (illegal for a geisha) in Act I has sailed away with a promise to return. It has been three
years since he has been back and in the meantime she has had a child. Un Bel Vedremo shows Cio-Cio-
San’s longing for her husband’s return and her reassuring her maid that he will be back for them. Un Bel
Vedremo contains an example of obbligato – where an instrument acts
as a “second voice” in a “duet” with the vocalist.
Geisha: American films and some
Watch or Listen to Un Bel Vedremo authors have made geisha into a kind of
glorified prostitute, but that is not at all
Version 1 (4 min, 15 sec.) performed by Crystal Manich what they were. Geisha (who were
Multi-Lingual Subtitles originally men – not even women at all)
attended a special school where they
worked to learn how to wear kimono,
Version 2 (4 min, 20 sec.) performed by notable soprano Renata Tibaldi basic chores, and to learn music and
No subtitles available for this one dance as well as the art of
communication. Geisha were not
(Optional) Japanese Version of “Un Bel Di” allowed to marry or have families of
sung by Janet Szepi Todd with subtitles their own.

After you listen:

 What was your first impression of the music? What thoughts crossed your mind as you were
listening?
 Did you hear the obbligato in this aria? Which instrument was it?
 What other things did you notice in this piece of music?
 Are you able to sing or hum part of the main theme?

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WEEK 8: GIACOMO PUCCINI – TURANDOT “Nessun Dorma” (Act III)

One of an opera singer’s most important jobs is to act out the character and be a clear story
teller. We’ve already talked a little about how a composer makes a scene comic or tragic using
different kinds of music. This week let’s explore the question “How does a composer or opera singer
use their music to show you what a character is feeling or thinking in an opera?” a little deeper.

Turandot: TuranDOT

Story Recommendations: Turandot from The New Complete Stories of Great Operas

I recommend reading the first paragraph on pg. 611 about Turandot to your students before you
begin getting into the libretto. Franco Alfano, another composer, completed Turandot for Puccini with
very close attention to copying Puccini’s style and methods.

Turandot, like Madame Butterfly, is set in the Orient, but is focused on the time of legends. A princess,
Turandot, offers to marry any nobleman capable of answering three questions but there is a twist. He must
accept death if he fails. Prince Calaf is our hero daring enough to attempt winning the princess’s heart but
he has a hard task before him as the Princess hates all men because of her ancestresses’ cruel fates at
the hands of the Tartars.

Nessun Dorma, which means “None shall sleep,” is a tenor aria sung by Prince Calaf.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Watch or Listen to Nessun Dorma

Version 1 (3 min, 15 sec.) performed by Luciano Pavarotti

Version 2 (3 min, 13 sec.) Has subtitles

After you listen, but before sharing the translation of the aria, ask:

 What do you think this aria is about?

 How do you think the character Calaf is feeling in this aria?
 What in the music or in his voice makes you think that?
 Was there anything in the words or music that stood out to you?

After the prediction discussion, share the translation of Nessun Dorma (on the next page) and have
the student (s) revisit their predictions.

Becoming an Operating Storyteller

Puccini uses pitch (high and low), dynamics (volume), and repetition to help Prince Calaf share his
confidence in his ability to get Princess Turandot to marry him. Introduce these musical terms to the
students using their own words as they describe what they notice (i.e. Jessica, you mentioned how
loud Prince Calaf gets when he is singing. In the music world we call how loud or quiet something is
dynamics)

Ask for a narration on how a composer uses an opera singers’ voice to tell their story.

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 NESSUN DORMA TRANSLATION

Italian English

Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma! None shall sleep! None shall sleep!

Tu pure, o Principessa, Not even you, O Princess

nella tua fredda stanza, In your cold bedroom,

guardi le stelle che tremano d’amore, e di speranza! Watch the stars that tremble with love and
hope

Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me; But my secrets hidden within me;

il nome mio nessun saprà! None will know my name!

No, No! Sulla tua bocca lo dirò quando la luce splenderà! No, no! On your mouth I will say it

Ed il mio bacio scioglierà il silenzio che ti fa mia! when the light shines!

Il nome suo nessun saprà, And my kiss will dissolve the silence
that makes you mine

E noi dovrem, ahimè, morir, morir! No one will know his name And we will
have to alas, die!

Dilegua, o notte! Vanish, oh night!

Tramontate, stelle! Fade you stars!

Tramontate, stelle! Fade you stars!

All’alba vincerò! At dawn I will win!

