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Gustave III (opera)
''Gustave III, ou Le bal masqué'' (''Gustavus III, or The Masked Ball'') is an ''opéra historique'' or grand opera in five acts by Daniel Auber, with a libretto by Eugène Scribe. History Auber wrote ''Gustave III, ou Le bal masqué'' as a grand opera in five acts to a libretto by Eugène Scribe, about some aspects of the real-life assassination of Gustav III, King of Sweden. The major aspects of the plot can be found first in Giuseppe Verdi's planned opera, '' Gustavo III'', which was never performed as written, but whose major elements were incorporated into a revised version of the story in the opera which eventually became '' Un ballo in maschera''. Performance history The opera received its first performance at the Salle Le Peletier of the Paris Opéra on 27 February 1833, with costumes designed by Eugène Lami and Paul Lormier, and sets by Léon Feuchère (act 1 and act 5, scene 2), Jules Diéterle (act 2), Alfred (act 3), Pierre-Luc-Charles Ciceri (act 4), René ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grand Opera
Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterized by large-scale casts and Orchestra, orchestras. The original productions consisted of spectacular design and stage effects with plots normally based on or around dramatic historic events. The term is particularly applied (sometimes specifically used in its French-language equivalent grand opéra, ) to certain productions of the Paris Opéra from the late 1820s to around 1860; 'grand opéra' has sometimes been used to denote the Paris Opéra itself. The term 'grand opera' is also used in a broader application in respect of contemporary or later works of similar monumental proportions from France, Germany, Italy, and other countries. It may also be used colloquially in an imprecise sense to refer to 'serious opera without spoken dialogue'. Origins Paris at the turn of the 19th century drew in many composers, both French and foreign, especially those of opera. Several Italians working durin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Voice Type
A voice type is a classification of the human singing voice into perceivable categories or groups. Particular human singing human voice, voices are identified as having certain qualities or characteristics of vocal range, vocal weight, tessitura, vocal timbre, and vocal transition points (''passaggio''), such as breaks and lifts within the voice. Other considerations are physical characteristics, speech level, scientific testing, and vocal register. A singer's voice type is identified by a process known as voice classification, by which the human voice is evaluated and thereby designated into a particular voice type. The discipline of voice classification developed within European classical music and is not generally applicable to other forms of singing. Voice classification is often used within opera to associate possible roles with potential voices. Several different voice classification systems are available to identify voice types, including the German ''Fach'' system and the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chamberlain (office)
A chamberlain (Medieval Latin: ''cambellanus'' or ''cambrerius'', with charge of treasury ''camerarius'') is a senior royal official in charge of managing a royal household. Historically, the chamberlain superintends the arrangement of domestic affairs and was often also charged with receiving and paying out money kept in the royal chamber. The position was usually awarded as an honour to a high-ranking member of the nobility (nobleman) or the clergy, often a favourite, royal favourite. Roman emperors appointed this officer under the title of ''cubicularius''. The Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church enjoys very extensive powers, having the revenues of the papal household under his charge. As a sign of their dignity, chamberlains bore a key, which in the seventeenth century was often silvered, and actually fitted the door-locks of chamber rooms. Since the eighteenth century, it has turned into a merely symbolic, albeit splendid, Order of prece ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alexis Dupont
Alexis Dupont (1796 – 29 May 1874) was a French operatic tenor who sang at the Opéra-Comique from 1821 to 1823 and the Paris Opera from 1826 to 1841.Kutsch & Riemens 2003, p. 1256; Schulman 1992. Concerning the date of his retirement from the Paris Opera, Kutsch & Riemens and Schulman say Dupont sang there until 1840, after which he retired from further opera performances. However, Lajarte 1878p. 148 gives the year 1841 for Dupont's appearances in ''Don Juan''. This is confirmed by ''Le Ménestrel'', which mentions that Dupont replaced Marie in ''Don Juan'' in thissue of 18 April 1841 but also mentions the retirement of M. and Mme Alexis Dupont in thissue of 27 June 1841 There he created a number of roles in operas by Rossini, Auber, Halévy and Meyerbeer. He had a significant association with Berlioz, creating the tenor solo in '' Roméo et Juliette'' in 1839; and he sang in the Mozart ''Requiem'' at Chopin's funeral in 1849. Career He was born Pierre-Auguste Dupont, m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henri-Bernard Dabadie
Henri-Bernard Dabadie (19 January 1797 – 20 May 1853) was a French baritone, particularly associated with Rossini and Daniel Auber, Auber roles. Life and career Born in Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Pau, Dabadie studied at the Paris Conservatory and made his debut at the Académie Royale de Musique, Paris Opéra in 1819 as Cinna in Spontini's ''La vestale (Spontini), La Vestale''. He was to remain at the Opéra until 1836, creating roles specifically written for him by Rossini – notably the Pharaon in ''Moïse et Pharaon'', Raimbaud in ''Le comte Ory'', and ''William Tell (opera), Guillaume Tell''. He also created roles in opera by Auber – Pietro in ''La muette de Portici'', Jolicoeur in ''Le Philtre'', and Jean in ''Le Serment''. He also sang in Italy, where he created Belcore in Donizetti's ''L'elisir d'amore'', in Milan on 12 May 1832. On 6 November 1821, Dabadie married soprano Zulmée Leroux (1795–1877),Commons:File:Reconstituted record of marriage 6 Novembre 1821 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above (i.e. A3–A5 in scientific pitch notation, where middle C = C4; 220–880 Hz). In the lower and upper extremes, some mezzo-sopranos may extend down to the F below middle C (F3, 175 Hz) and as high as "high C" (C6, 1047 Hz). The mezzo-soprano voice type is generally divided into the coloratura, lyric, and dramatic. History While mezzo-sopranos typically sing secondary roles in operas, notable exceptions include the title role in Georges Bizet, Bizet's ''Carmen'', Angelina (Cinderella) in Gioachino Rossini, Rossini's ''La Cenerentola'', and Rosina in Rossini's ''The Barber of Seville, Barber of Seville'' (all of which are also sung by sopranos and contraltos). Many 19th-century French- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ulrica Arfvidsson
