Arias, singers and surtitles
Opera for first-timers
A short guide to opera for anyone new to it before a concert of arias: what an aria is, who the four composers are, and what surtitles do.
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An aria is a stand-alone song for one voice, usually taken from an opera. A concert of arias lifts the best-known ones out of their operas and sings them one after another. Great Opera Hits does this with piano and Opera Australia singers, with surtitles in English and Simplified Chinese.
What opera is
Opera is a kind of Western theatre in which music is essential and the characters are played by singers. Wikipedia notes that it is closely related to musical theatre but considered distinct from it. A composer and a librettist, who writes the words, usually make an opera together. Opera began in Italy, and it has long used two styles of singing: recitative, which follows the rhythm of speech, and the aria, which stands on its own.
What an aria is
An aria stands on its own: one voice, with or without accompaniment, usually lifted from a larger work such as an opera. In a staged opera the recitative tends to carry the story, while the aria conveys emotion and lets the singer show off vocal talent. Wikipedia adds that arias grew from simple melodies into structured forms. That is why a concert of arias can be enjoyed without following the plot, and why the best-known arias travel so easily from one stage to another.
A concert of arias
A concert like Great Opera Hits takes arias out of their operas, so the pieces come one after another with the story left behind. Opera Australia says the arias are performed by some of its finest opera singers, accompanied by piano. It calls the concerts relaxed and says they run around an hour and a half. The cast lists a pianist and four singers, a soprano, a mezzo-soprano, a tenor and a baritone, and the singers change from date to date, so the line-up you hear depends on the date you book.
Four composers, four styles
Georges Bizet wrote Carmen, an opera that sits between two traditions: French opéra comique and the realism of late 19th-century Italian opera. Gioachino Rossini brought the opera buffa tradition to a peak with works such as The Barber of Seville. Giacomo Puccini developed in the realistic verismo style, and his most renowned works include La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Turandot. Giuseppe Verdi, who followed Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti, went on to dominate Italian opera.
Four arias in a line each
Nessun dorma, from Puccini's Turandot, means Let no one sleep. Largo al factotum, from Rossini's The Barber of Seville, means Make way for the factotum, a general servant. La donna è mobile, from Verdi's Rigoletto, means Woman is fickle. Libiamo ne' lieti calici, from Verdi's La traviata, means Let's drink from the joyful cups. These four are examples of famous arias by the four composers, and they are not a promised programme. The surtitles translate whatever is sung on the night.
Surtitles and language
Opera Australia says the performance is in multiple languages, with English and Simplified Chinese surtitles. Surtitles are translated or transcribed lyrics projected above a stage or displayed on a screen. They came into widespread use in the 1990s to translate the meaning of the lyrics into the audience's language. English Wikipedia also notes that they are finding increased use for allowing hearing-impaired patrons to enjoy theatre productions more fully.
Who this isn't for
A concert of arias does not follow a story from start to finish, so it does not suit anyone who wants a complete plot, a full orchestra or staging. For that, the Opera House's opera season lists staged productions, which are separate bookings. Great Opera Hits is, in the words of guests who were new to opera, fun and entertaining, and that is the best reason to choose it. If a staged opera is what you want, book that instead.
Frequently asked questions
What is an aria?
A stand-alone song for one voice, usually taken from an opera.
Do I need to know the stories?
No. An aria conveys emotion, and the speech-like recitative usually carries the story.
What language is sung?
Opera Australia says the performance is in multiple languages, with English and Simplified Chinese surtitles.
Is there an orchestra?
No. Opera Australia says the singers are accompanied by piano.
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