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L’ELISIR D’AMORE

Music by GAETANO DONIZETTI Words by FELICE ROMANI

A poor man is in love with a

wealthy woman.

A mysterious tradesman sees an opportunity to make money.

By chance, a man’s fortune

changes and the tides of fate turn.

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CONTENTS Pg 4 Introduction: What is Opera? Pg 5 The World of L’elisir d’amore Pg 6 Before you start: Meet the characters and brush up your

Italian! Pg 7 Activity 1: The Icebreaker Pg 8 - 11 Story and Characters Pg 12 Activity 2: Freeze Frames Pg 13 - 14 Talking to the Director – Daniel Slater Pg 15 Explore the Musicians Pg 16 Activity 3: Locating the instruments in the pit Pg 17 - 18 Music on the streets – The Banda Pg 19 Activity 4: Listen and Think Pg 2o Exploring the Stage Pg 21 Meet the team that runs the show Pg 22 - 23 Glossary of terms Pg 24 The Opera North Education Team

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INTRODUCTION

Benvenuti a tutti!

Welcome to the world of L’Elisir d’Amore (The Elixir of Love), a beloved comic opera in two acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. This pack has been designed in preparation for Opera North’s Schools Matinee performance on Tuesday 23rd February 2016 at Leeds Grand Theatre, when we open our doors to schools across the North. It is suitable for anyone wanting a basic introduction to the opera. You will find information about the story, music and characters, plus some exciting activities to do at home or in the classroom.

What is Opera? Opera is a fusion of several art forms. Derived from the Latin word ‘opus’ meaning ‘work’, opera brings together music, text (called a libretto), drama, dance and design elements to tell a story to its audience. In normal life, when people meet and discuss the weather, they speak – but in an opera, they sing! While this may seem unrealistic at first, it is the reason why some of the most beautiful tunes in the history of music have been written. Essentially, like any drama, opera is about people and their stories, but told through music and song. Famous opera houses in the world include La Scala in Milan, and the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

L’elisir d’amore – the story (in a nutshell)

In a small village in Italy, a poor young man (Nemorino – Little Nobody) is in love with the

wealthy Adina. A stranger, Captain Belcore (Captain Goodheart), arrives in the village and

pursues Adina, asking her to marry him. Nemorino is fiercely jealous. A second stranger, Doctor

Dulcamara (Dr Sweet-Sour), arrives in the village and sells Nemorino a ‘love potion’ (which is

in fact just cheap wine). Nemorino drinks the whole bottle and, annoying Adina with his

drunkenness, pushes her into the arms of Belcore. Belcore and Adina agree to be married that

evening. While the pre-wedding party is in full swing, it is revealed that Nemorino has just

inherited a fortune (neither Nemorino, nor Adina know about this yet), and he has become the

most popular man in the village. Adina, fearing she will lose him to another woman due to his

sudden popularity, confesses her love and the two are united.

This information pack uses images from the previous Opera North production in 2007.

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THE WORLD OF L’ELISIR D’AMORE

The Composer

Gaetano Donizetti was born into a poor family in the North of Italy in 1897.

He was 19 years old when he wrote his first opera.

When he died in 1848 he was one of the most famous composers in the world, his

operas were performed all over Europe, and in America.

Written in just six weeks, L’elisir d’amore was first performed in 1832.

In addition to 71 operas, Donizetti composed music for choir and orchestra, string quartets, a guitar quintet and numerous works for piano.

Italy

There are 60 million people living in modern day Italy.

In Donizetti’s time this would have been less than 20 million. Italians love football, but they also love opera. In the city of Milan alone, over 300 operas are performed every year.

Italy stretches from the Austrian Alps in the North, deep into the

Mediterranean Sea, which separates its southern tip from Africa.

As well as opera, Italy is famous for football, ice-cream, cinema,

spaghetti, pizza, frothy cappuccinos and Vespa motorcycles.

Other stories about love potions

Tristan and Isolde – a romance written by Gottfried von Strassburg, later an opera by the

German composer Wagner. Adina reads pages from the novel in Act 1 of L’Elisir d’Amore.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Shakespeare’s famous play, later a ballet by Felix

Mendelssohn and an opera by the English composer, Benjamin Britten.

