Title: Baroque Opera on the Contemporary Ukrainian Theatre Stage: Ideas and Solutions
Abstract:What is Baroque Opera?The Baroque epoch left a rich and voluminous opera heritage.Opera as a music genre emerged at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries in the Italian city of Florence and in the 17th ...What is Baroque Opera?The Baroque epoch left a rich and voluminous opera heritage.Opera as a music genre emerged at the turn of the 16th-17th centuries in the Italian city of Florence and in the 17th century developed and spread throughout Italy.It later appeared in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.The trend towards Italian opera and the colossal popularity of this art form required the development of infrastructures to support performances.The capitals of princedoms and large cities were marked by the construction of opera theatres and the invitation of Italian composers, soloists, instrumentalists, choirs, and ballet performers to these cities.Also, the implementation of special machinery, décor, stage costumes, and make-up contributed to opera's popularity.Opera performance was a spectacular event, preparation for which required significant funding by royalty and aristocrats, and performances demanded a high level of preparation.Almost all Baroque operas were written in the Italian language, regardless of the country of performance and the composers' nationality.Composers often traveled to Italy to master the local manner of opera composing.Opera seria, a sub-genre of Italian opera emerged at the end of the 17th century and became the most widespread opera sub-genre.It aimed at entertaining monarchs, nobles, courtiers, and other representatives of the highest social strata of European society.Opera seria librettos were based on ancient themes.Among their characters were gods and kings, brave warriors, and beautiful ladies.The music was mostly of a highstyle and its rendition was based on the bel canto manner, which required special vocal techniques.Male roles were performed by castrati, whose timbrally unique voices soared over orchestras.The virtuosic singing of leading male opera performers is a wellknown feature of Baroque opera.Female roles were written in a similar way.Operas consisted of 3 acts, each featuring solo parts and arias that differed in passion, tempo, and technique.Importance was placed on the orchestra, whose functions includedRead More