STUDY GUIDE For Students Only Dress Rehearsal

November 6, 2014 7:00 PM

Jubilee Auditorium www.calgaryopera.com

Many thanks to Opera Philadelphia for the use of their Study Guide and to the Military Museums for the use of their in-depth World War I

information

Attending the Opera

There’s nothing more exciting than attending an opera! You’ll be a guest at the final dress

rehearsal of Kevin Puts’ and Mark Campbell’s Silent Night. Here’s what you’ll need to know

about attending the opera:

You may notice a long table with lights and people sitting behind it in the center of the main

floor of the auditorium. Seated in this area is the production team: Director, Lighting Designer,

Fight Director, and technical/artistic crew, among others. They’ll be taking notes and

communicating with the many people backstage who help make all of the operatic magic

happen. They’ll be able to talk to the crew so changes can be made. Should things go wrong,

the rehearsal might be stopped or a part repeated to make sure that it is perfect.

SHOW SOME R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Unlike actors on television or in the movies, performers onstage are very aware of the

audience. They want to share their love of performing with you. Everything you do in the

audience affects what happens on stage. You can show them how much you appreciate their

work and the opportunity to come to the rehearsal by being as quiet as possible.

Show your respect for the cast, musicians, the production team, and everyone in the theatre by

not talking. Give the artists and the production your full attention!

ACTIVE LEARNING

The picture on this page shows several patrons

and famous opera characters on their way to

attend an opera at the theatre. Now picture

yourself in their shoes. On a separate piece of

paper, write a story as if you are one of these

people. Think about your trip to the

performance. What will the opera be like? You

may want to mention going to the Jubilee

Auditorium or attending the opera. What will you wear? How will you and your classmates act?

At what time will you meet your classmates? How many classmates will attend? Will you have a

special dinner before the opera? If so, where? Will the opera be exciting and entertaining?

Share your thoughts here and compare your stories with your classmates.

Here’s a list of DOs and DON’Ts so that everyone in the

theatre can enjoy the opera:

Please Do...

› Use the bathrooms before the rehearsal begins or at intermission.

› Enter and exit the theatre in an orderly fashion.

› Think about what makes a good audience member.

› Turn off your cell phones and all electronic devices.

› Applaud when the conductor enters and bows, then again after the overture.

› Applaud after the arias as well as after the performance; you can shout “Bravo!” for a man, “Brava!”

for a woman, and “Bravi!” for more than one person, or the whole performance.

› Enjoy the rehearsal. You’ve worked too hard preparing for the rehearsal not to!

Don’t Forget...

› When you are seated, you may be able to see the orchestra tuning their instruments in the orchestra

pit.

› Keep movement and voices down to a minimum as this is a live dress rehearsal performance.

› Keep food, drinks and gum outside of the auditorium – the Jubilee Auditorium has great acoustics so

every sound can be heard in the theatre. Bottled water is allowed.

When the house lights dim, it’s time to:

› Turn off all cell phones, iPods, and other electronic devices. The use of cameras or recording devices is

strictly forbidden.

› Keep movement and voices down to a minimum as this is a live dress rehearsal performance.

› After the curtain goes down and the lights go up, the intermission (20 minutes) begins. Now is the time

to talk, eat (in the lobby) and use the washroom.

› Be silent if the performance has to stop for a few moments (this is a performance, but also a working

rehearsal so it may be necessary to stop at times).

› If you must use the washroom during the performance, please be accompanied by an adult supervisor.

The ushers will let you in again but you will have to wait until there is an appropriate break in the opera.

Many times this is not until intermission.

About Opera

The History of Opera

Theatrical performances that use music, song and dance to tell a story can be found in many cultures.

Opera is just one example of music drama.

Have you ever wondered where opera got its start? Back in the late 1500s during the height of the

Renaissance, a group of men called the Florentine Camerata got together to create a new and moving

theatrical experience. They wanted to recreate what the ancient Greeks did during their legendary

dramas. The result was something entirely new – opera!

Most of the early operas were based on Greek myths. The first opera that we know of was called Dafne

by Jacopo Peri in 1598, but the most famous opera of this early period that is still performed today is

Claudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo (1607). Certain basic ingredients were included in opera: songs,

instrumental accompaniments, costumes, dance, and scenery. We still use all of these ingredients

today! The early operas were first performed in the grand courts of Italian nobility, but soon opera

became popular with the public, too. As it became all the rage, productions became more lavish.

Soon, theatres began to be built just to mount operas. These theatres had elaborate stage machinery to

create special effects like flying actors or crumbling buildings. Not everyone embraced the new form of

theatre. Some critics thought that all of the stage antics in opera detracted from the music and drama.

Some people even believed that seeing too much comedy in opera could make you immoral.

During the Baroque period (about 1600 to 1750), Italian opera

spread all over Europe. The Italian style of opera was so popular

that even non-Italians wrote in this style. For example George

Frederic Handel (1685–1759) was a German-born composer who

lived and worked in England. His operas, like Julius Caesar (1724),

were written in the Italian language and used an Italian style of

music. The only nation to create its own national operatic style was

France. Ballet played a large role in the French culture, and operas

often included ballets in the middle of the opera. The most famous

French Baroque opera composers were Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-

1687) and Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764).

The 18th century was full of change for both Europe and opera. This time period was known as the Age

of Enlightenment. People were starting to talk about new forms of government and organization in

society, especially the ever-growing middle class. Music displayed this new thinking as composers

dropped the Baroque era’s complicated musical style for simpler, more emotional music. In less-flashy

music, characters could express their thoughts and feelings more believably. One of the first operas to

use this new style was Christoph Willibald Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice (1762).

George Frederic Handel (1685-1759)

In 1789 the French Revolution changed the world. The first modern democracies were born, and to

match the times in which they were created, audiences wanted to see characters like themselves on

stage, not gods and goddesses. They also wanted to see issues that were important to them. Wolfgang

Amadeus Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (1786) featured a timely story of aristocratic class struggles

that had both servants and nobility in lead roles. The ideals of the Enlightenment also came to the stage

in Ludwig van Beethoven‘s only opera, Fidelio, a story about equality and freedom.

In the 1800s opera continued to grow. The Italian tradition continued in the bel canto movement, which

literally translates to “beautiful singing.” These operas asked performers

to sing complicated groups of fast notes in the melodies. The most famous

bel canto composers were Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868), Gaetano

Donizetti (1797–1848), and Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835). Their operas,

like Rossini’s popular comedies The Barber of Seville (1816) and Cinderella

(1817), are still some of the most popular operas performed today. By the

middle of the century, the Romantic Movement led many composers to

champion their own national identities. As a result, operas in languages

other than Italian became more common; new works often reflected pride

in a country’s people, history, and folklore. German operas like Carl Maria

von Weber’s Der Freischütz (1821), Russian operas like Mikhail Glinka’s A

Life for the Tsar (1836) and French operas like Giacomo Meyerbeer’s Les

Huguenots (1836) started to be performed across Europe. By using nationalism in his operas like

Nabucco (1842), Italian Giuseppe Verdi became a national hero.