Love Potion No. 9 – a film starring Sandra Bullock and Tate Donovan (1992). The music to this

film was by Ennio Morricone, a modern-day Italian composer who has written the music to many

famous films.

Discover more online

http://www.operanorth.co.uk/l’elisir-d-amore http://www.theoperablog.com/cheat-sheet-the-elixir-of-love/ http://www.glyndebourne.com/education/current-projects/schools/digital-resources/repertoire/donpasquale-the-guide/a-guide -to-donizetti-the-composer/

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BEFORE YOU START: Meet the characters and brush up your Italian!

Pronouncing Italian

Sometimes opera is performed in English even when it is written in another language. Our performance is in Italian. Don’t worry! Opera North asked Riccardo, a trombone player from the North of Italy, to help you learn how to pronounce the names of all the characters and the most famous lines from the opera. By the time you watch

the show you will be a native speaker! On the Opera North website you will find a page with audio clips. If you are viewing this pack online, click on the name of the character below, or the text of the song, and copy the way Riccardo says it.

Visit us online: http://www.operanorth.co.uk/education/online-resources

Meet the Characters When you have learned to say the names of characters tick the names off the list. If you enjoy doing this, and are ready for the challenge, try the texts below, taken from songs in the opera! Adina Belcore Dottor Dulcamara Gianetta

Un Moro Nemorino Un Notaro Due Servitori

Soldati e Sonatori Vilani e Vilanelle

Udite, udite, o rustici Attenti, non fiatate Io già suppongo e imagino Che al par di me sappiate Ch'io sono quel gran medico Dottore enciclopedico Chiamato Dulcamara

Listen to me, Listen to me people! Beware, don’t hesitate I guess you already know me I am the great doctor! The encyclopaedic doctor! The one they call Dulcamara (sweet and sour …)

Una furtiva lagrima negli occhi suoi spuntò: Quelle festose giovani invidiar sembrò

A single secret tear from her eyelid sprung As if she envied all the youths That laughingly passed her by

If you’re a natural, why not try singing some of these lines?

If not … don’t worry, there are screens in the theatre with live translations into English. We call these surtitles.

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ACTIVITY 1 The Icebreaker These activities will get your class thinking about opera and what their current ideas and perceptions might be. On the board or a big piece of paper, write down as may answers as you can to each question below.

What is an opera?

What does an opera have in it?

If you were going to be in an opera, what skills and abilities

would you need to have?

What jobs and roles are there in an opera company?

How many people are involved in putting on an opera?

We will explore the last three points in more detail in this education pack

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STORY AND CHARACTERS

Elixir of Love (L’elisir d’amore) is the ‘male Cinderella’ tale of the good-hearted but rather unimpressive Nemorino, and his love for the confident Adina, who is more interested in the arrogant Belcore. When the impostor Dr. Dulcamara comes to town boasting a miraculous ‘love potion’, Nemorino thinks his prayers have been answered. But is it really the potion that makes him suddenly irresistible to all the girls in the village? Where? Our opera takes place in a small village somewhere in Italy When? In Opera North’s production … we are in the 1950’s

ACT 1 We meet an admirer… We meet a poor young man called Nemorino. He is hopelessly in love with the charismatic and playful Adina. He listens longingly as she reads aloud the tale of Tristan and Isolde, two lovers whose love for each other was initiated by a magic potion.

Then a stranger arrives… The flamboyant Captain Belcore arrives into the village. He immediately begins to flirt with Adina and asks for her hand in marriage. Fearful of losing Adina, Nemorino declares his love for her, but she turns him down.

