Vocabulary

Aria	Italian for "air.” This is a main song--a “big” solo--that is usually very pretty. It’s lyrical, with a recognizable theme, where the character expresses their feelings
Baritone	Mid-range male voice. Some baritones sing low, some sing high
Bass	Low male voice
Cadenza	A grand musical gesture to show off an individual singer's skill and to emphasize something emotionally for the character.
Composer	Person who writes the music for the opera
Director	Person who creates what the opera will look like onstage
Diva	Literal translation is "goddess." Used to describe a female opera star
Duet	When two characters sing together.
Ensemble	All the actors/singers that make up an opera.
Finale	Often this is music sung by many characters at the end of an act. Usually it is exciting in nature.
Libretto	Script of an opera
Mezzo-soprano	Lower female voice, often darker sounding
Orchestra	Group of instrumentalists that play accompanying music
Prima Donna	Literal translation is "first lady", a singer who plays the heroine or main female character in the opera
Recitative	Music that is meant to sound like speech, sung on pitch
Sing-along	When a character asks you to sing too!
Solo	When a character sings alone
Soprano	High female voice
Tenor	High male voice
Theme	Music that is the same, or recognizably so, and comes back at different times, often linked to a character, event, or emotion.

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