Vincerò! Vincerò! I win, I win!

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 Gioacchino Rossini (jo-kee-no ro-see-nee) hear it
pronounced here | Born February 29, 1792 in Pesaro, Italy | Died
November 13, 1868 in Passy, France

Family and Career | Rossini’s father was an ardent republican who

frequently tangled with the authorities. Because of his political
sympathies he was deprived of several public posts and, on several
occasions, imprisoned. On his release, Rossini’s father and mother
earned money by traveling around to different opera houses; his
father played the horn in an orchestra and his mother sang. Their
nomadic existence meant they entrusted the bringing up of
Gioacchino to his grandmother where he was left to himself and
allowed to run wild. His family tried to apprentice him to a blacksmith
and then a butcher but because of his stubborn nature he was let go
from both of those positions.

He had a talent for music, though, and began singing in church. A

local priest provided him with singing lessons and introduced him to
the music of Haydn and Mozart.

His parents finally settled down to a permanent home in 1804 and enrolled Gioacchino in the Liceo
Musicale where his music education began in earnest.

Video Introduction to Rossini (2 mins long)

Video Introduction #2 (I like this one better, but it IS 24 minutes long)

Interesting Fact: Rossini quit writing opera when he was only 37 years old and music historians cannot
agree on why that was. Rossini himself gave some reasons, but none of them seem to satisfy.

“The only creator of truly comic music.”

- FRANZ WERFEL

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WEEK 9: GIOACCHINO ROSSINI – IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA “Overture”

Today we are going to listen to a piece that is an overture to an opera. Click here if you want to
watch a video introduction to what an overture is (10 mins) instead of reading the description. As
you listen to the overture this week, pay close attention to see if you can identify any of the music
when we listen to another piece from this same opera next week.

Il Barbiere di Siviglia: The Barber of Seville

Story Recommendations: Il Barbiere Di Siviglia from The New Complete Stories of Great Operas

I recommend reading the first and last paragraphs on pg. 79-80 about The Barber of Seville to
your students before you begin listening to the Overture.

The Barber of Seville is an ‘opera buffa’, meaning an opera with comedic aspects.

Interesting Fact: The Barber of Seville’s premiere in Rome of 1816 was a huge failure - the audience
hissed and booed. One of the actors fell and had to continue singing with a bloody nose. Later on, a
cat wandered onto the stage and distracted the audience. The public was quick to forget this rocky
start, however, and the second performance was a resounding success.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Watch or Listen to Overture Overture: An overture is a piece of

music for the orchestra to play at the
Version 1 (7 mins) beginning of an opera or a ballet. The
Version 2 (8 mins, 11 sec) word comes from the French word for
“opening” because it “opens” the show.
Overtures usually contain pieces of the
After you listen: music that will be heard throughout the
opera or ballet.

 If you were writing the script for a movie using this music, what might
the movie be about?
 How does this music compare to the music of the composer we listened to last week?
 In this overture the composer has written sections that are different (or similar) in some way from
each other. Why do you think the composer did this?

Listen to this overture in your free time or in your car a couple of times this coming week so
your student(s) can be familiar with the music. Next week we will listen to a piece from this
same opera. See if you can connect some of the music next week with the overture from
this week.

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 WEEK 10: GIOACCHINO ROSSINI – IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA “Largo al Factotum” (ACT I)

Story Recommendations: Il Barbiere Di Siviglia from The New Complete Stories of Great Operas

Ask for a narration of what your students remember from last week’s lesson. Do they remember what
an overture is? If not, remind them.

Today we’ll be listening to another aria performed by the opera’s main character, Figaro. Figaro is a
barber and this aria is used to introduce his character in the story.

Listen carefully to see if you recognize any of the music in this aria from the overture.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Watch or Listen to Largo al Factum (Figaro, Figaro, Figaro)

Version 1 (4 mins, 50 sec.) Has subtitles

Version 2 (5 min, 4 sec.) No Subtitles
(Note: This is a different selection from Ambleside’s because one of their links no longer works.
Michael Spyres gives an incredible performance.)

After you listen:

 Did you recognize any of the music from this piece? What part?
 What type of voice do you think is used to sing this aria?
 What type of character would you say Figaro is in this opera based on his introduction? What types
of things might you expect from him from the rest of the play?
 What types of things did the singer do with his voice that you noticed?
 Did his voice stay the same volume throughout the aria?

