The prompter (French/German: ''souffleur''; Italian: ''rammentatore'', ''suggeritore'') in an
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
house gives the singers the opening words of each phrase a few seconds early. Prompts are mouthed silently or hurled lyrically in a half-voice, audible (hopefully) only on stage. (This is in contrast to the
prompter in a
theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...
who aids actors who have forgotten their words or lines.)
Opera prompters are traditionally housed in a stuffy wooden box at the center-front edge of the stage, above the
orchestra pit. They are visible to the performers and no one else. Technology has brought
cool air
"Cool Air" is a short story by the American horror fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft, written in March 1926 and published in the March 1928 issue of '' Tales of Magic and Mystery''.
Plot
The narrator offers a story to explain why a "draught of co ...
and small display screens, among other advances, to support their work.
Effective prompting can be a challenge. The American prompter Philip Eisenberg recounted the story of a
Maria Callas
Maria Callas . (born Sophie Cecilia Kalos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her ''bel cant ...
performance during which she needed louder prompts. The famed diva swooped down in a curtsy right in front of the prompter’s box and — mid-curtsy, unnoticed by the audience — gave the Italian command "più forte!" (louder) to her boxed colleague.
Prompters attend all rehearsals, mark up any adjustments or clarifications to the score, and generally "prepare" singers for a role. Their profile is low, and opera program books often credit them only under "musical preparation" or some similar moniker.
References
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{{Opera terms
Opera terminology
Theatrical occupations