Opera Questions

1. Why is Opera always sung in a foreign language?
Because that is the language the opera was written in. Opera music tends to describe or enhance what is being said, and composers of opera try to fit music and words together in a very dramatic way in order to tell a story. Naturally composers and playwrights develop their text or libretto in their own language. When an opera is not performed in its original language, sometimes the music becomes a bit out of sync with the words and doesn't enhance the action as closely as the composer originally intended. This is why opera singers like to perform in the composer's original language so the full dramatic impact of the music and words can be communicated to the audience. Today, with the help of supertitle projections, it is possible for the audience to hear the composer's original score and have the words translated into their own language at the same time.

2. How long does it take to produce an Opera?
It takes several months to produce most familiar operas, but new works can take years to finally reach the stage. The libretto must be completed, music written and orchestrated, singers hired, a director and conductor chosen for the performance, the hall booked and rented, scenery and costumes designed and built, the lighting design completed, an orchestra hired, adequate rehearsal scheduled, publicity and marketing campaigns begun, and most importantly, sufficient funding secured so that all the performers may be paid.

3. Do all performers get paid? How much?
Knoxville Opera performers are professional artists, many of whom make their living in the theatre, and as such, always receive payment for their services. The pay scale varies according to their position with the Opera. Singers who perform a leading role or directors and designers who provide the artistic product receive the highest pay. Artists who play smaller or supporting roles may receive an honorarium instead of a fee and/or have their expenses paid. Performers are also paid according to the number of performances they are required to give. They usually receive payment following their final performance.

4. Why do opera singers sound the way they do?
Opera singing is different from popular singing in that the voice is trained to sing from the lowest note to the highest note in a strong, even range of sound without amplification. Instead of using a microphone to produce a loud sound, the opera singer must learn how to project the voice over a full orchestra to the very back of a large concert hall using only breath control and vocal technique. Opera singers have only their voices to convey strong emotions such as fear, anger, or longing, and therefore, have to train their voices to be versatile and agile while simultaneously being brilliant or warm depending on what the scene requires. Most opera singers study voice for many years in order to be able to produce all the expression that an opera requires. They employ a technique called vibrato to make the voice even more expressive than normal. String players also use this technique when playing. It produces a quivering quality that adds expression and helps the voice to stay on pitch and project further.

5. Why are operas so long?
Most operas last about three hours including intermission between Acts. There are often two twenty-minute intermissions in a typical opera. During the intermissions the singers and orchestra relax a bit, the singers change costumes, and everyone get ready for the next Act. Stagehands change the scenery during intermission. Often, elaborate scenery can take several minutes to set in place. Most operas have at least two Acts. Some types of grand opera have as many as three or four Acts. Often each Act is broken down into two or more scenes. The different scenes are needed to effectively tell a story using music. Because the text is sung instead of spoken, each scene takes a little longer than normal. Music takes time to perform. It takes a little longer to sing something than merely to speak it.

6. Is Opera always the same?
There are several different styles of opera:
Italian Opera: written in an emotional style; Italy is considered the birthplace of opera. Within Italian opera there is the style of opera seria, which has themes of a serious or lofty character; and opera buffa which is comedy. The modern style of opera verismo contains plots often based on fact and performed in a very dramatic and realistic manner.
French Opera: written in a more delicate or reserved emotional style than Italian opera. It often contains dances and even full ballets as part of the story. French comedies were termed opera comique. They featured shorter works sometimes without ballet and on occasion containing spoken dialogue. A very dramatic and mature form of French opera was the opera tragique, which dealt with themes of love and death.
German opera: developed into a much grander style of music drama after the comedies of Mozart. The German style created the leitmotif in which music was used to define character development as well as structural themes. Operas grew in length to four and five hour performances, beginning in the afternoon and resuming again after dinner.
Grand Opera: uses very elaborate settings with lavish scenery and costumes. The style frequently employs large numbers of actors to create a larger than life atmosphere of spectacle.
Operetta: a light opera with spoken dialogue, songs and dances. It is considered a forerunner of the musical comedy or Broadway show.
Rock Opera or Folk Opera: a musical that is sung throughout using rock or folk music.