Meaning of Opéra Comique in Music
Opéra comique is a genre of French opera that is characterized by the alternation of spoken dialogue and self-contained musical numbers. The term "opéra comique" originated in the 18th century and initially referred to a stage work that combined newly composed music with spoken dialogue. The earliest examples of opéra comique were satiric comedies with interpolated songs, but the form later developed into serious musical drama distinguished from other opera only by its spoken dialogue.
Unlike other forms of comic opera, opéra comique works do not necessarily have to be humorous. They can be dramas or even serious operas as long as they feature spoken dialogue and arias. One of the most popular examples of an opéra comique is Georges Bizet's Carmen, which is a tragic love story.
Opéra comique has gone through various transformations over time. In the 19th century, it developed into serious music drama that approximated grand opera and gradually lost its satiric character However, Carmen, composed by Bizet in 1875, is considered a late and isolated example of opéra comique that still retains spoken dialogue but deals with a tragic theme.
Opéra comique is closely related to other genres such as light opera, operetta, and musical theatre. While there are differences between them, they share similar beginnings and are connected by the amount of dialogue and dance in relation to the amount of music in a given show.
French comic opera that is not necessarily sung throughout. The early opéra comique had spoken dialogue interspersed with songs, and was mainly comic, the later ones (those written around the late 19th century) usually had continuous music, and was not necessarily humorous (for example, Bizet's Carmen).
See [Ger.] Singspiel.
In addition, you can familiarize yourself with the terms:
- [English] ballad opera
- [English] comic opera
- [French] opéra bouffe (m)
- [German] komische Oper (f)
- [German] heitere Oper (f)
- [Italian] opera comica
- [Italian] opera buffa (f)
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