In Germany Richard Wagner took Romanticism to the extreme in a four-part operatic miniseries based

on Norse mythology, The Ring of the Nibelung

(1876), which takes over 15 hours to perform! The

operatic stereotype of the singer in the Viking

helmet comes from these operas.

Opera in 20th century became even more

experimental. Composers like Giacomo Puccini (La

Bohème, 1896), Claude Debussy (Pelléas et

Mélisande, 1902), Richard Strauss (Salome, 1905),

and Benjamin Britten (Peter Grimes, 1945) evolved

their national styles. Others, horrified by the

destruction of World War I (1914-1919) and other aspects of modern life, created music that was new

and drastically dissonant. These operas often explored either dark psychological topics (Wozzeck by

Alban Berg, 1925), or simple and absurd (The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky, 1951). American opera

had a huge hit with George and Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (1935) which included jazz and blues

musical styles. Not only did American composers embrace popular music in opera but also a repetitive,

hypnotic style called minimalism. American composer Philip Glass’s Einstein on the Beach (1976) is the

popular example of minimalism in opera.

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

Johanna Heinze, Mezzo-Soprano, 1907

Today, opera is still growing and changing every day! Calgary Opera has commissioned many new works,

including Moby-Dick (a co-commission with Dallas Opera, San Diego Opera, San Francisco Opera, and

the State Opera of South Australia) by Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer, The Inventor by Bramwell Tovey

and John Murrell, Hannaraptor by Allan Gilliland and Val Brandt, Frobisher by John Estacio and John

Murrell, and Filumena by John Estacio and John Murrell. The presentation and creation of new

repertoire is vital to the future of opera, and it is important to look for the next Verdi or Puccini of our

time.

Although opera is one of the oldest musical art forms, it still remains and expands today. From the old

favorites to the new experimental works, opera continues to be a moving art form of the people.

ACTIVE LEARNING

1. Write a Review or Critique of the Performance One of the best ways to encourage critical thinking of a performing arts production is to encourage students’ honesty and draw out detailed opinions. A productive evaluation session - spoken, written, visual or dramatized - should follow this basic ‘how-to’ outline below. On the internet, students can find many reviews of Silent Night from other opera companies’ performances to use as a guideline or example. Guidelines for writing a review When writing an opera review you can focus on many different elements, but keep in mind the acting, singing, technical aspects, orchestration, and the overall view of the performance. Performance of the Singers The acting and singing are probably the most important aspects of the opera. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the opera and its characters before you go see it. Make sure you know all of the characters’ names and the actors who are playing them; the study guide or the Calgary Opera website is an ideal place in which to find all this information. Did they bring the music to life? Could you see and hear the emotion while they sang? Did they interact well with others on stage? Did any particular performer stand out to you and why? How did the singer communicate his/her character? Did you feel that the singer’s character was believable? Sympathetic? How well are they giving and taking focus?

Technical Aspects It has been said that if the technical aspect of the performance becomes noticeable, then it is not effective. Keep in mind that the sets, lights, sound, make-up and costumes are there to enhance the performance. Were the costumes appropriate to the time period? Did they enhance the characters? Did the lighting design communicate time of day and/or mood? Did it cast unflattering or distracting shadows? Was the set complex or simple? How did this help or hinder the production? What do you notice about the make-up worn by the singers on stage that differs from what people might wear out in public? Did it age a singer? Make them appear more youthful? Was it done well? Musical Aspects Reviewing the musical performance is a tricky thing, and most reviewers continue to develop their ear for the music and knowledge of the art form their entire lives. Did you enjoy the music? Did you feel that the singers performed it smooth and effortlessly? What was your favourite musical moment? What part did you feel had the power to move you emotionally? So in conclusion, remember the singing, acting, the technical and the overall view, and you’ll have written a successful theatre review. Try to keep in mind that to be a theatre critic you often have to be critical, so if you feel that something was badly done include that in your review. Constructive criticism can be helpful. Keep these things in mind when writing your review and it will be great. Have fun!

The Language of Opera

Act - Main sections of a play or opera.

Aria - A solo song sung in an opera.

Audience - People who watch a

performance and sit in the “house” or

auditorium.

Ballet - Dance set to music within an opera.

Blocking - Action on stage.

Character - Person who is part of the

opera’s story.

Chorus - Music composed for a group of

singers or the name of a group of singers in

an opera.

Conductor - Person who rehearses and

leads the orchestra.

Duet - A song performed by two singers.

Libretto- the words of the opera.

Opera- a musical work in one or more acts,

made for singers and instrumentalists.

Opera Buffa- Funny, light opera.

Opera Seria- Serious, dramatic opera.

Orchestra - A group of musicians who play

together on various musical instruments.

Overture - A piece of instrumental music

played at the beginning of an opera.

Program - Booklet that contains information

about the opera, composer, performers,

and the opera company.

Recitative - Words that are sung in the

rhythm of natural speech.

Rehearsal - Time when singers/actors

practice with or without the orchestra; time

when musicians practice together with the

conductor.

Scene - Segments of action within the acts

of an opera.

Types of Singers

Soprano - Highest pitched female voice.

Mezzo-soprano - Female voice between

soprano and contralto.

Contralto – Lowest pitched female voice

Tenor - Highest pitched male voice.

Baritone - Male voice between tenor and

bass.

Bass - Lowest pitched male voice.

Connect the terms 1. Opera Seria

2. Baritone

3. Opera

4. Ballet

5. Orchestra

6. Libretto

7. Duet

8. Aria

9. Soprano

10. Chorus

11. Act

12. Contralto

13. Tenor

14. Opera Buffa

15. Recitative

16. Bass

17. Overture

A. Dance spectacle set to music.

B. Highest pitched woman’s voice.

C. Dramatic text adapted for opera.

D. Low female voice.

E. Comic opera.

F. A dramatic or comedic musical work in which singing is the essential factor; very little is spoken.

G. Opera with dramatic and intense plots.

H. Music composed for a singing group.

I. A song written for two performers to sing together.

J. A group of musicians who play together on various musical instruments.

K. Highest pitched man’s voice.

L. A musical style in which the words are spoken in the rhythm of natural speech.

M. Male voice between bass and tenor.

N. A piece of music originally designed to be played before an opera or musical play.

O. Deepest male voice.

P. Elaborate solo in an opera or oratorio.

Q. Main division of a play or opera.

Background Information & Learning

Activities

What in the World?

Canada before the War- 1911

Population: 7,206,643 (Present Population: 35,540,400)

Calgary’s Population: 43,704 (Present population 1,195,194)

52.15% of the population were under 25 years old, 4.3% were 65 years and over. For every 1

woman in the population, there were 1.13 men.

In all of Canada, there were only 521,144 telephones: that’s one for every 15.5 Canadians! And

you’d better forget having a laptop, Xbox or PC... basic calculation machines were only barely

around, and the first general-purpose, programmable transistor computer wasn’t around until

1956 (and good luck playing Minecraft on that!).

