Sunday, March 22, 2009

Singspiel

I'm sitting here on this late Sunday evening relaxing to Mozart's "The Magic Flute," and I thought, what the heck, I've already talked about Da Ponte, Metastasio, Opera Seria, and Opera Buffa, so I might as well write a little about Singspiel. And for those of you wondering why I'm spending time writing about opera on a writing blog, it's because it's all about the writing! Opera is poetry sung, so it's fitting. Plus, I get a kick writing about those things I'm interested in, and, since I love musicals and opera, I love writing about musicals and opera.

Like I said, it's all about the writing. I'm no musical genius, although I did take many years of piano lessons in my day and am helping my son learn how to play himself. I never became a great pianist, and when asked to play today, I reluctantly say, "No," because I'm just not comfortable playing. I'm not like my son or wife, for that matter, who have ears for music and can play without the music or practice. But, in regards to opera and musicals, I'm a huge fan of the poetry and stories being told, and I think they have as much merit for study as does the poetry, short stories, and novels of the great writers.

Many of you have probably never heard of Singspiel before, although you've probably heard one if you are a music lover. Mozart composed several, but "The Magic Flute" is probably his most famous one. In fact, it's considered his best opera ever. But there were others who were influenced by it tremendously, including Wagner and Beethoven. Going back to Mozart, his first opera, "Bastien und Bastienne," was a Singspiel which he wrote at the old age of twelve! His "The Abduction of Seraglio," another quite famous opera, was also a Singspiel.

So, then, what is it? Well, if you listen to either "The Magic Flute" or "The Abduction of Seraglio" you'll find yourself, after the overture, listening to spoken dialogue instead of an aria or the more formal recitative you'd hear in Opera Seria. Singspiels are also typically written on a comedic theme (but not all, mind you), and the music tends to be simpler and more "folksy." Typically, this was opera for the people -- words they could understand coupled with music they could sing to when they were at home. Call it "pop" opera.

I may have made a slight mistake in my last post when I called Opera Seria the predecessor to the modern musical that we see on Broadway. The Singspiel is certainly closer. It relied more heavily on acting, awesome mechanical sets, spoken dialogue, and singing. And how many of you don't break out into your favorite song from a musical every now and then? It happens quite frequently in my house, so it probably does in yours as well! Don't be ashamed of it. Just admit it! We all love musicals!

Anyway, as you know, many musicals are set to fairy-tale type stories, and that was the hallmark of most Singspiels. So, simply put, the Singspiel probably was the predecessor and/or example that most writers used to base their work upon early on in Broadway's history. So, although opera is defined as a high-brow art, it's not, nor has it ever been, always the case. The average Joe loved going to the opera just as much as anyone, and the Singspiel was the one that he went to after a long-week's work. By far, Singspiels drew more people as a result and were some of the longest-lasting operas of all because the people decided when they grew weary of the opera rather than the wealthy suitors, financiers, or emperors.

The writers of Singspiels were librettist just the same. I think, in many cases, they were more creative. Instead of re-hashing an old mythological story or romantic/epic play, Singspiel librettist came up with original ideas based upon never-before heard-of stories. Fortunately, for them, too, they were the wealthier of the librettists because they got a percentage of each show's revenue, so they did not have to rely upon someone giving them money to work their craft or a position from the King or Emperor. They were free to write what they wanted, and this freedom usually came with a bonus of excellent material!

So, there it is. Opera and Broadway are one and the same in reality. It just goes to show you that there's something about a good old musical or Singspiel that makes us happy. The theatrics, the music, and the story are fun, and you can't get around it. The next time you take in a Broadway show, just remember that you're participating in an event that has been making people laugh, cry, and sing for hundreds of years. It's an awesome feeling!

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