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 WEEKS 11 & 12: GIOACCHINO ROSSINI – William Tell Overture

Teacher Prep: If you think you might find it helpful, you can watch this listening guide here. It will be
too much to include in a composer study lesson, but you might find some things you want to point out
to your student(s).

Story Recommendations: Ask your students if they know the story of William Tell. If they do, have
them give you a brief narration of the story. If they do not, you can read them the story of William Tell
before you begin listening.

Ask for a narration of what your students remember from last week’s lesson. Do they remember what
an overture is? If not, remind them.

For this week and next week we will listen to the William Tell Overture. It is one of the most famous
pieces in opera and has been used in cartoons like Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse.

Today we’ll just start to listen to and appreciate the music together. Next week we will finish the
overture and discuss it more together.
____________________________________________________________________________________

1) Watch or Listen to William Tell Overture (Dawn & Storm)

Part 1 (Stop at 3:08) Dawn

After you listen:

 How did this music make you feel? Were there any pictures or ideas that came into your
mind?
 The first part of the overture is supposed to be about “dawn” or the sun rising. Which
instrument do you think represented the sun?

Part 2 (Stop at 5:43) Storm

After you listen

 How was this part of the overture different that part 1? If you were to give a name to this
section of the music, what would you call it?

2) Ask for a narration of what your students learned in the lesson last week.

The William Tell Overture is a beautiful example of music dynamics. Last week, one of the parts
of the overture that we listened to was supposed to indicate a storm. What are some of the parts
of a storm that you can think of and what instruments or musical dynamics would you use to
show a storm (examples: dark clouds looming, small raindrops, wind howling, thunder, lightning)?
How did the two parts of the overture differ in their dynamics?

dynamics: dynamics just refers to how

loud or soft the music is in a piece. Its
really that simple!

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Watch or Listen to William Tell Overture (Ranz des Vaches & March of the Swiss Soldiers)

Part 3 (Stop at 8:16) Ranz des Vaches

After you listen:

 Did you recognize the music? Where do you think you hear it before?
 What does this music remind you of?
 This section of music is called Ranz des Vaches or “Rows of Cows” in English.
 What is the pattern of the parts of music we’ve listened to so far in this overture (Part 1 –
soft/slow, Part 2 – fast/loud, changing dynamics, Part 3 – Quiet, Peaceful) What do you
think Part 4 will sound like?

As we listen to this final section of the William Tell overture, pay attention to the tempo. (If you
have small students that are getting restless you might have
them try hopping (fast when the music is fast and slow when the Tempo: How fast or slow the music is
music is slow) to get them moving and still engaged. played. Allegro means fast. Largo means
slow.

Part 4 (Listen to the end) March of the Swiss Soldiers

After you listen:

 What word best describes this music? Why did you choose that word?
 What did you notice about the tempo in the March of the Swiss soldiers?
 Can you sing or hum part of the finale?

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SUGGESTED COMPOSER STUDY QUESTIONS

Form 1
1. What type of music were we studying for our composer study this term?
2. Tell me about your favorite (or least favorite) piece of music from our study on opera.
3. Name one type of voice we learned about.

Form 2
1. Tell me about your favorite piece of music from our study on opera (or least favorite).
2. Name one type of voice we learned about.
3. After the opera study from this term, do you think you would like to go see an opera in
person? Why/Why not?

Form 3
1. Describe what the word dynamics means when we’re talking about music.
2. How many parts did the William Tell Overture have to it? Do you remember some of
the names?
3. How many of the voice-type names can you remember?
4. Describe your favorite your favorite (or least favorite) opera piece this term.

Forms 4+
1. Describe what the words allegro and largo mean when we’re talking about music.
2. How many parts did the William Tell Overture have to it? What were the names?
3. How many of the voice-type names can you remember?
4. Describe your favorite your favorite (or least favorite) opera piece this term.
5. After the opera study from this term, do you think you would like to go see an opera in
person? Why/Why not?

ADDITIONAL LINKS
Milton Cross: The New Complete Stories of the Great Operas (Book)
I think you will find that this book is definitely worth anything you pay for it if your goal is to
familiarize yourself and/or your students with opera. Each opera has a small write-up on what was
happening in the life of the composer at the time it was written, a list of the cast of characters, and
a summary of what happens in each act. This particular book also includes an extensive write-up
on how to enjoy opera, a brief history of opera, and the use of ballet in opera as well as a selected
reading guide; so it really is worth the shelf space on your music section of your bookshelf. The
link above takes you to a copy on archive so you can see if you would like to buy it or just
borrow it for your use.

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