Opera Glossary
- Libretto – the words or text of an opera
- Score – the music of an opera
- Overture – an instrumental introduction to an opera performed by the orchestra alone
- Act - a major section of an opera; most operas have 2-4 acts with an intermission (break) between each act
- Finale - the final number or scene of an opera or the final number of an act
- Aria – a musical number performed by a solo singer and orchestra, typically displays emotion rather than progressing the plot
- Recitative – sung dialogue (or sometimes monologue) that mimics speech and advances the plot
- Range – describes the lowest and highest notes a singer can produce
- Vibrato – a natural wavering in pitch that occurs when a singer holds out a note
- Dynamics – refers to the volume level of the music (“piano” means soft, “forte” means loud)
- Soprano -the highest female voice part
- Mezzo-Soprano – the middle female voice part; lower than a soprano, but higher than a contralto
- Contralto – the lowest of the female voices (and least common)
- Countertenor – a high male voice part performed by a tenor or baritone with a large range, tends to fall within the same range as the female contralto
- Tenor - the highest common male voice part
- Baritone - the middle male voice part; lower than a tenor, but higher than a bass
- Bass – the lowest of the male voices
- Pants/Trouser Role – a role in which a female (usually mezzo-soprano) portrays a young male character
- Chorus – a group of singers who sing together and the music written for them
- Conductor/Maestro – the person in charge of leading (conducting) the orchestra
- Pit – the area in front of the stage where the orchestra sits
- Production – the combination of costumes, sets, lighting, etc.
