This document outlines the many parts that go into producing an opera, including the librettist who writes the story, the composer who sets it to music, singers and musicians who perform it, a conductor who directs the performance, choreographers and dancers for any scenes involving dance, designers who create scenery and costumes, makeup artists, prop masters, lighting technicians, and a stage crew to assemble and operate the production. It emphasizes the large number of people and specialized roles required to mount an opera, which it describes as the most extensive and expensive art form.
5. THE LIBRETTO and
LIBRETTISTS
A strange word for
people who have great
imaginations and write
terrific stories that are
made into musical
performances.
6. THE COMPOSER
OH, YEAH!
The one that
writes the actual
music, based on
the libretto.
Sometimes, he
or she will even
change the story
a bit! He he he
7. THE SINGERS
The actors and
actresses who use their
voices to sing the music
the composer writes
based on the libretto.
And yes, it is always
memorized.
8. THE CHOIR
The many actors and
actresses that portray
large scenes with their
voices that were set by
the composer based on
the libretto.
It¡¯s a group of singers
that sing along.
9. THE ORCHESTRA
A group of musicians
that play the music
that the composer
wrote based on the
libretto. Orchestral
players are buried in
the pit.
10. THE CONDUCTOR
The BOSS ¨C and don¡¯t
you EVER FORGET
IT. He or she tells
everybody when they
sing, play, eat, sleep ¨C
well, you get the idea.
P.S. Don¡¯t be afraid of
the whip. He really
uses a baton!
11. THE CHOREOGRAPHER
The boss of the
dancers. He or she
stands nervously
backstage and
gives orders to the
dancers.
12. THE DANCERS
Once in a while, the
beautiful and elegant
dancers appear on
stage. They usually
always move in packs,
kind of like wolves.
13. THE STAGE DIRECTOR
This is truly the
person who runs the
show. Their job is to
tell EVERYONE
what to do and to
worry that none of it
will work.
14. THE SCENERY
AAAHHHHHH!!! The
Scenery! Expensive, but
beautiful and usually thrown
out after the show is over!
The artists that make the
scenery spend months on it.
They have to paint and build
and design and decorate and
make it look real. But if you
look from backstage ¨C it is
REALLY AWFUL. There are
only bars and metal and wood
and canvas.
15. THE COSTUMES
Costumes are made by
professional sewers. First,
they draw a picture of
what they want, then they
pick out fabric and cut it
to fit on a mannequin.
Then they call in the
singers for a try-on.
Costumes come in all
shapes and sizes! They
can be modern or old
fashioned.
16. An example of costumes for the
opera. This one is ¡°I Pagliacci¡±.
20. MAKE-UP
The Make-Up artists
have lots to do.
Sometimes they have
to attach beards, or
mustaches, or wigs to
the singers. Then,
they put on the facial
make-up, including
false eyelashes. YES,
THE BOYS WEAR
MAKE-UP TOO!!!
21. PROPS
Down a deep dark
tunnel, in a creepy,
spooky room are rows
and rows and rows of
THINGS! Swords,
cups, trays, guns, ropes,
balls, fireworks ¨C YOU
NAME IT. It is the prop
room. The props are the
items the singers use to
make the play look more
real.
22. LIGHTING
The lighting people
make sure that the
audience can see the
action. Don¡¯t EVER
make the lighting crew
mad, or you may
suddenly find yourself
singing in the dark!
23. CREW
The backstage crew makes
sure that sets get moved
on and off and that the
props are in the correct
place. The whole show
would fail if they weren¡¯t
there! Imagine the poor
singers pushing around
scenery¡. I DON¡¯T
THINK SO!
24. How many pieces of the puzzle
can you name???
Composer
Singers
Choir
Orchestra
Conductor
Choreographer
Dancers
Stage Director
Scenery
Costumes
Make-Up
Libretto
Props
Lighting
Crew