Wagner, one of the most
famous opera writers of all time, wrote 13 completed operas during his life. He
lived during the romantic period, and his both his operas and his other music
holds much of the dramatic and emotional qualities of romantic music. It is
being used to represent western opera as a whole, however, due to elaborate
orchestration and its iconic operatic feel.
Lohengrin, one of his most famous operas, tells of a royal family and who is heir to the throne. Elsa, one of the daughters, has killed the brother and desperately searching for a knight to come save her from her fate and allow her to claim the throne. In this scene, Elsa has agreed to marry the mysterious knight who has come for her, which highlights much of the drama and intensity in a western opera.
Lohengrin, one of his most famous operas, tells of a royal family and who is heir to the throne. Elsa, one of the daughters, has killed the brother and desperately searching for a knight to come save her from her fate and allow her to claim the throne. In this scene, Elsa has agreed to marry the mysterious knight who has come for her, which highlights much of the drama and intensity in a western opera.
The characters all
deliver a dramatic performance, as all of their movements and facial
expressions are vital to the scene. The stances they take and the actors
themselves fully embody these roles, making it very believable. The actors also
mix between "talking" through song to one another, talking to
themselves, and bel canto sections full of technical difficulties. The pit
orchestra is used mostly to accompany the main actors, and the ensemble works
similarly. The story is rich in detail and remains the most important aspect,
which is universal to theatre.
Indian kathakali is
steeped with tradition and history. The first video example tells the story of
a war that has separated a family which is expressed through the dancing,
lyrics, music, and acting. The subtitles provided in the video help to explain
the plot. The second video is a shorter representation of kathakali, focusing
on the expressions of the actors.
The drum beats, various
percussion, and low, hornpipe sounds all accompany the voices and the acting on
the stage. The singers, placed behind the actors, sing the story being told as
the kathakali dancers tell the story. Their movements relay the story, and their
dancing and body language carries this form of theatre. It also integrates all
three components- the music, dancing, and acting- to keep the story together
while entertaining and teaching its audience.
