What could theater audiences understand if four different characters were saying different words simultaneously in a play? Probably not much —it would sound like cacophony. In opera, however, there are numerous examples of quartets when characters sing different words at the same time to express conflicting emotions. A famous example is the Rigoletto quartet by Verdi, when the Duke, Maddalena, Gilda, and Rigoletto express contrasting emotions of seduction, laughter, regret, and despair. Two opera composers, Giuseppe Verdi and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, were masters of ensemble writing. Learn to appreciate the brilliance of quartets in La traviata, Nabucco, The Magic Flute, Don Giovanni, and The Marriage of Figaro. This course will explore opera quartets in depth by examining the musical score, by watching videos of masterful singers, and learning about harmonic composition.
((Pittsburgh Opera - Online: Zoom - Wednesday))
