Opera is a magical combination of story, fabulous sets and costumes, towering symphonic music, and a solo instrument –the human voice–that expresses human emotion like nothing else can do. Learn everything from what to expect at a performance to a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes as you read through this great overview of opera.

What is an Opera?

Full Opera - An opera is a story set entirely to music. Opera is similar to any other drama – a TV show, movie, or play, but requires use of the unamplified voice combined with music. A composer works carefully with a librettist to adapt the story and bring it to life through music. What makes an opera unique is that it is all-encompassing: there are elements of visual arts, drama, dance, literature, writing, and music. If you take a peek backstage, you’ll note that the people working there are not necessarily musicians. As an all-inclusive art form, opera requires people with knowledge of math, science, and other technical skills to produce the complete staging of an operatic work. In fact, the Italian word opera means “work”, both in the literal sense referencing a musical work or collection of songs, but also alluding to the amount of labor invested in its production.

Concert and semi-staged Opera - An innovative approach to the opera classics which establishes an intimate relationship with the audience, the musical drama, the orchestra, and the conductor. The orchestra and conductor are present onstage, bringing the music into a different focus than when the musicians are hidden in the orchestra pit. The conductor and orchestra do not distract from the action, but rather underscore the drama. The presence of the orchestra onstage provides an unusually strong bond with the characters in the opera, allowing for a dynamic interplay of voices and instruments. This fusion of voices and instruments actually heightens the dramatic effect and the minimal use of scenery encourages members of the audience to fill in the background with their imagination.

How will I know what is going on?

No need to worry if you don’t know the language of the opera. There will be a highly visible screen with “supertitles” which give a complete translation of the words being sung. The experience of watching an opera has been truly transformed by making it possible for everyone to follow the words.

How long is the opera?

Operas are typically performed with a total run time of three hours. To help keep everyone safe, our productions are currently reduced to 90 minutes with no intermission.

What do people wear to the Opera?

Opera is for everyone. People can come to our performances dressed in everything from jeans to gowns. When choosing your attire, wear what is most comfortable or pleasing to you. Some people love dressing up and going out. If that is you, dress up, and you will not be the only one. Others like to be more casual.

When is it appropriate to clap if I like what I hear?

Your applause is welcome and very much appreciated by our cast of performers! It is standard practice to clap at the end of large musical numbers, or special solos (“arias”) sung by one character. If you really love a performance, the traditional thing to do is shout “Bravo!” (to men) or “Brava!” (to ladies). It's fun to sometimes literally give a shout-out.

What else should I expect?

Magic. Opera is a magical combination: a story of people under pressure, a dramatic situation, fabulous sets and costumes, towering symphonic music, and a solo instrument –the human voice–that expresses human emotion like nothing else can do. In this magic space, the emotion of the music will give you an experience you will never forget.

What? No Microphones?!

The performance of opera today is comparable to a living piece of history. The first opera dates back to 1598, over 300 years before the invention of the microphone. This required singers to produce sound in a much different way for their voice to be heard over the orchestra. Due to the amazingness of the natural voice, opera singers are able to sing over an entire orchestra and fill the whole house with their sound without the use of a microphone! Instead, opera singers rely upon their extensive training and the acoustics of the hall. To stay true to the art and performance practice of its origin, opera is still performed today without the use of any amplification of instruments or singers.

In Physics, the phenomenon of a singer achieving the perfect resonating spot for a certain pitch on a specific vowel is called hitting that pitch's “formant”. This is why it takes singers years and years of diligent study to develop the needed muscle memory and stamina to achieve these formants for every vowel and pitch combination…in fact many train for longer than doctors! They must learn to manipulate muscles inside their mouth called articulators and isolate and train their vocal chords, soft tissue about the size of a dime for women and quarter for men with flaps that open and close to create vibrato. The added challenge is, unlike other musicians, they are not able to see their instrument and must learn by sensation.

So many languages, so many words!

Imagine having to memorize several hours-worth of music in a language you didn’t know or speak, then interpret the meaning and convey the emotion behind it while performing for a live audience. This is just one of the many feats an opera singer must accomplish. Operas are usually performed in the language they were written in. This means, in addition to training their voices, opera singers must also study German, French, Italian… even Russian or Czech!... to be able to pronounce words correctly and understand the basic structure and meaning of the language. For many roles, they are often coached by a language expert.

Don’t forget to act!

In addition to achieving perfect resonating tones sung from memory in a foreign language, opera singers must also successfully execute staging, or blocking, in the show to successfully portray their character. Many have to sing while dancing, lying down, kneeling, crawling, jumping among all sorts of other physically demanding feats…and often in very uncomfortable, awkward or confining costumes such as hoop skirts, corsets, cloaks and wigs.

Behind the Scenes

It takes more than singers to put on an opera. While you may only see the performers in the spotlight, there are many people behind the scenes that put together everything you see and all the things you do not.

The Stage Director tells singers how to move across the stage so that the audience are able to understand what is being sung, even if it is in a different language.

The Technical Director coordinates lighting, set, and costumes, supervises the building and mounting of scenery onstage, and oversees the work of all crews during rehearsals and performances.

The Stage Manager handles administrative duties related to a production, assists the director during rehearsals, and is responsible for all backstage activity once the show opens. They tell the singers when to walk onto the stage and keep everyone safe. 

