ipl-logo

Beggar's Opera Analysis

1553 Words7 Pages

Who would have thought that a story framed around a beggar would have earned a place for itself as one of the most performed operatic works in English theatre history? Of course, this statement on its own makes anyone a doubting Thomas and as much I would like to experience time travel and enjoy some afternoon tea with John Gay, a more realistic journey would be to engage with technology at the very tips of my fingers. Let me take you three centuries ago and walk through Gay’s life to find out what might have influenced him to write the Beggar’s Opera. It all started on 30 June 1685 in Barnstaple, England where Gay was born. Gay went to London after finishing his studies to be an apprentice to a silk merchant but he disliked the job. He continued exploring other jobs in London; being a secretary to the Duchess of Monmouth as well as Lord Clarendon, which all did not last. However, Gay had a passion towards the pastoral genre, which is known to beautify the life of rural people creating an unrealistic misconception of their lifestyle. He then became an English poet which gained him a spot in English history. …show more content…

Racy and satirical spoken dialogue are interspersed with songs whose lyrics elaborate the story conveyed but melodies however were not composed specifically for the play but were of well-known popular tunes of that time. These popular tunes would then be familiar and relatable to both the rich and the poor. The vocal style of singing opposed the grandeur style of Italian opera and the melodies were also not as heavily ornamented as expected of an opera. Coming to think about this change, a simple tune in turn makes it even more memorable and sing-able to anyone. Who wouldn’t like to hum to a tune that people around them can relate to? As so, the Beggar’s Opera is interjected with popular songs that are short in duration; this furthermore reduces disruptions to the flow of the play. It may be unconventional and unexpected of what the audience gets out of their usual dose of Italian operas but the underlying idea of this work serves to convey a bigger message, which may help to crush the snobbery audience of their snobbish

Show More
Related
366 Words | 2 Pages

Each tune attempts to paint a scene whose variable natures are somehow connected. Sturdy and concise, the 6/8 “A & R Italian Eatery” relies on precise unisons and

Read More
1712 Words | 7 Pages

At the time, critics of the show ‘scoured the score for American musical material and had very strong reactions when they found them, they challenged Puccini's choice of sources and his methods of incorporating those sources into the score, at the heart of the critics’ concern lay the social identity of the communities whose musical materials Puccini had studied and interwoven into the opera’s musical fabric.’(9) This next quote is part of a debate between critics in order to ‘Arrive at a final answer to the

Read More
2077 Words | 9 Pages

In turn, the play’s musical adaptation emphasizes the importance of lyrical and instrumental music enabling the audience’s mood to be transformed from an outside perspective to an inside

Read More
1000 Words | 4 Pages

The spots that call for song are interesting because they lighten each one and provide a bit of comic relief. In the third act likewise the musical aspect helps take away from the serious nature of what’s going on and understand the world the play takes place in. In the third act, Mr. Burns is preparing to kill Bart, which in nature is a serious thing; however, there is singing that takes place. This distracts from the serious nature of the scene. The play’s sounds all have an essential role in

Read More
1129 Words | 5 Pages

In this point of my analysis, I deal with the scene that one could argue most enriches the main subject of the story, namely hope. In this scene that is created by Darabont, Andy, who is at Norton 's office to receive some used books and sundries for the prison 's library, locks the guard in the bathroom and then starts playing a recording of ‘Canzonettasull 'aria’ from the opera The Marriage of Figaro. As Verstraten argues, filmmakers use music as narrative tool(153) that not only challenges the audience 's emotions but also carries the theme of the movie. In this scene the music is intradiegetic since Andy connects the public speaker system to the record player so that all of the prisoners can hear the music. In her book Music in American Crime Prevention and Punishment, Lily Hirsch explains that this scene “also highlights another utopia musical ascription related to the contested idea that music is a universal language” since all the prisoners are feeling connected, enjoying the music while hope is revived within their

Read More
550 Words | 3 Pages

In order to make the music clearly and attractive enough to grab ears, he artfully changed the number of performers in different voice part, and chose using syllabic text setting with homorhythmic texture[Palestrina, Gloria, from Pope Marcellus Mass, 0:09-0:45]. Thus the music’s plumpness varies with phrases, thickening its climax and thinning less important sentences. For instance, the text phrase “Jesu Christe. Cum sancto

Read More
1558 Words | 7 Pages

Neil King’s definition of a comedy, “a work which is primarily designed to amuse and entertain, and where, despite alarms along the way, all’s well that ends well for the characters” (King 55) is undoubtedly affirmed by Shakespeare’s use of comedic features such as dramatic irony. Despite the creation of exuberant comedy within the play, principal sub-plots in ‘Twelfth Night’ such as the gulling and confinement of Malvolio, prove that when looked at in more depth, to some extent, the play’s comedy cloaks themes of cruelty and suffering. The very title of the play, ‘Twelfth Night’, directly links to the twelve days of festivity that traditionally took place during the Elizabethan period. During this time, not only were ordinary rules subverted, but the Lord of Misrule reigned supreme and events such as plays and processions took place.