And then … another stranger, who arrives in style! It’s the colourful and charismatic Doctor Dulcamara, claiming to offer a cure for every sickness. Nemorino thinks this must be fate! Nemorino asks the Doctor if he has Isolde’s love potion. Dulcamara jumps at this chance to make some easy money, and instantly produces the Elixir of Love! Dulcamara tells Nemorino that the elixir will start working after 24 hours, which gives him plenty of time to leave the village before Nemorino discovers the elixir is nothing more than just cheap wine. Looks like Nemorino’s been had …

The potion in action! Nemorino drinks the entire bottle. He has never had alcohol before. He quickly begins to feel strangely confident and believes the potion is working. When he sees Adina, he acts indifferent, pretending he isn’t interested. Annoyed by this, Adina tells Belcore that she will marry him at the end of the week. However, at that moment, the Captain’s officers arrive with orders for him to return to duty the following morning. Belcore therefore suggests they get married that very evening. Nemorino is horrified! By the time the love potion takes its effect (in 24 hours), Adina will already be married! Nemorino pleads with Adina not to marry Belcore, but they continue to make preparations for their wedding.

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ACT 2 Pre-wedding party

Dulcamara invites Adina to sing a duet with him. Belcore orders the local lawyer to arrange the wedding contract but Adina – annoyed by Nemorino’s absence – decides to wait before signing.

Desperate… he begs Dulcamara for another sip…

Nemorino begs Dulcamara for another dose of the love potion, but he is penniless. He can’t afford to buy more of Dulcamara’s Elixir. Belcore sneakily offers Nemorino money to buy the potion, but insists that in return, Nemorino must enlist into the army.

and then … the tables are turned Meanwhile, Giannetta finds out that Nemorino has just inherited a large fortune thanks to the death of his uncle. She passes this news onto the other women in the village. Suddenly, Nemorino has become the most eligible bachelor in the area! Nemorino thinks this sudden popularity with the ladies must all be down to Dulcamara’s magical Elixir of Love. It is so convincing, that even Dulcamara starts to believe in the power of his own potion.

A Happy Ending Adina finally acknowledges her feelings for Nemorino and decides to win him back. Adina repays Belcore the recruitment fee and confesses to Nemorino that she loves him. Belcore leaves empty-handed, but Dulcamara departs in triumph, attributing all this success to the power of his miracle love potion, ‘The Elixir of Love’!

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MEET THE CHARACTERS Adina - sung by a SOPRANO, the highest female voice

Adina is a wealthy land-owner and our protagonist. She is confident and vivacious. She is proud, she is feisty, she is a romantic. She has become rich through her own making, and not through family. She is popular, and has a reputation for being kind and generous to her workers.

Watch and listen: Adina’s most famous song in the opera, an aria called Prendi (‘Take It!). Adina has asked

why Nemorino chose to join the army. When Nemorino explains that he was looking to improve his life, she sings that he is loved, and that she has purchased back his military contract from Belcore. In Prendi, she offers him the cancelled contract, and promises to him that if he stays in the village he will be happy. The aria begins slowly, but becomes livelier and faster when she declares her love for Nemorino. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsvC9PRHnoM#t=79

Nemorino - sung by a TENOR, a high male voice

A poor peasant in love with Adina. Can he win Adina’s love with the ‘elixir of love’ he has bought from Dr Dulcamara? Nemorino is both clumsy and loveable.

Watch and listen: One of the most famous opera singers of all time was Luciano Pavarotti, who became

famous in every country in the world after singing at the opening of the 1990 world cup. Pavarotti loved to sing the role of Nemorino on stage, and sung this particular song, a romance called Una Fertiva Lagrima, in almost every concert until his death. At the end of the clip you can hear how much people loved his singing! Donizetti would have been proud at the response. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyhMEwwM3Ws

Doctor Dulcamara - sung by a BASS, the lowest male voice A ‘doctor’ with miraculous (but fake) cures for every illness. As the story unfolds, Dulcamara really starts to believe in the power of this so-called ‘love potion’.

Watch and listen: Dulcamara makes his grand entry in the aria ‘Udite!’ when he tells the

village people to gather around him and listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmGQQC0m1QU

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Sergeant Belcore - sung by a BARITONE, a low male voice A military officer. Charming and full of pride, he is Nemorino’s romantic rival.

