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{{trope}}
{{Useful Notes}}
[[File:maria_callas_norma_parigi.jpg|frame|Opera legend Maria Callas in the supreme diva role, Norma]]
[[File:maria callas norma parigi.jpg|frame|Opera legend Maria Callas in the supreme diva role, Norma]]



{{quote|''"Opera is when a guy gets stabbed and [[Final Speech|instead of bleeding, he sings]]."''|'''Ed Gardner'''}}
{{quote|''"Opera is when a guy gets stabbed and [[Final Speech|instead of bleeding, he sings]]."''|'''Ed Gardner'''}}


{{quote|''"Well, basically there are two sorts of operas. There's your heavy opera, where basically people sing foreign and it goes like 'Oh oh oh, I am dyin', oh, I am dyin', oh, oh, oh, that's what I'm doin', and there's your light opera, where they sing in foreign and it basically goes 'Beer! Beer! Beer! Beer! I like to drink lots of beer!' although sometimes they drink champagne instead. That's basically all of opera, really."''|'''Nanny Ogg''', '''''[[Discworld (Literature)/Maskerade|Maskerade]]'''''}}
{{quote|''"Well, basically there are two sorts of operas. There's your heavy opera, where basically people sing foreign and it goes like 'Oh oh oh, I am dyin', oh, I am dyin', oh, oh, oh, that's what I'm doin', and there's your light opera, where they sing in foreign and it basically goes 'Beer! Beer! Beer! Beer! I like to drink lots of beer!' although sometimes they drink champagne instead. That's basically all of opera, really."''|'''Nanny Ogg'''|'''''[[Maskerade]]'''''}}


'''Opera''' has been around since the end of the [[Older Than Steam|16th century]] and still going strong(ish — hardly anything composed in the last half-century has entered the standard repertoire). Most basically, opera is [[The Musical|musical theater]] — just (generally) within the classical idiom; dialogue is usually sung rather than spoken. Major opera composers include [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]], Handel, [[Verdi]], [[Richard Wagner|Wagner]], Puccini and Richard Strauss, though there are, of course, many more.
(Not [http://www.opera.com/ the Web browser] or [http://www.cbc.ca/dnto a certain Canadian radio program].)


The opera genre is as varied as any other. Some operas have incredibly well-crafted lyrics and story lines that are true works of art, while others are [[Sturgeon's Law|not quite as brilliant]]. Many operas are comedies, and even the serious ones tend to have at least some humorous parts.
Opera has been around since the end of the [[Older Than Steam|16th century]] and still going strong(ish -- hardly anything composed in the last half-century has entered the standard repertoire). Most basically, opera is [[The Musical|musical theater]] -- just (generally) within the classical idiom; dialogue is usually sung rather than spoken. Major opera composers include [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]], Handel, [[Verdi]], [[Richard Wagner (Creator)|Wagner]], Puccini and Richard Strauss, though there are, of course, many more.


That said, the opera genre is known for featuring many a work with ''extremely'' drawn-out texts focusing on a single (often trivial) theme. As a result, opera texts (libretti) are often mocked, and in many cases it's mainly the quality of the music that makes an opera work, along with the same thing you need for any theatrical production: committed performers bringing the art form to life on stage. Movies have car chases, rock songs have guitar solos, and operas have death-arias (the soprano frequently dies). In fact, both [[wikipedia:Anna Russell|Anna Russell]] and [[wikipedia:Betty Jean Ward|B.J. Ward]] (in her one-woman show, ''Stand-Up Opera'') have made entire comedy routines of poking fun at opera tropes.
The opera genre is as varied as any other. Some operas have incredibly well-crafted lyrics and story lines that are true works of art, while others are [[Sturgeon's Law|not quite as brilliant]]. Many operas are comedies, and even the serious ones tend to have at least some humorous parts.


