Opera

🎭 Music that tells stories

What would happen if the characters in a play did not speak, but sang everything they felt? That’s what opera is: a show full of emotions, music and breathtaking costumes. Let’s discover this very special art together!

🎶 What is opera?

Opera is a combination of music, theater and singing.
The characters do not speak, they sing to tell a story.
It was born in Italy in the 16th century and became very popular all over the world.

👀 In an opera you can see:

• Singers acting and expressing emotions with their voice
• An orchestra playing live music
• Impressive scenery and costumes

🎤 Opera singers have powerful voices that don’t need a microphone – they can fill a theater with their voice alone!

🧩 The parts of an opera

🎵 Overture
This is the music at the beginning, without singing. It helps set the mood and hints at what is to come.

🎭 Acts
They are like the chapters of a story. Each act has its own music, scenes and characters.

💬 Recitatives
These are spoken parts, but sung in a speech-like manner. They serve to advance the story.

🎼 Aria
It is a solo song, where a character expresses his feelings. Arias are usually the most emotional parts.

📖 What is a libretto?

The libretto is the text of the opera: it contains the songs and the dialogues.
It is written by a librettist and can be in several languages (Italian, German, French…).

🖋️ Librettos use many metaphors and poetic words – they are like poems that are sung!

🎼 Famous arias from Mozart’s operas

🎤 “The Queen of the Night” – The Magic Flute
A powerful song where the Queen sings with fury and demands revenge. It is very difficult to sing because of how high-pitched and fast it is.
📌 What emotions do you feel when listening to it?

🎤 “Dove sono” – The Marriage of Figaro
Sung by Countess Almaviva, it speaks sadly about lost love. It is slow and melancholic.
📌 Did you ever miss something nice from the past?

🎤 “Voi che sapete” – The Marriage of Figaro
Sung by Cherubino, a young man confused by love. It is joyful and sweet.
📌 Have you ever felt emotions you don’t quite understand?

▶️ Watch this video to learn more

🔗 The magic flute “Pa-pa-pa- Papageno” duet

🔗 The magic flute Queen of the night aria

💭 Your mind in action

💬 Reflect:

• How would you imagine being in an opera? What would catch your attention the most?
• Why do you think the characters sing instead of speak?
• Which of Mozart’s arias did you like the most, why?

🎨 Creative Challenge:
Design a poster for an imaginary opera: what is it called, what story does it tell, who are the characters?

🧠 Your turn:
Listen to an excerpt from an opera and try to draw what you imagine is happening with just the music and singing.

🔍 Want to know more?

Other topics you may want to research:

• What does a conductor do in an opera?
• What are the differences between an opera and a musical?
• How do opera singers prepare?
• What other famous operas did Mozart write?

🛠️ Show what you know

Choose one or more activities to capture your learning:

🎙️ Record your own mini-opera (it can be about something from your day to day life).
📖 Write a short libretto with a 3-scene story.
🎭 Make an oral presentation acting as an opera character.
🖼️ Draw the scenario of an opera with the characters and their costumes.
📹 Create a short video explaining what opera is and its parts.
🎬 Recreate the experience of an opera at home: choose an opera, prepare a comfortable space, turn off the lights and watch it as a family as if you were in a theater.