Watch and listen: A well-known opera aria from L’Elisir is Belcore’s Come Paride

Vezzoso. In this song Belcore attempts to win the affection of Adina, singing praises of her beauty. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnd1w2-pG3E

Gianetta - sung by a SOPRANO, the highest female voice.

Gianetta is Adina’s close friend and one of her employees. In Act 2, she finds out a big secret about Nemorino that changes everything!

Watch and Listen: In this scene, Gianetta, a popular worker and endless gossip, tells the

other girls that it is ’very possible …’ that Nemorino is about to become very rich. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ30gKcDFVw

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ACTIVITY 2

Freeze Frames This exercise develops the children’s understanding of the characters and how they interact through the opera, and encourage them to work together as a group. It also helps to break down the story into simple, recognisable sections, making it much easier to understand. Put the pupils in small groups, and give each group a small section of the plot as suggested below. Their job is to create a freeze-frame for each of the scenarios. Once all the groups are ready, tell the story using the freeze-frames as visual aids of what’s happening. Here are some suggested freeze frames, but you can tell the story using as many freeze frames as you like! Act I

Admire from afar: Nemorino listens longingly to Adina as she tells the story of Tristan and Isolde to the crowd.

Kind rejection: Fearful of losing Adina to Captain Belcore, Nemorino declares his love for her, but she kindly turns him down.

Potion in action: After gulping down the whole bottle of the magic elixir, Nemorino is feeling quite out-of-character!

Act II

Pre-wedding celebrations: The whole village is busy with preparations for Adina and Belcore’s wedding.

The big secret: Giannetta has just found out that Nemorino has inherited a fortune from the death of his uncle.

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TALKING TO THE DIRECTOR – DANIEL SLATER

Q. How did you start your directing career?

A. I began directing plays when I was at Cambridge University, so though I did begin with theatre rather than Opera, it wasn’t long after that I began working on opera. A small opera company was looking for a young director to work on a production of Tchaikovsky’s Onegin. At that time I knew nothing about opera, and had a bit of a shock in the rehearsal room when I was trying to get singers to think about their characters and all they wanted was to be told where to stand! After that I signed with an agent who happened to know the planning director at Opera North. I was then asked to assist Phylida Lloyd on her production of La Boheme for Opera North (this was 20 years ago now), and two

years later, in 1998, I was asked back to direct The Bartered Bride. I think Opera North took a big gamble on me at that stage in my career, in fact the planning director did say to me quite recently “Danny, when I looked back over your biography, I did think to myself ‘what have I done?!” Q. How does directing theatre differ from directing opera? A. In theatre the director is in some senses the boss of everything. The director will cast all the actors and generally has the final say on things. Opera is a much more collaborative process, the conductor is a very important figure in the room and has a say on who is cast, as does the casting/planning director. When you direct a play you can time it however you want, whereas in opera you have to work with the timing of the music. In some ways this is restrictive, but in other ways it stimulates more creativity. Music opens up a whole new set of possibilities that you may not have considered otherwise. There are of course challenges presented when working with music. For example, what if there isn’t enough music to get the chorus off (this is in fact the case in L’elisir d’amore)? You can find really interesting ways of getting round this though. Q. Who does the director collaborate with to put an opera production together? A. The director assembles a team to work with: a designer (sometimes two – a set designer and a costume designer), a lighting designer and often a choreographer or movement director. Directors usually have an assistant as well, to take notes, share ideas, and keep things ticking along. The relationship between the director and designer is an interesting one. The director doesn’t generally go away and tell a designer what to create (which is a common misconception). It’s a very collaborative process. For L’elisir d’amore, all I started with was the concept of the balloon, and the idea that Dr Dulcamara would fly down as a sort of saving grace figure. That was just an idea, so everything else was evolved in discussion with the designer. I think that what emerges when you work in a team is very important for any show – at the end of a creative debate you end up with a better product.

