Additional Information

Each opera in the series is a classic. The musical performances on each CD are outstanding, with an excellent cast of singers and a marvelous conductor and orchestra.

Opera enriches in many ways. It provides magnificent vocal and orchestral music -- and at the same time, it explores, interprets and expresses the great variety of human emotions and acts of behavior.

The following points are suggestions for use of the CDs for instruction:

• Each CD is about one hour in length, ideal for teaching.
• The language used in the narration is informative and easily understood. When technical terms are used (not very often), they are fully explained.
• Each CD has many short tracks. This format permits the educator to select appropriate tracks to demonstrate the various elements.
• Each CD is a valuable teaching tool because it introduces the listener to the world of opera. It presents several phases of opera: the vocal and orchestral music -- and the libretto.
• For clarity, each musical track listing is written in two languages:
  1. English. 2. Language of the original libretto.
• To help the individual better appreciate all aspects of the operas -- the music - the libretto - the visual -- it is suggested that the CD be listened to, first. Then an appropriate opera videotape should be viewed, either an edited version or the complete opera. A second hearing of the CD will fortify the experience.
• The individual will be introduced to the various components that make up the opera:
  • Parts: overtures, acts, finales.
  • Vocal pieces: aria, duet, trio, quartet, tutti (entire company), recitative, spoken dialogue.
  • Voices: soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto, counter-tenor, tenor, baritone, bass.
  • Roles of the orchestra: to accompany the singers; to participate as one of the voices; to convey the fire and the feel of the music.

• Overtures: compare the music of the overtures of the various operas as to -- organization, content and its relation to the rest of the respective opera.
• Acts: organization and content of each act.
• Vocal pieces: compare the forms and uses of the following: arias, duets, trios, quartets, tutti, recitative, spoken dialogue.
• Finales: compare the finales as to objectives, vocal ranges, number of singers, tempo, volume of sound.
• Voices: compare the roles and the ranges of the voices in each of the following operas.
  • The Barber of Seville -- mezzo-soprano, soprano, lyric tenor, baritone, basses, chorus.
  • La Traviata -- soprano (changing from coloratura to dramatic lyric), mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, bass, chorus.
  • Carmen -- mezzo-soprano, soprano, tenor, baritone, bass, chorus.
  • Madama Butterfly -- soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, baritone, bass, chorus.
• Orchestra: compare the roles of the orchestra in each opera --
  to accompany the singers; to participate as one of the voices; to convey the fire and the feel of the music.