(1) ENTERTAINMENT AND COMEDY; LARGER THAN LIFE

Intermezzo

Early 19th century opera genre; between opera buffa and opera seria

Syllabic text-setting

One syllable per note (Happy Birthday)

Comic patter

Very quick singing/speaking

Commedia Dell’arte

Original comedic theater; 16th century; stock characters (stereotypical); slapstick, physical theater

Period orchestra

Orchestra using instruments appropriate for opera/musical’s setting (harpsichord)

Recitativo secco

Speech-like singing in opera; conversational singing

Larger than life

Counterpart to comedy; audiences became more varied; composers want to appeal to broader audience; extreme ranges; longer phrases; grand, majestic music; heroic sounds; ensembles sing in unison; crescendos

Intermezzo history

Naples, Italy, 1720s-1730s; few characters; simple music style; relatable characters and setting; middle-class lifestyles

Da Capo

From the beginning

Virtuosity

Very high level of skill

Virtuoso

Somene who can play/sing difficult pieces