Several modern films and other works have been created as operas (that is, entirely consisting of sung dialogue). The most famous "serious" opera film is probably ''The Umbrellas of Cherbourg'', starring [[Catherine Deneuve]]. A very modern example is ''[[Repo! The Genetic Opera]]'', which [[Incredibly Lame Pun|transplants]] the style into industrial sci-fi horror. The term [[Rock Opera]] is thrown around at times for a sub-genre of the themed [[Concept Album]], but most "rock operas" are not produced for the stage (with [[Jesus Christ Superstar|an exception]] or two). The nearest thing to a modern successor to opera is Broadway-style [[Musical Theater]]. Indeed, musicals can trace their origins to opera through the operatic subgenre of operetta or light opera, which, as its name implies, is light in terms of subject matter (i.e. it's funny) and music, and often feature a good deal more plain dialogue than ordinary operas. The works of [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] are generally considered transitional, as while they considered their works to be comic operas, they would probably be called musicals if produced today.
That said, the opera genre is known for featuring many a work with ''extremely'' drawn-out texts focusing on a single (often trivial) theme. As a result, opera texts (libretti) are often mocked, and in many cases it's mainly the quality of the music that makes an opera work, along with the same thing you need for any theatrical production: committed performers bringing the art form to life on stage. Movies have car chases, rock songs have guitar solos, and operas have death-arias (the soprano frequently dies). In fact, both [[wikipedia:Anna Russell|Anna Russell]] and [[wikipedia:Betty Jean Ward|B.J. Ward]] (in her one-woman show, ''Stand-Up Opera'') have made entire comedy routines of poking fun at opera tropes.

Several modern films and other works have been created as operas (that is, entirely consisting of sung dialogue). The most famous "serious" opera film is probably ''The Umbrellas of Cherbourg'', starring Catherine Deneuve. A very modern example is [[Repo the Genetic Opera]], which [[Incredibly Lame Pun|transplants]] the style into industrial sci-fi horror. The term [[Rock Opera]] is thrown around at times for a sub-genre of the themed [[Concept Album]], but most "rock operas" are not produced for the stage (with [[Jesus Christ Superstar|an exception]] or two). The nearest thing to a modern successor to opera is Broadway-style [[Musical Theater]]. Indeed, musicals can trace their origins to opera through the operatic subgenre of operetta or light opera, which, as its name implies, is light in terms of subject matter (i.e. it's funny) and music, and often feature a good deal more plain dialogue than ordinary operas. The works of [[Gilbert and Sullivan]] are generally considered transitional, as while they considered their works to be comic operas, they would probably be called musicals if produced today.


Used in movies and TV shows [[At the Opera Tonight|to add a touch of class]]. Or just something artsy. Or for the cast to get bored and fall asleep, which is something that can't be done (too loud).
Used in movies and TV shows [[At the Opera Tonight|to add a touch of class]]. Or just something artsy. Or for the cast to get bored and fall asleep, which is something that can't be done (too loud).
----
=== Tropes typical of opera ===