Pre-war Canadians depended on horses, as cars were unreliable and uncommon: 2.6 million

heavy horses were used for farming, transportation, and industry at large (that’s one horse for

every 2.8 people).

The following diseases were common and without vaccines: smallpox, measles, chicken pox,

mumps, rubella, tuberculosis, whooping cough, polio, diphtheria. Life expectancy at birth in

1911 was 53 for women, and only 50 for men. Today, it’s 83 and 79 for each.

Canada during the War

In 1914, Alberta had only six Militia units comprising about 4,000 personnel with mostly rudimentary

training. The only military base in Alberta was at Camp Sarcee on the outskirts of Calgary which had

been used as a summer training site for the militia prior to the war.

In 1914, Alberta’s population was 470,000 (6% of

Canada’s population). By war’s end 49,000 or 11% of

Alberta’s population, or 35% of all men between ages 18

and 45, had enlisted into the Canadian Expeditionary

Force (CEF). Only Manitoba and Ontario, with much

larger populations, had more men sign up.

6,000 Albertans, or 1 in 8 Albertans who enlisted, died in

service (10% of total Canadian deaths).

Over 20,000 were wounded.

In a sad chapter of Canadian history, in a patriotic fervor,

Canadians demanded that Germans, Austro-Hungarians

(including Ukranians) and other ‘enemy aliens’ be

interned. As such, a series of detention camps were

organized across Canada; four were located in Alberta at

Lethbridge, Banff-Castle Mountain, Jasper and Munson-

Eaton near Drumheller.

Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/New_Names_Canadian_WW1_recruiting_poster.jpg

Historic and Cultural Events in 1914

Listed below are some historic and cultural events that took place during 1914. Underlined events are

items that relate to World War I. What might it have been like to be alive at this time?

January 5 Henry Ford astounded the world as he announced that he would limit the work day to

eight hours for his auto factory workers, pay a minimum wage of $5 a day and share

with employees $10 million in the previous year’s profits.

January 11 In Japan Mount Sakurajima erupted and left 58 people dead.

February 19 May Pierstorff was mailed by her parents to her grandmother’s house at a parcel post

rate from Grangeville, Idaho, to Lewiston, Idaho, for 53 cents. She weighed less than the

50 pound parcel post limit.

March 4 Doctor Fillatre of Paris, France successfully separated Siamese twins.

April 9 The first full colour film: World, Flesh & Devil was shown in London.

April 22 Babe Ruth's first professional game as a pitcher was a 6-hit, 6-0 win.

May 14 First major discovery of oil in western Canada at Turner Valley.

May 23 The Komagata Maru, a Japanese steamship which sailed from Japan to British

Columbia carrying 376 passengers, was turned back from Canada under authority

of exclusion laws prohibiting Asian immigrants. Most of the passengers returned

to India.

May 29 Ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland sinks in Gulf of St. Lawrence; 1,024 lives lost.

June 28 Austrian Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to Austria-Hungary, and his wife, Sofia, were

assassinated in Sarajevo, Bosnia, by a Serb nationalist.

June 29 Chionya Gusyeva attempted and failed to assassinate Grigori Rasputin at his home town

in Siberia.

July 28 Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, beginning World War I.

July 29 Transcontinental telephone service began with the first phone conversation between

New York and San Francisco.

August 4 United Kingdom declares war on Germany, meaning Canada, as a member of the British

Empire, is in a state of war.

August 22 In France, some 27,000 soldiers died in the Battles of Mons, the bloodiest battle of

French history.

October 3 33,000 Canadian troops depart for Europe, the largest force to ever cross the Atlantic

Ocean at the time.

October 4 The first German Zeppelin (blimp) raided London.

October 28 George Eastman announced the invention of the colour photographic process.

November 13 The brassiere (bra), invented by Caresse Crosby, was patented by Mary Phelps Jacob.

December 24 577,875 Allied soldiers spent Christmas as prisoners in Germany. World War I was only

months old on Christmas Eve 1914 when an extraordinary unofficial truce occurred in

many places along the Western Front. "We were all moved and felt quite melancholy,"

wrote one German soldier, "each of us taken up with his own thoughts of home."

German and English troops, often less than one hundred yards from each other, set

aside warfare to trade Christmas greetings and sing familiar carols in two languages. The

truce, probably observed by two-thirds of the British and German troops, ended with

the holiday, but reasserted the basic decency of ordinary men like these British and

German soldiers caught up in war.

Major Canadian Battles

1915- Ypres

In Ypres, the Germans held Kitchener’s Wood, which

overlooked Canadian positions. Calgary’s 10th Battalion

and other Canadian troops attacked and managed to

push the Germans back, but at a terrible cost. From an

original strength of around 800, the 10th Battalion was

reduced to five officers and 188 enlisted men.

At 4 AM, April 24, the Germans unleashed a gas attack

on the Canadians. The Germans advanced from their

trenches behind the gas cloud, not expecting any

resistance, but were met by gunfire from the Canadian

trenches. Urine-soaked handkerchiefs, tied over their

mouths and noses, allowed the Canadians to survive the

initial effects of the gas. However, despite their effort, the German infantry and artillery proved too

much for the out-numbered Canadians and the Germans pushed through. The Canadians carried out a

fighting withdrawal until British and French reinforcements arrived and relieved the Canadians on April

25.

Battles continued around Ypres until May 25, resulting in 70,000 British and French casualties and a

reported 35,000 German casualties for just a 4 km movement in the front line. The Canadian losses were

staggering, with about 6,000 casualties. Poison gas was used extensively for the rest of the war, but the

Canadian stand at Ypres ensured it would never be as effective as in its first use. The previously

inexperienced Canadians earned a reputation for gallantry and determination that would be proven

again and again throughout the remainder of the war.

1916- Somme

Canadian forces were moved to the Somme to prepare for a

new offensive, planned for September 15. Employing new

methods of artillery support, as well as using tanks for the first

time in battle, the Canadians were prepared to face the dug-in

German front line.

The Canadian line was south of the village of Courcelette. With

the help of the tanks and the creeping barrage, initial attacks

took the German trenches to the south and west of the village.

A Canadian looking through a shell hole in the Cloth Hall at

the Cathedral, Ypres. November, 1917.

Canadians returning victorious from battle of

Courcelette. September, 1916.

Fresh battalions, including Edmonton’s 49th, used those trenches as a starting point and moved into the

village. After four days of fierce hand-to-hand combat

against pockets of German troops, the Canadians controlled

Courcelette. A week later, Calgary’s 10th and 31st battalions

helped take the forward German trench northwest of

Courcelette.

Fighting continued around the Somme and Courcelette into

November. Though the hoped for break-through did not

occur, the front line was pushed back nine kilometres. The

new techniques for infantry and artillery offensives proved

successful, and would see their greatest success in the

following year. Canadian and British losses were high during

the Somme campaign, but German losses were even higher

and almost broke the German army as a viable fighting

force.