The Scenic Designer is responsible for the visual appearance and function of all scenic elements in an opera to help bring the story to life onstage. They plan or design the set and supervise its construction. 

The Lighting Designer plans or designs the color, intensity and frequency of the light onstage.

The Wig and Make-Up Designer designs and oversees hairstyles, wigs & make-up.

The Costume Designer plans how each singer is dressed and makes sure that all the costumes will help the singers accurately portray their characters in the opera’s setting.

The Properties (Props) Manager is in charge of finding objects for the singers to use while on stage that will correctly reflect the time period of the opera and give the actions on stage a more realistic feel.

The Choreographer invents dances and movements and teaches them to dancers and/or cast members.

The Crew or Stagehands assist in construction, installation and changes of the set, costumes, lights and props. Stagehands know when to change the scenery.

on stage

Cast: all singers and actors who appear onstage.

Actors: performers who have dialogue but do not sing.

Principal: a singer who performs a large role in the opera.

Comprimario: a singer who specializes in the small character roles of opera, from the Italian meaning “next to the first”.

Supernumeraries (or Supers): actors who participate in the action but do not speak or sing.

Dancers: these performers train for years and perform choreographed routines onstage. From flamenco to ballet, dance plays a supporting role in countless operas.

Chorus: A group of singers with more than one person singing each part, like a choir. The choruses in opera represent certain groups required by the story such as soldiers, priests, peasants, or townspeople. Certain operas include the use of a children’s chorus.

in the pit

The Conductor or Maestro tells the orchestra when to play and the singers when to sing. The conductor controls how fast or slow the music goes.

The Orchestra is the group of artists who play the musical instruments. They reside with the conductor in the orchestra pit during operas, as opposed to onstage for concerts. What is the orchestra pit? It is the open hole right in front of the stage. You’ll generally only be able to see the back of the conductor’s head in the pit if you are an audience member. 

A composer typically includes use of woodwinds, brass, percussion and string instruments in multiple combinations in the orchestra to help express a variety of emotional colors. Woodwinds include piccolos, flutes and reed instruments such as the oboe, clarinet and bassoon all requiring a very focused stream of air. Brass instruments produce sound through the buzzing or vibration of the player’s lips resonating within a tubular chamber. They include horns, trumpets and trombones. Percussion is a broad term describing any instrument that is struck, scraped, or rubbed by hand. Timpani, snare drum, triangle, cymbals, xylophone, glockenspiel and chimes are just an example of a few utilized by composers. Strings include any instrument that produces sound from vibrating strings such as violins, violas, cellos, double bass and harp.

Voice Types (Fachs)

In opera, a singer’s voice type or fach is determined by the combination of their timbre and range. Timbre is the unique character or quality of a musical sound produced by a voice or instrument. Range is the distance from the lowest to the highest pitch one can sing or play.

Soprano

The highest of the female voice types, sopranos often have very challenging, “show-off” arias to sing and are the most adored or sought-after character in the story. As a result, they are voted “most likely to fall in love or die” by the end of the show… sometimes both! In operatic drama, the soprano is oftentimes the heroine or protagonist. In lighter opera, her high, bright sound suggests youth, innocence, and virtue.

Mezzo-Soprano

A mezzo has a lower voice than a soprano, but higher than a contralto. “Mezzo” means “middle” in Italian. In the opera, she may fall for a baritone, unless she’s playing a young man, in which case she usually gets the soprano. Throughout history, the darker, warmer sound of a mezzo has been used to convey many different types of characters: everything from boys or young men (called a “trouser” role), to mothers, seductive heroines, and villainesses.

Contralto

The lowest of the female voices. It is hard to find contralto singers, and true contralto roles are few and rare. These roles are usually special characters such as older women, witches, gypsies, maids or guardians charged with monitoring the virtue of the impressionable soprano.

Countertenor

The highest of the male voices, the countertenor is a natural tenor or baritone with an elevated range. With training and patience, this higher range (like that of a woman alto) becomes the natural voice. These roles are most common in baroque opera, but some modern composers have written parts for them too.

Tenor

The tenor has a range between a baritone and a mezzo, and is frequently the hero or protagonist of the opera. If there is no countertenor, he will be the highest male voice on stage. Because of their brilliant shimmery tones and often powerful high range, they are usually the “guy who gets the girl” or bravely dies trying.

Baritone, Bass-Baritone

The baritone is the most common male voice. It is lower in range than the tenor and with a darker tone. In comic opera, the baritone is often the ringleader in mischief. Bass-Baritone is a category used to describe voices with a range between that of the baritone and bass. The tessitura, or vocal range of these roles is higher than what a bass can comfortably sing, with occasional moments of probing in the bass register, and the need for a darkness of color that the bass brings to a role. Usually the bad guy, guardian, or the hero’s best friend.

Bass

This is the lowest and darkest of the male voices. Low voices often suggest age and wisdom, or evil characters in serious opera. In comic opera, they are often used for older characters that are foolish or laughable. They’ve been used to portray Kings, fathers, or even the devil.

Watch this short video featuring a selection of singers from the Royal Opera House demonstrating the sound of a baritone, soprano, bass, tenor, countertenor, and mezzo-soprano.