Read More
553 Words | 3 Pages

My husband and I have season tickets to the Seattle Opera. It’s something we’ve done for two seasons now and it’s become as much a part of our lives as work, only more fun. I love going to the opera. It evokes a feel of times past, where one dressed up and men wore suits and top hats, and the women wore beautiful gowns, glittering jewels and sweeping long coats.

Read More
650 Words | 3 Pages

Although the stage and costumes are seemingly more saturated with decorative props than the stark, almost empty surroundings of the Beijing Opera, there is a subdued dimness that allows the audience to put full attention to the male vocalist and his muse. The singing lines in the Beijing Opera were performed within a limited range, at a very high octave with a limited range. Similar to screeching, the notes were carried high in her throat, and produced with a certain harshness. On the contrary, the big, powerful “bel canto” operatic voice of the male singer in the Italian Opera, resonates with rich, full sounds throughout his voice range. The male performer’s voice and the message of love to the woman present with him, is obviously the main focal point of the piece.

Read More
456 Words | 2 Pages

In Vienna, November 1790 a German showman Emanuel Schikaneder pricked Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts creativeness once urged that he and Mozart ought to collaborate in an opera for Schikaneder’s theatre. Mozart had long waited to put in writing a German opera once more, and therein time of Mozart’s career, he required work as a result of his popularity in Vienna was weakening. He accepted the provided offer on one of his well-known opera The magical flute. the topic tailored by Schikaneder from a book of oriental fairy-tales. This opera was galvanized by a story called Lulu, or The magic flute.

Read More
2001 Words | 9 Pages

6. Take a single act from the Marriage of Figaro and, using particular examples, show how Mozart structures the act in terms key, form and texture. How does the opera critique the social order of the time? This essay looks at the first act of Mozart’s opera buffa ‘Marriage of Figaro’ in detail, specifically focussing on the key, form and texture used within this act.

Read More
974 Words | 4 Pages

The stringed instruments were the accompaniment; therefor, they began with harmonics, chromatics, and tremolo for various measures rather than having a moving part. The melody was given to the flutes and soloist, Sami Junnonen, who was also very talented. The song was about 22 minutes long and he had the whole piece memorized. It sounded very sad, but soothing simultaneously. There were visuals around the theater, which made it easier to understand and visualize what Lopez was trying to describe when writing the song.

Read More
1925 Words | 8 Pages

During this sequence, Chaplin’s use of sound is at its most playful. The song that Charlie sings does not include any real words, also known as The Nonsense Song, as his character sings it in eloquent gibberish and instead, as Robinson notes, is “in a language of his own invention.” Though it’s gibberish but it appears to contain words from French and Italian. The use of half-intelligible wording which sounds like words of another language not only gives it a comic effect but also showcases what Tomlinson calls “the brilliance of his pantomime.” The way he sings the ‘pseudo-multilingual’ words are as expressive as his rhythmical movements, gestures and facial expressions, winning him the extol of the audience.

Read More
835 Words | 4 Pages

Opera is not verbally translatable, so, the interpretation process of the audience are influenced by revisions of a work. Music and libretto dictate the narrative and the action. Through this, they advance the action in in the limited period of time that they have; integrating the complex actions between real and dramatic time to deepen the narrative microcosm that is presented to us. The audience will identify with characters emotions and moods through an absurd medium but with such a rich empathy that it reaches us in a unique manner.

Read More
1231 Words | 5 Pages

In this essay the following characters and features will be compared and contrasted: Mercutio and Benvolio, their differences and similarities, how they effected the play, how they participate in the feud. I choose these features because even though they are not “main characters” they still greatly influence the play. I will explain how they effected the play, how their personalities make them foils and how this in turn effects them as characters and everyone around them.

Read More

More about Beggar's Opera Analysis

Related Topics

Open Document