Opera Basics #1: What is opera? How is it different to musical theatre?

Introduction to the Opera Basics series

Just want to know what opera is? Click here to skip the introduction.

Opera sometimes has a reputation for being elite, snobby and difficult to understand. This is simply not the case! Opera is a great night out for you, your friends and your family. Your enjoyment of opera can go as deep (or as shallow) as you want it to: you can attend just to enjoy the dramatic stories and the incredible sets, or you can delve deeper and look into the history, musical devices, vocal artistry, operatic traditions and much more.

The opera basics series will look into the basic questions we at Opera Australia are regularly asked. Each week we’ll address key points covering issues that beginners and those new to opera want to know about. This week, we address the question: What is opera? How is opera different to musical theatre?

In the weeks to come, we’ll be addressing other questions:

o   Is opera boring?

o   What is an aria?

o   Do they sing in English? How can I tell what they’re saying?

o   What do people wear to the opera? Is there a dress code?

o   Which opera should I see? How do I choose my first opera?

o   Why are operas so expensive? Is there a cheaper way to see opera?

If you have any additional questions, pop them into the comments section below and we’ll make sure to address them. Our goal is to help everyone become more familiar with opera as another entertainment option, so we’re happy to address any questions or concerns. If you don’t feel comfortable asking in a public forum, feel free to email us at online@opera-australia.org.au. Alternatively tweet us @OperaAust or visit our Facebook page.

Summary: What is opera and how is it different to musical theatre?

Click here to be taken directly to the detailed explanation

Opera can be viewed as a performance art and a musical genre which communicates stories on a grand scale using lyrics, song, acting, props, set, costume, and orchestral music. 

The three main differences between opera and musical theatre:

1. Amplification: In opera it is rare to have the voices and instrumentation amplified over a speaker system, whereas in musical theatre microphones and amplification are almost always used.
2. Vocal style: opera uses rich voices with sound focussed in the throat, while musical theatre voices focus sound toward the front of the mouth or nose.
3. Music vs dialogue as the driver of the story: Opera tends to communicate the story entirely through the music and songs, whereas musical theatre tends to communicate the story through drama with songs acting as a supplement to the storyline.

Now for more detailed explanations...

What is opera?

The simplest way to explain opera is that it’s a musical tradition which allows performers to communicate a story on stage using song. Music and song communicate the plot of the story to the audience, most often in the language in which it was written. The plots usually involve big emotions such as treachery, revenge, murder, passion and ambition. Love triangles, mistaken identities, executions, wars and weddings are common plot devices used to create entertaining storylines and draw these emotions out, be it through romance, tragedy or comedy.

The quote below highlights the fact that opera is often geared towards learning more about ourselves by observing human responses in incredible circumstances:

Most opera is hard to comprehend because it carries the strength of centuries of tradition behind it. It is a glorification of the human, [and] can bring the viewer to great heights of understanding and self-awareness.
http://www.essortment.com/guide-opera-beginner-64022.html

In order to express these emotions, similar techniques are used in operas as are used in other dramatic arts: sets, costumes, props, acting and sometimes even dance. Operas are usually performed in an opera house or concert hall with a live orchestra.

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most recognisable in the world

How is opera different to musical theatre?

Don’t want the detail? Click here to be taken to the summary.

1.      Amplification:

The most important difference is the lack of amplification in opera. Opera singers amplify their own voices without technological assistance. This point was also made by @kazflute, who highlighted the difference in the “use of acoustic vs amplified sounds (pit and on stage)”. What this means is that in opera, neither the singers nor the orchestra tend to use microphones or speakers, whereas in musical theatre it is rare not to have both the voices and the musical accompaniment amplified. This is why projection and strong voices are so important in opera, as not only does the entire audience need to be able to hear the singers, but they also need to achieve this above a full orchestra.

2.      Vocal style:

One thing which separates opera from other dramatic art forms is the singing. Rich, loud voices are used, often with a stronger emphasis on vowels and less emphasis on consonants. Operatic voices tend to resonate up from the chest into the head. Given that consonants are mainly formed near the front of the mouth, it therefore becomes difficult to clearly annunciate and form words “normally” while singing opera. This is one reason why opera can be difficult to understand at face value if you're not used to the operatic style.

This style can be contrasted to the pop and jazz traditions that musical theatre singers often use, where sound is pushed forward into front of the mouth and nose, making the pronunciation of consonants easy to achieve and relatively understandable.

3.      Music vs dialogue as the driver of the story:

Aside from the vocal styles and the amplification (or lack thereof), there is a more important and overarching difference between opera and musical theatre, and it relates to the use and centrality of music. Musical theatre pieces are usually developed first and foremost as theatre. The music and songs act to supplement the story, emphasise certain emotions and allow the singers to express their characters’ motivations or feelings about the dramatic situation. Typically, there is dialogue between the actors which develops the storyline, and then the songs will be interspersed throughout the piece during critical or reflective moments.

In opera, music doesn’t supplement the story, but instead drives the story. The music is near-continuous and the songs are not separated from the plot. As @SinfieldDaniel pointed out, musical theatre “stops for a song, whilst in opera the story and the music are linked...Opera has no pause button”.

Andrew Clements, writing in The Guardian in 2002, put it well in this article:

The simplest and most concise distinction I can come up with is that in an opera the drama is largely generated by the music, while in a musical it is largely defined by the text, with the music taking an illustrative and expressive supporting role.

An easy way to think about it is this: In musical theatre, you could usually remove all the songs and still have the story make sense, as the dialogue would outline what is happening in the story. In opera, removing the songs (arias) would result in little to no story at all. Opera can have dialogue, however “in opera the dialogue is sung; in musicals the dialogue is spoken” (@frindley).

Conclusion

Opera is a dramatic and musical art form which aims to communicate a story. It differs from musical theatre due to the lack of amplification, the differences in vocal style, and the role music plays in communicating the story rather than just supplementing it.

We hope you enjoyed the first of our opera basics series. If we haven’t gotten to the heart of what you’re trying to work out, comment below and ask us your question (all questions welcome – regardless of the level).We also know there are plenty of opera aficionados who will think of other points about opera and its difference to musical theatre, so feel free to add your two cents below as well.

By Anna McDougall, Digital Marketing Officer