1917- Vimy Ridge/ Passchendaele

Twenty days of artillery bombardment on the German

positions preceded the start of the attack on Vimy Ridge

on April 9. Calgary’s 10th Battalion was among the 21

Canadian battalions in the first wave while the 31st and

50th battalions were in subsequent attacks. By day’s end,

most of Vimy Ridge was held by the Canadians. The

exceptions were the two heavily fortified hills on the

north end of the ridge. By April 12th, they had taken over

the rest. The cost was high, with 3,598 killed, but the

Canadians had taken Vimy Ridge in one of their most

dramatic successes of the war.

Following Vimy Ridge, the Canadians joined the fighting

around Passchendaele in October. The devastated

landscape consisted of water-filled shell craters, mud and

barbed wire.

The four phase attack started on October 26. Despite the challenges, Canadian forces, including

Calgary’s 50th Battalion, achieved their objective, overrunning the first line of German defense and

establishing a position on the ridge. Edmonton’s 49th Battalion was involved in the second phase on

October 30, losing 75% of their men in the process. On November 6, Calgary’s 31st Battalion helped

Canadian Pioneers carrying trench mats with the wounded as well as prisoners in background during the Battle of Passchendaele, November 1917. Passchendaele was infamous for its muddy conditions and water filled shell holes that could swallow a horse. In many places at Passchendaele it was impossible to move through the mud without the help of trench mats, also known as “duck boards.”

Canadians fix bayonets onto their rifles prior to going “over

the top” from their trench in a training exercise during the

Somme offensive, October, 1916.

take the village of Passchendaele and the top of the ridge and hold it against counterattacks. Finally, on

November 10, four battalions, including Calgary’s 10th, captured the rest of the ridge.

Canadian forces suffered over 16,000 casualties at Passchendaele but solidified their reputation as one

of the premier fighting forces on the Western Front.

1918- The Final Days The Canadians had pushed Germany to the breaking point, but at great cost. From August 8 to October

11, the 100,000-man strong Canadian Corps suffered over 42,600 casualties and the fighting wasn’t

over. Germany was beaten, but continued a fighting withdrawal. The retreating Germans made tactical

stands at places like Valenciennes, which the Canadians took on October 31 in spite of being

outnumbered. One of the more dramatic engagements during this time was at Iwuy, which was the

scene of the last Canadian cavalry charge, and included men from the 19th Alberta Dragoons.

Late on November 10, Canadian forces advanced into

Mons, taking the town by early morning November

11 though still engaged with Germans east of town.

Among others, this involved men of the 113th

Battalion from Lethbridge who captured a German

artillery piece (known thereafter as the “Mons gun”).

At 11 am, the armistice came into effect. After four

years of brutal conflict, the fighting was over.

Canadians marching through the streets of Mons filled with

jubilant civilians on the morning of 11th November, 1918.

Many thanks to The Military

Museums for contributing the

information and photos provided in

this section.

Imagine…

Imagine you are 18 years old, a fresh faced high school graduate, excited to enjoy your new-found

freedom. You are about to head to college, to start a career and follow your dreams, but instead you’ve

been drafted against your will into the military. Before you can protest, you find yourself in a foreign

country fighting a war that you were told would last just a few weeks - only, by now you’ve been there

for four long months. It’s horribly cold and wet in the trenches where you spend all of your time, waiting

and watching for the enemy. You are covered in mud from the filth and slime that surrounds you. Your

feet are freezing, your socks are never dry, and your entire body shivers from head to toe. To add to

your misery, today is Christmas Eve and the only place you want to be is home.

In 1914, British and German soldiers along the front lines, the so-called “Western Front,” in France

found a moment of peace in the middle of the World War I during a cold December night. The news of

this cease fire shocked and stunned the world. Enemy soldiers laid down their weapons and joined

together to celebrate Christmas in the middle of the war. The idea was outrageous and unbelievable to

the people of the enemy nations, but it was a true historical event. This moment in history is the

inspiration for the story of our opera, Silent Night. Soon a strain of a Christmas carol could be heard

coming from the German trenches. The British soldiers heard the German soldiers wishing each other

well and singing carols for each other.

They declared an unofficial truce which continued through Christmas Day, and until New Year’s Day in

some spots along the front line. Enemies joined each other in No Man’s Land and shook hands, shared

cigarettes, struck up a game of soccer, and enjoyed each other’s company like seeing an old friend. They

shared pictures and stories and found more in common than not. There was a practical side to the truce,

as well. It gave the companies time to bury their dead, some of whom had been rotting away in the

trenches for months. Enemies came together, sorted through the bodies and, in some cases, had joint

ceremonies to pay tribute to these fallen heroes.

The events of the truce were not reported for a week, in an unofficial press embargo which was

eventually broken by the New York Times on December 31. The British papers quickly followed, printing

numerous first-hand accounts from soldiers in the field, taken from letters home to their families, and

editorials on "one of the greatest surprises of a surprising war." By January 8, pictures had made their

way to the press, newspapers printed front-page photographs of British and German troops mingling

and singing between the lines. The tone of the reporting was strongly positive, endorsing the lack of

malice felt by both sides and regretting that the absurdity and the tragedy would begin again.

This unique moment of peace would not be repeated again during the intervening years of World War I,

which lasted until 1918.

ACTIVE LEARNING

2. Write a one page story about what it would have been like to be a soldier on the front lines

in France during December 1914.

To learn more about The Christmas Truce, visit www.firstworldwar.com.

There are also several documentaries about The Christmas Truce, check out YouTube and Netflix and

search Christmas Truce of 1914.

Trench Warfare Strategy to win World War I: dig a large hole, sleep, eat and stand in it for a few weeks, shoot at the enemy until they retreat, then move closer to the enemy and dig another hole, sleep, eat, stand in it, shoot at the enemy, and continue this method until they retreat into the ocean. Then you have won the battle!

Building the Trenches

A trench system may begin simply as a collection of holes hastily dug by troops. These holes may be deepened to about six feet or more so that a soldier can safely stand up in one of them. Individual holes may be connected by shallow trenches. From this beginning a system of more permanent trenches may be constructed.

In making a trench, soil from the digging is used to create raised parapets (a protective wall or earth defense along the top of a trench) running both in front of and behind the trench. To allow a soldier to see out of the trench without exposing his head, a loophole could be built into the parapet. A loophole might simply be a gap in the sandbags, or it might be surrounded by a steel plate.

Within the trench are firing positions along a raised step called a fire step, and boards are placed on the often muddy bottom of the trench to make it easier to walk on. In the trenches, troops are protected from the enemy's fire. The typical trench system consisted of a series of two, three, four, or more trench lines running parallel to each other and being at least one mile in length. Each of the main lines of trenches was connected to each other and to the rear by a series of communication trenches that were dug roughly perpendicular to them.

Food, ammunition, fresh troops, mail, and orders were delivered through these trenches. The intricate network of trenches contained first-aid stations, kitchens, and a bathroom area. Most importantly, it had dugouts deep enough to shelter large numbers of defending troops during an enemy attack.