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Q. Can you explain how a revival production works? A. When I was approached to revive my original production of L’elisir, I wasn’t sure about it. But when I thought about it more, I realised that it would actually be quite interesting to change some of it, and treat it almost as a new production. For this L’elisir, I worked with a different chorographer and changed all of the chorus choreography. When you work on a revival you can be just as creative as when you are working on a brand new production. As well as working with different cast members and (in some cases) a different creative team, I always try to find ways of making it new. For the revival of The Bartered Bride I rewrote some of the dialogue. In French the word for a revival is Reprise and in German it is Wiederaufnahme. I much prefer these terms, which don’t mean “repeating”, but “picking up again” - as if you'd put the opera score down and have grabbed it to have a fresh look! Q. Tell us more about this particular production of L’elisir d’amore? What inspired you to present the story in the way that you do? A. It is set on the Amalfi coast in Southern Italy. We wanted it to feel chic and contemporary, yet it also had to have relative innocence as there is a character who gets drunk for the first time. This wouldn’t realistically have happened in the 1960s! We felt that the 1950s was the latest we could go. Interestingly, after we did this production, the 1950s became a very popular decade for setting operas. There was clearly something in the air that made this era speak to us. We decided to set it against the backdrop of a hotel as we needed something that would set the status of Adina as a wealthy aristocrat in comparison to the poorer Nemorino. This is a piece about fairytale, a geeky boy who gets to go out with the most attractive girl around. It has a warm, holiday feel because we knew the show would open in winter (it has opened in winter every time it has been revived). We wanted it to be a moment of escapism for the audience, transporting them from the punishing cold of England to the warmth and joviality of Italy. Q. What is your favourite part in the opera? A lot of Italian comedies can feel cold and heartless – it can be hard to warm to the characters. What makes L’elisir such a fantastic comedy, is that we really warm to the character of Nemorino. My favourite part of the opera, and the moment I find the most beautiful, is the end of Act one. This is where Nemorino has got drunk for the first time and the awful moment comes when Adina says she is going to marry someone else. It is almost as if he is jolted out of his drunken state with a flash of genuine desperation and heartbreak. I think this is the emotional heart of the piece.

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EXPLORE THE MUSICIANS

The Elixir of Love is accompanied by an orchestra. The orchestra consists of the following sections: strings (violin, viola, cello, double bass), brass (horn, trumpet, trombone), woodwind (piccolo, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon), and percussion (timpani, bass drum, harp). This opera also features an onstage band, which Italians call a banda. The musicians in the Banda play on stage where the action is, you will see them accompany Dr Dulcamara when he enters the village. In this production, the Banda consists of cornet and sousaphone, as well as bass and snare drums. You will look in more detail at these instruments later on. A sousaphone is a very long brass instrument that wraps around the body of the musicians playing it. Instruments of the Banda

From Left to Right: sousaphone, snare drum, cornet, bass drum Most instrumental musicians in this opera sit in the main orchestra. They will be positioned in a lowered space in front of the stage called an orchestra pit. The conductor stands at the front of the orchestra. The conductor is responsible for making sure that all the performers, singers, orchestra and banda, play at the same speed, with the same character and blend together to make the best sound possible for the audience.

The photo on the right shows the orchestra playing with hundreds of school children from Leeds. On the next page you will see the orchestra alone on stage.

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ACTIVITY 3

Locating instruments in the pit The photo below shows the Orchestra of Opera North on stage at Leeds Town Hall. Can you identify some of these instruments within the orchestra?

Timpani: low pitched drums.

Modern timpani have pedals to

allow musicians to change the pitch

of the drum quickly.

Trumpet: a high

brass instrument

Bassoon: a low

woodwind

instrument

Trombone: a low brass

instrument, it uses a slide to

change notes

Conductor: The conductor

often uses a baton, usually a

white stick, to show the beat

and character of the music

Cello: A low

string instrument,

but not as low as

the double bass

Violin: The highest

string instrument, and

also the instrument

which the most

musicians in an

orchestra play.

Double Bass: The lowest

string instrument in the

orchestra. It is so large,

that musicians often play

it standing up.