Anna Ulrica Arfvidsson (1734–1801) was a professional Swedish fortune-teller during the reign of Gustav III of Sweden. She was commonly known as '' Mamsell Arfvidsson''. Biography Background Ulrica Arfvidsson was the daughter of a caretaker of the royal palace, Erik Lindberg, and Anna Katarina Burgin (d. 1771). After the death of her father, her mother remarried in 1740 to a chef of the royal household, Arfvid Arfvidsson (d. 1767), and Ulrica took the name of her stepfather. Ulrica Arfvidsson grew up comfortably in an environment where she heard many rumours and gossip of the higher circles in society. She became well-informed about things which many people outside of the court would like to know. Ulrica is described as an intelligent, with a sharp talent, well-developed intuition, and always very up-to-date about everything in society. Judging from the school-books from the inventory of her childhood-home, she seem to have been given a good education. She had no siblings. N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Julie Dorus-Gras
Julie Dorus-Gras (7 September 1805 – 6 February 1896) was a Belgian operatic soprano. Early life and training She was born Julie-Aimée-Josèphe Van Steenkiste,Forbes, Elizabeth. "Dorus-Gras (née Van Steenkiste), Julie(-Aimée-Josephe oséphine" in Sadie (2001) and Sadie (1992) the daughter of an ex-soldier who was the leader of the theatre orchestra in her native city Valenciennes.Pitou (1990), p. 380. She first studied with her father and began performing as a child, eventually becoming so well known as a vocalist that she received a municipal scholarship which enabled her to continue her studies in Paris. She was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire in 1821 and studied singing in the class conducted by Blangini and Henri. Later she received additional vocal training from Bordogni and Paer. Career To begin her career she made a concert tour which took her to Brussels. Her concert was so successful, that Count de Liederkerke offered her a contract to sing operatic rol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cornélie Falcon
Cornélie Falcon (28 January 1814 – 25 February 1897) was a French dramatic soprano who sang at the Opéra in Paris. Her greatest success was creating the role of Valentine in Meyerbeer's ''Les Huguenots''. She possessed "a full, resonant voice"Warrack and West 1992, p. 230. with a distinctive dark timbreRobinson and Walton 2011. and was an exceptional actress. Based on the roles written for her voice her vocal range spanned from low A-flat(A3) to high D(D6), 2.5 octaves. She and the tenor Adolphe Nourrit are credited with being primarily responsible for raising artistic standards at the Opéra, and the roles in which she excelled came to be known as "falcon soprano" parts.Robinson 1992, p. 110. She had an exceptionally short career, essentially ending about five years after her debut, when at the age of 23 she lost her voice during a performance of Niedermeyer's '' Stradella''. Early life and training She was born Marie-Cornélie Falcon in Le Monastier sur Gazeille (Velay) t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral music, or to soprano C (C6) or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which often encompasses the melody. The soprano voice type is generally divided into the coloratura soprano, coloratura, soubrette, lyric soprano, lyric, spinto soprano, spinto, and dramatic soprano, dramatic soprano. Etymology The word "soprano" comes from the Italian word ''wikt:sopra, sopra'' (above, over, on top of),"Soprano" ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' as the soprano is the highest pitch human voice, often given to the leading female roles in operas. "Soprano" refers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nicolas-Prosper Levasseur
Nicolas Levasseur (9 March 1791 – 7 December 1871) was a French bass (vocal range), bass, particularly associated with Rossini roles. Born Nicolas-Prosper Levasseur at Bresles, Oise, he studied at the Paris Music Conservatory from 1807 to 1811, with Pierre-Jean Garat. He made his professional debut at the Académie Royale de Musique, Paris Opéra in 1813, as Osman Pacha, in ''La caravane du Caire'' by André Grétry. He sang in London at the Her Majesty's Theatre, King's Theatre from 1815 to 1817, notably as the Count in Mozart's ''Le nozze di Figaro''. He also sang at La Scala in Milan, from 1820 to 1822, where he took part in the creation of Meyerbeer's ''Margherita d'Anjou''. But his greatest successes were at the 19th-century Théâtre-Italien, Théâtre-Italien in Paris, where he sang from 1819 until 1828. There his name became closely associated with Rossini's operas. He sang in the Paris premieres of ''Mosè in Egitto'', ''Ricciardo e Zoraide'', ''La cenerentola'', ''L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bass (voice Type)
A bass is a type of classical male singing voice and has the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to '' The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'', a bass is typically classified as having a vocal range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C (i.e., E2–E4). Its tessitura, or comfortable range, is normally defined by the outermost lines of the bass clef. Categories of bass voices vary according to national style and classification system. Italians favour subdividing basses into the ''basso cantante'' (singing bass), ''basso buffo'' (comical bass), or the dramatic ''basso profondo'' (deep bass). The American system identifies the bass-baritone, comic bass, lyric bass, and dramatic bass. The German '' Fach'' system offers further distinctions: Spielbass (Bassbuffo), Schwerer Spielbass (Schwerer Bassbuffo), Charakterbass (Bassbariton), and Seriöser Bass. These classifications tend to describe roles rather than singers: it is rare for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