No Man’s Land

The area between opposing trench lines was known as "no man's land." It was a very dangerous area as any soldier in that strip of land between the fighting troops was fully exposed to fire from both sides. Therefore, attacks, even if successful, often caused many deaths.

The French relied on the attack with speed and surprise. The Germans relied on firepower, investing heavily in machine guns. The British lacked a specific strategy, therefore used a more spontaneous “off the cuff” approach to attacks and defenses.

Source: http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/citizensoldier/conflicts/WWI/images/174Lydecker7740.jpg

Life in the Trenches

Life for the soldiers in the trenches was miserable. They could be surrounded by water and all sorts of creepy and crawly things called the watery area home, like swimming frogs and large rats. Red slugs crawled up the side of the trenches and strange beetles with dangerous looking horns wriggled along dry ledges and invaded the dugouts. Because it was common to have standing water in the trenches from hitting the water table while digging them, men would frequently get something known as trench foot, where, according to one soldier, “your feet would swell to two to three times their normal size and go completely dead. You [could] stick a bayonet (tip of a gun) into them and not feel a thing. If the swelling starts to go down, it is then that the most indescribable agony begins. I have heard men cry and scream with pain and many have had to have their feet and legs amputated.”

As in many other wars, World War I's greatest killer was disease. Conditions in the trenches were quite poor, and common infections included dysentery (or diarrhea), typhus, and cholera. Many soldiers suffered from parasites and related infections. Poor hygiene also led to fungal conditions, such as trench mouth and trench foot. Another common killer was exposure, since the temperature within a trench in the winter could easily fall below freezing. Relatively little use was made of trenches in the mobile warfare of World War II in Europe. Classic trench warfare reappeared in the Iran-Iraq War (1980–1988), a basically static war in which such mobile weapons as tanks and aircraft were in short supply. In the subsequent Persian Gulf War (1990–91), Iraq built an elaborate system of defensive trenches, ditches, and berms, but it was overwhelmed by airpower, innovative tactics, and the demoralization of its frontline troops. When you were younger, did you ever build a fort with pillows and blankets and spend hours with your friends playing games in your little hideaway? It’s scary to think that something so innocent is very similar to a war strategy called trench warfare.

ACTIVE LEARNING

3. Find an image of trench warfare online. Bring it in to class to discuss what conditions

in the trenches were like.

4. Draw a map of what a trench war zone would have looked like. You may want to do

research online.

Source: http://dianaoverbey.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/over-the-top1.jpg

Turning a Movie into Silent Night

“It is the first opera by the gifted American composer. One could only marvel at Puts’ multi-layered

orchestral score, which turned on a dime from battle scenes- a cacophony of dissonances, edgy

intervals and machine gun sounds - to moments of serene, lyrical beauty.”

Janelle Gelfand, cincinnatti.com, 11/7/14

The Opera Company of Philadelphia co-produced the opera, which was commissioned by Minnesota

Opera. Commissioning means that a person or organization hires someone to create a piece of art. In

this case, Minnesota Opera hired composer Kevin Puts and librettist Mark Campbell to write the music

and words of Silent Night. Minnesota Opera’s Artistic Director Dale Johnson saw Christian Carion’s 2005

Academy Award nominated film, Joyeux Noël and thought its moving story of young soldiers from many

walks of life stuck in a horrible war could make a very moving opera.

Kevin Puts was contacted about writing the opera, despite the fact that he had never written an opera

before. He has a large body of works for orchestra,

including four symphonies and several concertos for

solo instrument and orchestra, but hadn’t written much

vocal music at all. He was paired with acclaimed

librettist and lyricist Mark Campbell, who has over 20

theatrical works to his credit. Mark Campbell said that

after seeing the film he “instantly knew it would make a

great opera.” He tried to remain as faithful to it as

possible, but, as he said in a YouTube interview, “An

opera is an opera and a movie is a movie. A lot of the

process in creating this libretto involved just making the

story stage worthy.” He needed to cut the number of characters, tighten up the time and place of the

action, make sure the opera has a climactic scene for the main characters, and that the opera wouldn’t

last more than two hours. Also, whereas there is no intermission in the movie, he had to structure the

opera by adding unresolved tension to the end of Act I to help make audiences want to come back for

Act II.

Working with a first time opera composer, Mark chose to play to Kevin’s strengths as a wonderful

orchestral composer and gave him dramatic moments where he could write gorgeous sweeping

instrumental passages for the full orchestra. You’ll hear several such moments throughout the opera.

Writing his first opera proved to be a challenge for the St. Louis-born composer. But now, after having

finished his first opera, Kevin says he’s found his place in writing for singers. In an interview with

National Public Radio he said, “I'm still learning about the voice and how to write most idiomatically (or

naturally) for it. My music has become more and more lyrical over the years, so it wasn't too much of a

stretch.”

Kevin Puts, Composer of Silent Night

He also said that one of the hardest parts of writing this opera was having to

compose music for a libretto written in five languages: German, French and

English for the three armies, Italian for the opera-within-an-opera scene, and

Latin during the religious scenes. "Getting my head around the language was

the biggest challenge of the opera," he said. In an interview with Opera News

magazine (November 2011) he commented, “The German was the worst. I

don't know German at all." Mary Dibbern, former Head of Music at

Minnesota Opera was a huge help to Kevin, who, he added, "put marks on

the libretto where the stresses are. Then I would read it to myself over and

over. I really had to get it into my head, so it would just flow musically."

The opera had its premiere at Minnesota Opera in November 2011 at the

Ordway Center in Minneapolis. The opening night reviews were unanimous raves! Opera News

magazine said, “The opening night ovation for Silent Night was long and clamorous, the loudest acclaim

fittingly reserved for composer Kevin Puts. It is Puts’ first opera and… With this remarkable debut, Puts

assumes the central place in the American opera for your moment. Much will be expected from him.”

Earlier this year it was announced that the opera won the extremely prestigious Pulitzer Prize for music.

Pulitzer officials called Silent Night "a stirring opera that recounts the true story of a spontaneous cease-

fire among Scottish, French and Germans during World War I, displaying versatility of style and cutting

straight to the heart.”

In his interview for National Public Radio, Kevin said, "The first thought I had when I started writing

measure 1 was that it was so exciting that I wanted it to go well enough that I could write another

opera," Puts says. "The medium is so exciting to me." Rest assured, there are at least two new operas on

the horizon for Kevin Puts and Mark Campbell, including an operatic version of another popular film, The

Manchurian Candidate.

Mark Campbell, Librettist for Silent Night

About the Production

Synopsis

Prologue:

Late summer, 1914. War is declared. At a Berlin opera house, the announcement disrupts the

careers and personal lives of international opera singers Anna Sørensen and Nikolaus Sprink. In

a small church in Scotland, it inspires dreams of heroism in William, who demands that his

younger brother Jonathan immediately enlist with him as their priest, Father Palmer, looks

helplessly on. In the apartment of the Audeberts in Paris, it angers Madeleine who excoriates

her husband for leaving to fight while she is pregnant with their first child. Amid the fervor of

nationalistic songs, the men prepare to leave for war.