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MUSIC ON THE STREETS – ‘THE BANDA’

Introduction We already know that L’elisir d’amore features an on stage band, known as the ‘banda’ (the Italian word for band). In Donizetti’s time many villages in Italy would have their own band to play at weddings, festivals and other special occasions. In opera, a ‘banda’ refers to a musical ensemble which is used in addition to the main orchestra. All kinds of instruments can feature in the banda. Sometimes a composer will just give a banda melody, and leave it up to the conductor to decide which instruments will go on stage and join the drama. The bandas in Donizetti’s time played popular tunes that people on the street would have recognised. However, modern day street bands in Italy now include styles from other parts of the world outside Italy, such as samba and jazz. However, many of these bands still use common instruments such as bass drum, snare drum, cornet and sousaphone – just like the banda in this production. Present day street bands Street bands and village bands still play an important role in village life in Italy today, particularly in the North. However, brass-based bands are now found playing all over the world on streets from Yorkshire to Harlem in New York City. Hypnotic Brass, a famous band from New York City, also uses percussion, cornet and sousaphones. In this clip, they play in the open-air as many bandas in Italy would have done, but they are enjoying the English countryside. They started their career busking in the metro station at Times Square and now tour all over the world. Watch and Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNoOGFykqwg

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Yorkshire’s brass bands are world-famous, and often play at village festivals or even just in town squares on a Sunday afternoon. Many bands like the Black Dyke Band are often broadcast on national radio. Although the Black Dyke Band is famous throughout the world, the musicians in the band are all amateurs, which mean that they play purely for the love of music only, and don’t take money for performing. In this clip, they are playing in the streets, just like the Italian bandas. There is no sousaphone, but three tubas, and at least two euphoniums. They perform well-known and often difficult music. In the clip below they expertly play a piece called Knight Templar. It takes many hours of practice to play this well.

Watch and Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFzNMILo_ck

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ACTIVITY 4

Listen and think The following clip shows an Italian street band in Umbria, in Northern Italy at a Festival in 2015. We think that Dulcamara would like a band like this when he arrives into Nemorino and Adina’s village to sell his potions. Listen to the following clips and ask the pupils to think of as many answers as they can to the following questions. Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lidld2Xb_RU

Can you identify some of the musical styles the band plays in this clip? If you had your own Banda, what music would you play, and what songs would you perform?

The musicians walk through several different locations, standing up, walking, marching in formation, bouncing in time to the music, dancing, and even playing down on their knees.

Can you list all of these locations, where would Dulcamara want his band to perform? If you performed in a street band, what locations would you take your band to?

This band uses some unusual percussion instruments, but it also uses many of the same instruments we see in other street bands, including Hypnotic Brass and the Black Dyke Band.

Which instruments would you put in your band?

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EXPLORING THE STAGE

A large team of people with different skills work together to create the world in which the opera is set. These include musicians, soloists, a conductor, director, designer, costume supervisor, producer, stage crew and administrators who set up and organise the production.

ACTIVITY 5 Brainstorm exercise

Who else works in an opera besides the people you see on stage?

Can you guess how many people there are in each team for an opera performance?

Did you know that Opera North has night shift staff on tour who are

responsible for changing the sets after every performance overnight? A team of trucks carries the sets of Opera North’s productions to performances in Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and as far away as Belfast and Edinburgh.

Watch These are time-lapse videos of two venues being set up before each performance. How impressive is that! The first shows Opera North building a set at the Howard Assembly Room. The second is taken at Nottingham Theatre Royal. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEXl77hX5Qs (Light Night 2014, Howard Assembly Room, Opera North) Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE4R3A4R1Vk&spfreload=10

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MEET THE TEAM THAT RUNS THE SHOW

Opera North productions need a large team back stage to design the show, support the performers on stage and make sure everything runs according to the Director’s wishes. Behind today’s production, the following teams are working backstage:

Chick McFarlane, Chief Stage Technician (Head of Stage Department, and Master Carpenter) Q. What do you do? A. I look after all the scenery, sets, the movements – transporting the sets between scenes in the opera – and make sure we have the right amount of people and right scenery at the right time. When we tour this season, there will be around 50 wagons which need to be changed over every night as we have different operas playing every day. This is what makes us different from any other entertainment business. Basically, I do everything everybody else doesn’t do!