Act I

In and around a battlefield in Belgium, near the French border, around Christmas.

Scene One: December 23, late afternoon. A horrific battle is fought between the Germans and

the French and Scottish. An attempt by the French and Scottish soldiers to infiltrate the German

bunker fails miserably; corpses begin to pile up in the no-man’s land between the three

bunkers. Nikolaus is seen violently engaging in combat—stabbing a man to death and growing

in despair at the violence. William is shot and Jonathan must leave his brother behind to die.

Scene Two: December 23, evening. In the Scottish bunker, Lieutenant Gordon assesses the

casualties after the battle. Father Palmer attempts to offer solace to Jonathan in prayer. In the

French bunker, Lieutenant Audebert discovers the French General waiting in his makeshift

office, who reprimands him for surrendering and threatens him with a transfer. The General

leaves and Audebert laments the loss of his wife’s photograph to his aide-de-camp, Ponchel.

When he is alone, Audebert tallies the casualties in the last battle, while missing Madeleine and

their child who he has not yet seen. He sings of needing sleep, a sentiment echoed by all of the

soldiers. As it starts to snow, covering the corpses in no man’s land, the soldiers slowly begin to

sleep. Alone in the German bunker, Nikolaus reveals his despair about war to an imagined

Anna.

Scene Three: December 24, morning. In the German bunker, crates have arrived, and little

Christmas trees from the Kronprinz. Lieutenant Horstmayer castigates the Kronprinz for not

sending them more useful presents, like ammunition and reinforcements. He receives a

directive from headquarters that Nikolaus has been ordered to sing at the nearby chalet of the

Kronprinz, along with one Anna Sørensen. Nikolaus departs for the chalet, excited that he will

be reunited with Anna again after many months apart. The French soldiers have received crates

of wine, sausages and chocolates from the quartermaster and open them jubilantly. Ponchel, a

barber by trade, brings coffee to Audebert and sits him down for a haircut. He is reminded of

having coffee every morning with his mother who lives only an hour away by foot. The alarm

clock he carries next to his heart at all times (which shielded him from a bullet in the last battle)

rings at ten o’clock every morning to remind him of their daily meeting. In the Scottish bunker,

crates of whiskey have arrived from home. Jonathan writes a letter to his mother, not

mentioning his brother’s death.

Scene Four: December 24, early evening. At the chalet of the Kronprinz, Anna and Nikolaus

perform a duet. Following the performance, they steal a few moments on a terrace outside.

Anna notices the cruel effect war has had on her lover’s spirit. She has arranged for Nikolaus to

spend the night with her and is angry when he says he must return to his fellow soldiers. She

vows to accompany him back to the battlefield.

Scene Five: December 24, night. In the French bunker, Gueusselin volunteers to infiltrate the

German bunker, and with several grenades, sidles onto no man’s land. The Scottish soldiers

drink whiskey and play a bagpipe that another unit has sent them, as Father Palmer sings a

sentimental ballad about home. The men in the other bunkers hear the song and react to it

with sadness, caution and annoyance. Nikolaus arrives; his fellow soldiers greet him with cheers

and applause and gasp in amazement at seeing Anna with him. When the song in the Scottish

bunker is finished, Nikolaus sings a rousing Christmas song loudly in response and midway

through the bagpiper begins to accompany. Emboldened, Nikolaus stands atop the bunker

raising a Christmas tree as a gesture of friendship. Against the protestations of their superiors,

the soldiers from all bunkers stand. Nikolaus bravely moves to the center of no-man’s land.

Gueusselin abandons his plan to grenade the German bunker. Eventually, the three lieutenants,

waving a white flag of truce, agree to a cease-fire…but only on Christmas Eve. The soldiers

slowly and cautiously move toward each other. They share their provisions, their photos and

their names. Anna appears and the soldiers are all awed by the sight of a woman. Father Palmer

has set up a makeshift church and celebrates mass with the men, while Jonathan finds his

brother’s body and vows revenge. Father Palmer finishes the mass and urges the men to “go in

peace” as bombs explode menacingly in the distance.

Act II

Scene One: December 25, dawn. The following morning, Jonathan tries to bury his brother.

Because the truce is officially over, two German sentries are prepared to shoot him, until Father

Palmer and Lieutenant Gordon intervene. Looking on, Horstmayer proposes that it may indeed

be time to bury all of the dead. The three lieutenants meet and decide over Ponchel’s coffee

that the truce will be extended until after the dead in no-man’s land are buried.

Scene Two: December 25, late morning, early afternoon. The soldiers pile up the corpses,

Father Palmer delivers last rites and the soldiers form a processional bearing the wagon of

bodies away. Anna looks on with Nikolaus and promises that he will not suffer the same fate.

Scene Three: December 25, all day. In the meantime, news of the cease-fire has reached

headquarters, and the British Major, the Kronprinz and the French General all react in anger

and disbelief. They declare that they will punish the soldiers for their betrayal.

Scene Four: December 25, evening. Lieutenant Horstmayer prepares to return to war and

Nikolaus berates him for his allegiance to the Fatherland. Horstmayer arrests Nikolaus for

insubordination, but Anna takes his hand firmly and leads him across no-man’s land as

Horstmayer orders his men to shoot, but no one moves. Reaching the French bunker

unharmed, Nikolaus regains his voice anddemands asylum for he and Anna.

Scene Five: December 26, late morning. The British Major admonishes the Scottish soldiers

for participating in the Christmas truce. They are to be transferred to the front lines. When a

German soldier is seen crossing the battlefield, the Major orders him killed. Jonathan complies

and dispassionately shoots the man. Lieutenant Audebert returns to his small office and

discovers the French General there. The General tells Audebert that he will be transferred to

Verdun as punishment for consorting with the enemy and that his unit will be disbanded.

Audebert informs the French General—his father—that he has learned he has an infant son

named Henri. They vow to survive the war for the child’s sake. The Kronprinz angrily announces

that the German soldiers are to be deployed in Pomerania as punishment. As the soldiers are

taken off in a boxcar, they hum the Scottish ballad they heard in the bunker on Christmas Eve.

The battlefield is now completely empty.

Cast and Company Biographies

Joseph Mechavich Conductor Regarded as a conductor of authority and warmth, Joseph Mechavich is

known for his exceptional artistry and infectious energy. Maestro

Mechavich presided over Jake Heggie’s highly acclaimed opera Moby-

Dick, for both San Diego Opera and Calgary Opera as well as productions

of Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Washington National Opera),Porgy and

Bess (Deutsche Oper Berlin) and Roméo et Juliette(Florida Grand Opera).

Engagements for the 2013-14 season includeLa Bohème (Kentucky Opera), L’Incoronazione di

Poppea (New England Conservatory of Music), Tosca (Dayton Opera) and La traviata (The Florentine

Opera). Upcoming engagements include A Street Car Named Desire (Kentucky Opera), and Die

Zauberflöte (Opera Colorado). Maestro Mechavich last conducted the Calgary Opera production

of Madame Butterfly (2014)

David Gately Stage Director Stage director David Gately is known for his vivid story telling and lively

and clever productions. During the 2013- 2014 season he directs The

Ballad of Baby Doe with Opera Colorado, La Traviata with the Academy

of Vocal Arts, Dark Sisters with Boston University’s Fringe Festival,

and The Turn of the Screw with the Siena Music Festival. Recent

highlights include Los Angeles Philharmonic forAngels in America,

Atlanta Opera for La Traviata, the Fort Worth Opera for Ariadne auf Naxos, and Boston University’s

Fringe Festival for Massenet’s Le Portrait de Manon.

Sally Dibblee Soprano: Anna Sorenson

Soprano Sally Dibblee, critically acclaimed as a “tour-de-force of vocal

control and expressive flexibility,” enjoys success on stages and concert

halls throughout North America. Last season’s engagements included the

role debuts of Lady Billows inAlbert Herring with Pacific Opera Victoria

and the title role in The Merry Widow with the Newfoundland

Symphony Orchestra and as soloist in A Sea Symphony by R. Vaughn

Williams with the Flint Symphony. Upcoming engagements include a return to Vancouver Opera as Lady

Billows and soprano soloist in Beethoven 9with Symphony New Brunswick. She was last with

Calgary Opera forMadame Butterfly (2014).

Roger Honeywell Tenor: Nikolaus Sprink

Canadian tenor Roger Honeywell’s 2013-2014 season includes

performances with the Canadian Opera Company as Bob Boles (Peter

Grimes) opposite Ben Heppner, and Pacific Opera Victoria as

Bacchus(Ariadne auf Naxos). He also reprises the role of Captain Vere

with Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro in Marcelo Lombardero’s

production of Billy Budd, originally staged in Santiago, Chile. Orchestral

engagements include Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Vancouver Symphony. Last season saw Mr.

Honeywell as the title role in Peter Grimes with Des Moines Metro Opera, Aegist (Elektra) conducted by

Sir Andrew Davis with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Cavaradossi (Tosca) with Portland Opera.

Brett Polegato Baritone: Lt. Audebert Brett Polegato has earned the highest praise from audiences and critics

alike. At the Inaugural Gala Concert for the Canadian Opera Company’s

new home, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, he “nearly

stole the show with a strong and characterful performance of Figaro’s

cocky ‘Largo al factotum.’” He has appeared on stages in 19 countries,

including Lincoln Center, La Scala, the Concertgebouw, Opéra National

de Paris, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Houston Grand Opera, Teatro Real, Roy

Thomson Hall, Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. He was last with Calgary Opera for Moby-Dick (2012).

Daniel Okulitch Baritone: Lt. Horstmayer Canadian Baritone Daniel Okulitch’s career first garnered national

attention as Schaunard in the original cast of Baz Luhrmann’s Tony

award winning Broadway production of La Bohème, and has since been

established as a leading singer and dramatic interpreter in a wide

variety of repertoire. In opera, Mr. Okulitch has garnered acclaim in

major baritone roles of Mozart, most notably Don Giovanni, and The

Marriage of Figaro, which have been seen in New York, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, Warsaw,

Vancouver, Dallas, Portland, Detroit, Hawaii, Hamilton, and Belle Ile en Mer. He recently starred in the

world premiere of the opera Brokeback Mountain in Madrid. Mr. Okulitch was last with Calgary Opera

for Madame Butterfly (2014).

James Westman Baritone: Lt. Gordon

Canadian baritone James Westman has appeared in many of the

world’s leading opera and concert halls. A versatile and dynamic

performer, Westman created the lead role of Sandy Keith in

Bramwell Tovey's opera, The Inventor with Calgary Opera. His

signature role, Germont (La Traviata) has been heard in over 170

performances with major companies, including San Francisco

Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Opera Bordeaux, Cologne Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, and the English

National Opera. His 2014-15 season includes; New York Philharmonic (Messiah), Pacific Opera Victoria

(Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor), Opera Lyra Ottawa (Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro), Canadian

Opera Company (Germont in La Traviata) and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (Rimsky Korsakov’s,

Mozart and Salieri). Westman has recorded with Decca, BBC, CBC, Naxos, Opera Rara and Centre Disc.

His recordings have been nominated for four Juno’s and two Grammy’s.

Glossary

Words underlined in the glossary are used within the libretto. If you come across one of these

words as you read through the libretto and you’re unsure of that word’s meaning, you can look

it up here in the glossary.

act (akt) n. one of the main divisions of a play or opera.

aggressor (uh-gres- er) n. a person or country that attacks another first.

agog (uh-gog) adj. very eager or curious to hear or see something.

allegro (uh-leg-roh) adv. musical term for fast and lively.

alto (al-toh) n. the range of the female voice between mezzo-soprano and contralto.

ammunition (am-yuh-nish-uhn) n. a supply or quantity of bullets and shells.

anarchy (an-er-kee) n. 1. a state of disorder due to absence or nonrecognition of authority. 2.

absence of government and absolute freedom of the individual, regarded as a political ideal.

andante (ahn-dahn-tey) adv. a musical term meaning in moderately slow time.

antagonist (an-tag-o-nist) n. an adversary or opponent of the main character or protagonist in

an opera, play, or other drama.

aperitif (ah-per-i-teef) n. an alcoholic drink taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite.

apropos (ap-ruh-poh) adj. very appropriate to a particular situation.

aria (ahr-ee-uh) n. an operatic song for one voice.

artillery (ahr-til-uh-ree) n. 1. large-calibre guns used in warfare on land: "tanks and heavy

artillery" 2. a military detachment or branch of the armed forces that uses such guns.

bar (bahr) n. a division of music containing a set number of beats.

baritone (bar-i-tohn) n. the range of the male voice between tenor and bass.

bass (beys) n. the lowest male singing voice.

beat (beet) n. the basic pulse of a piece of music.

bunker (buhng-ker) n. a large container or compartment for storing fuel

candelabra (kan-dl-ah-bruh) n. a large branched candlestick or holder for several candles or

lamps.

chalet (sha-ley) n. 1. a kind of farmhouse, low and with wide eaves, common in Alpine regions.