Design Team

Set Designer – Costume Designer –

Lighting Designer (in other shows the

may be joined by a Video Designer and

Sound Designer

Audio Visual Team

6 x Lighting Technicians

2 x sound and Audio Visual 2

Technicians (including sound desk

operator) - Surtitle Operator

Stage Team

4 x stage managers

Up to 20 stage technicians (stage

technicians move scenery, build the sets

you see from the audience)

Wardrobe and Props Team

4 x Wardrobe Supervisors

Up to 12 x dressers (they help get the

cast into costume)

3 x wig supervisors

3 x wig assistants

Up to 6 props assistants

Venue Staff

This team takes care of you when you

visit the theatre. They include the front of

house staff, ushers, box office, fire and

safety officers and a duty manager.

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Act – the main division of an opera i.e. Act I, Act II etc. Aria – a long accompanied song for solo voice Banda – a musical ensemble (normally wind instruments) which is used in addition to the main orchestra. Italian for ‘band’. Comic opera (or opera buffa) – a genre of opera characterized by everyday settings, local dialects, and simple vocal writing Chorus – a group of singers who sing together in the opera Composer – a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition. Literally “one who puts together” Conductor – the person who directs the performance of the orchestra and the musical performance of the singers Director – the person in charge of the creative direction of a production Duet – a performance by two singers or instrumentalists Libretto – the text of the opera, like the script in a film or a play. Literally “little book” Model box – 1:25 scale model of the theatre stage with a 1:25 scale model of the set within it, which a designer will use to illustrate a 3D version of his/her design Orchestra – the group of instruments (strings, woodwind, brass, percussion) that play the musical accompaniment in an opera Orchestra pit – an area in a theatre (usually located in a lowered area in front of the stage) in which musicians perform Overture – an orchestra piece at the beginning of an opera. Sets the scene. Repetiteur – a pianist who coaches singers and accompanies rehearsals with a score of the opera reduced for piano Score – a book of musical notation showing all of the music of the opera, including the instrumental parts, chorus and vocal soloists

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Sitzprobe – a German term used in opera and musical theatre to describe a seated rehearsal where the singers sing with the orchestra, focusing attention on integrating the two groups Soloists – principal singers taking on the main roles in the opera that perform by themselves, or as part of small ensembles (groups) Voice Types – the common categories into which soloists’ voices fall dependant on their vocal pitch range (how high or low they can sing)

Female voice types, from highest to lowest: Soprano – Mezzo-soprano – Alto

Male voice types from highest to lowest: Counter-tenor - Tenor – Baritone – Bass

Some operas use children’s voices as soloists or as a chorus. These are high pitched like sopranos, and are often called “trebles”.

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OPERA NORTH EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Education Director Jacqui Cameron Education Manager Joanna Bedford Community Residencies Manager Charlotte Taylor Schools and Events Activity Manager Tim Pottier Youth Ensembles Manager Marie Lemaire Education Activity Co-ordinators Lisa Clayton Hayley McColl Lucy Thomson-Smith Michaela Lesayova Samantha Wright Pettman DARE Scholars Marcus Norman and Davide Levi Education Administrator Janet Crowther Artistic Head, Education Vocal Programme Matt Beckingham Teaching Artist Team Leader (In Harmony) Gavin Usher Early Years Programme Leader Kathryn Sturman Education Vocal Delivery Team Sarah Ogden Stuart Overington Elspeth Slorach Education Accompanists Chris Pulleyn Jenny Martins Education Teaching Artists Alison Wise Ben Cashell Jo Brown Joy Becker Vanessa Hutchinson

Facts about...

Last year 103,694 people watched an Opera North show

Opera North Education works with people of all ages right across the North of England including 15,000

young people each year.

As well as theatres and opera houses, performances take place in historic buildings, community centres,

cafes and even family living rooms!

Compared to other opera companies, Opera North is quite new. Founded in 1977 it has been performing

for 38 years.

Supported by:

The Charles and Elsie Sykes Trust

Whitaker Charitable Trust

The Opera North Future Fund