2. any cottage, house, ski lodge, etc., built in this style.

chord (kord) n. a group of notes played at the same time in harmony.

chorus (kawr-uhs) n. 1. a group of singers. 2. a piece of music for these.

chronological (kron-l-oj-i-kuhl) adj. a method of arrangement that puts events in order of

occurrence.

contralto (cuhn-tral-toh) n. the lowest female singing voice.

communiqué (kuh-myoo-ni-key) n. an official bulletin or communication, usually to the press or

public.

comrade (kom-rad) n. a person who shares in one's activities, occupation, etc.; companion,

associate, or friend. 2. a fellow member of a fraternal group, political party, etc. 3. a member of

the Communist party or someone with strongly leftist views.

conscript (kuhn-skript) v. to compel into service.

criticism (krit-uh-siz-uhm) n. 1. the act of passing judgment as to the merits of anything.

despicable (des-pi-kuh-buhl) adj. deserving to be despised; contemptible.

discretion (dih-skresh-uhn) n. the power or right to decide or act according to one's own

judgment; freedom of judgment or choice 2. the quality of being discreet, especially with

reference to one's own actions or speech; prudence or decorum.

donning (don·ning) v. (used with object) to put on or dress in.

embolden (em-bohl-duhn) v. to make bold or bolder; hearten; encourage.

excommunicate (eks-kuh-myoo-ni-keyt) v. to exclude or expel from membership or

participation in any group, association, etc.: an advertiser excommunicated from a newspaper.

felled v. bring down; reduce or hurt

flat (b) (flat) adj. a half-step lower than the corresponding note or key of natural pitch.

forte (f) (for-tay) adv. loudly.

fortissimo (ff) (for-tee-see-moh) adv. a musical term for very loud.

fraternize (frat-er-nahyz) v. to associate cordially or intimately with natives of a conquered

country, enemy troops, etc.

futile (fyoot-l, fyoo-tahyl) adj. incapable of producing any result; ineffective; useless; not

successful.

grenade (gri-neyd) n. a small shell containing an explosive and thrown by hand or fired from a

rifle or launching device.

hie (hahy) v. to hasten; speed; go in haste.

indulge [in-duhlj] v. to yield to, satisfy, or gratify (desires, feelings, etc.).

insubordination (in-suh-bawr-d-ney-shuhn) n. the act of willfully disobeying an authority.

jarringly (jahr-ing-lee) adv. in a manner that jars and irritates.

Kaiser (kahy-zer) n. The German emperor, the emperor of Austria, or the head of the Holy

Roman Empire.

key (kee) n. the basic note of the main scale used in a piece of music. In the key of G, for

example, G is

the fundamental note; the music often returns to it and comes to rest on it.

largo (lahr-goh) adv. a musical term meaning in slow time and dignified style.

leitmotiv (lahyt-mo-teev) n. a melodic passage or phrase associated with a specific character,

situation, or element.

libretto (li-bret-oh) n. the words of an opera or other long musical.

major (mahy-zer) adj. music in a major key uses a major scale, in which the first three notes are

the key note followed by intervals of a tone and then another tone (for example, C, D, E). It

often has a cheerful, strong sound.

makeshift (meyk-shift) adj. serving as a temporary substitute; sufficient for the time being.

mason (mey-suhn) n. a builder and worker in stone.

melancholy (mel-uhn-kol-ee) n. a gloomy state of mind, especially when habitual or prolonged;

depression.

minor (my-ner) adj. music in a minor key uses a minor scale, in which the first three notes are

the key note followed by intervals of a tone and then a semitone ( for example A, B, C). It often

has a sad, melancholic sound.

mingle (ming-guhl) v. to mix or combine; put together in a mixture; blend.

natural (nach-er-uhl) adj. a note that is neither flattened nor sharpened.

nigh (nahy) adv. near in space, time, or relation.

Occupied Zones – areas of Europe in which different countries held power throughout World

War I

octave (ok-tiv) n. a note that sounds twice as high in pitch as another, is an octave above the

other note, and has the same letter naming it.

officious (uh-fish-uhs) adj. objectionably aggressive in offering one's unrequested and

unwanted services, help, or advice.

ofttimes (awft-tahymz) adv. commonly, repeatedly, often times

opera (op-er-uh) n. a play in which the words are sung to musical accompaniment.

orchestra (awr-keh-struh) n. a large body of people playing various musical instruments,

including stringed and wind instruments.

overture (oh-ver-cher) n. an orchestral composition forming a prelude to an opera or ballet.

pianissimo (pp) (pee-ah-nees-ee-moh) adv. a musical term meaning very softly.

piano (p) (pi-an-oh) 1. adv. a musical term meaning softly. 2. n. keyed percussion instrument

first named

pianoforte because it could play both softly and loudly.

presto (pres-toh) adv. a musical term meaning very fast.

reinforcements (ree-in-fawrs-muhnts) n. an additional supply of personnel, ships, aircraft, etc.,

for a military force

relentless (ri-lent-lis) adj. unyieldingly severe, strict, or harsh; unrelenting.

scale (skayl) n. a series of notes arranged in descending or ascending order of pitch.

schnapps (shnahps) n. (in Europe) any strong, dry spirit, as slivovitz, aquavit, or kirsch.

semitone (sem-i-tohn) n. a half step or half tone, an interval midway between two whole tones.

sentry (sen-tree) n. a soldier stationed at a place to stand guard and prevent the passage of

unauthorized persons,

watch for fires, etc., especially a sentinel stationed at a pass, gate, opening in a defense work,

or the like. 2. a member of a guard or watch.

sharp (#) (shahrp) n. any note a semitone higher than another note. Also, slightly too high in

pitch.

soprano (so-prah-noh) n. the highest female or boy's singing voice.

stage (stayj) n. a platform on which a public performance is given before an audience.

stanched (stawnch) v. to stop the flow of (a liquid, especially blood).

stoically (stoh-i-kuhli) adv. impassive; characterized by a calm

symphony (sim-foh-nee) n. a long musical composition (usually in several parts) for a full

orchestra.

synopsis (si-nop-sis) n. a summary, a brief general survey.

terrace (ter-uhs) n. an open, often paved area connected to a house or an apartment house and

serving as an outdoor living area; deck.

tone (tohn) n. 1. an interval equal to two semitones. 2. the sound quality of an instrument or

voice.

traumatize (trou-muh-tahyz) v. to injure (tissues) by force or by thermal, chemical, etc., agents.

treason (tree-zuhn) n. 1. a violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state. 2. the

betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery.

trod (trod) v. to step or walk on, about, in, or along.

trudge (truhj) v. to walk, especially laboriously or wearily:

unbeknownst (uhn-bi-nohnst) adj. unknown; unperceived; without one's knowledge.

Union Jack n. The Union Flag, commonly known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United

Kingdom, as well as a flag with an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth realms.

unraveled (uhn-rav-uhld) v. to separate or disentangle the threads of (a woven or knitted fabric,

a rope, etc.). 2. to free from complication or difficulty; make plain or clear; solve.

unsolicited (uhn-suh-lis-i-tid) adj. given or supplied without being requested or asked for.

verismo (vuh-riz-moh ) n. realism in opera.

vigilant (vij-uh-luhnt) adj. 1. keenly watchful to detect danger; wary. 2. ever awake and alert;

sleeplessly watchful

Sources

Our sincerest thanks to Opera Philadelphia for the use of their Study Guide as a resource to our

own, as well as The Military Museums for their illuminating historical information.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/what-life-in-canada-was-like-before-the-first-world-

war/article19342310/

http://metronews.ca/news/canada/1080326/pre-war-canada-of-1914-a-world-apart/

http://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/?category=cmptr