Not to be confused with [[Oprah Winfrey|Oprah]]. Nor with [http://www.opera.com/ the Web browser]. Definitely not [[w:Definitely Not the Opera|a defunct Canadian radio program]].
* [[Aesop]]
** [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in Donizetti's ''Don Pasquale''
** And in Stravinsky's ''A Rake's Progress''
** And in [[Gioachino Rossini|Rossini's]] ''Il Turco in Italia''
** In [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart's]] ''[[Don Giovanni (Theatre)|Don Giovanni]]'', one was apparently [[Enforced]]. ([[Love It or Hate It|Opinions vary wildly]] on whether it's better when performed with or without it.)
* [[All There in the Manual]] Without a program, good luck trying to understand what's going on on stage.
** MANY modern opera houses (Especially in Germany) show the text right above the stage, and some fancy opera houses even have a small screen on the back of the seats with the text in several selectable languages.
*** Performing opera in translation has disadvantages too. It's often just as hard to make out the words, and when you can the effect isn't always what it might be. For example, to an English ear Tosca (in [[Tosca (Theatre)|one of the rare operas with a stonking good story]]) may sound dramatic when she sings 'Mori! Mori! Mori! ... È morto.' but translated into English this becomes 'Die! Die! Die! ... He's dead.' 'Nuff said.
* [[All Musicals Are Adaptations]]
* [[Blood-Splattered Wedding Dress]]: Poor, ''poor'' {{spoiler|Lucia di Lammermoor.}}
* [[Camp]]: Especially in [[Richard Strauss]] operas)
* [[Classical Mythology]]: Baroque (1601-1750) operas tended to draw on these for their plots.
* [[Creator Couple]]: Practically every opera by Vincenzo Bellini that you will see (except his last, ''I Puritani'') has a libretto by Felice Romani.
* [[Crosscast Role]]: There are many "trouser roles" for women playing men and several "skirt roles" for men playing women.
** In the Baroque period (Opera's earliest century-and-a-half), female roles were often played by male castrati. (And, yes, a ''castrato'' is [[Nightmare Fuel|exactly what you think it is]].)
* [[Dark Reprise]]
* [[Dawson Casting]]: Due to the physical requirements and amount of training involved, teenage characters like Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly) or Salome are almost always portrayed by singers in their twenties or older. And teenage ''boys'' are generally played by [[Cross-Dressing Voices|adult women]], usually mezzo-sopranos.
** Sometimes averted with less demanding roles such as Barbarina from ''[[The Marriage of Figaro (Theatre)|The Marriage of Figaro]]'', who is occasionally played by a high-school aged singer.
* [[Distressed Damsel]]
* [[Deus Angst Machina]]
* [[Deus Ex Machina]]
* [[Downer Ending]]: Anything by Puccini or Verdi
** [[Bittersweet Ending]]: In the rare cases it's not.
** ''Anything'' by Puccini... excepting the chamber comedy ''Gianni Schicchi.'' Although, the entire Donati clan may disagree that it was quite so funny.
* [[Dramatis Personae]]
* [[Ending Fatigue]]: A common complaint of several operas.
* [[Epic Song]]: What would an opera be without at least one of these?
* [[Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory]]: Individual operas may very well be subject to this, but the entire ''form'' of Opera is actually a product of this. In attempting to revive classical Greek plays to the theatre of the Renaissance era, interested scholars decided that the Greek plays were meant to be sung in their entirety. New works followed suit, and the rest is history.
* [[Femme Fatale]]: All the best diva roles. Special mention goes to Violetta from ''La Traviata''.
* [[Flame War]]: For all the veneer of civilisation in the genre, opera enthusiasts can get just as vicious in defense of their favourite singers and composers as any other fans. Just go have a look at the comments on any opera clip on [[YouTube]].
* [[Gender Bender]]: Not only are many male roles played by women, but many of these men [[Recursive Crossdressing|end up crossdressing]].
* [[Happily Ever After]]: Anything by Mozart or Rossini
** Rossini has had his share of tragic endings as well, in his lesser known 'serious' operas.
* [["I Am" Song]]
* [[Ill Girl]]: Mimi in ''[[La Boheme (Theatre)|La Boheme]]'' and Violetta in ''La Traviata.''. They both have the infamous [[Incurable Cough of Death]]
* [["I Want" Song]]
* [[Irrelevant Act Opener]]: Lots of operas -- often a drinking song
* [[Kill'Em All]]
* [[Large Ham]]: Opera has long been full of hammy divas and divos (many roles, and perhaps the very nature of Romantic opera, lend themselves to this), though singers and productions seem to be averting this trope more and more these days, partly thanks to speakers making it no longer necessary to have [[No Indoor Voice]].
* [[Leitmotif]]: <s>Wagner</s> Wagner commentator Hans von Wolzogen is the [[Trope Namer]], although the concept predated Wagner by quite a while
* [[Love Hurts]]
* [[Love It or Hate It]]: [[Richard Wagner (Creator)|Richard Wagner]]. Composer of the finest music and producer of the best plots ever, or overly bombastic and just too damn long-winded?
* [[Love Triangle]]
* [[The Musical]]: ''[[La Boheme (Theatre)|La Boheme]]'' into ''[[Rent]]'', ''[[Madame Butterfly (Theatre)|Madame Butterfly]]'' into ''[[Miss Saigon]]'', ''La Traviata'' into ''[[Moulin Rouge]]'', and ''Aïda'' into ''[[Aida (Theatre)|Aida]]''
* [[One-Hit Wonder]]: Pietro Mascagni and Ruggero Leoncavallo fall into this category respectively with ''Cavalleria Rusticana'' and ''I Pagliacci''.
** Composers who only wrote one opera include:
*** Béla Bartók: ''Duke Bluebeard's Castle''
*** Ludwig van Beethoven: ''Fidelio''
*** Paul Dukas ([[Fantasia|The Sorcerer's Apprentice]]): ''Ariane et Barbe-bleu'' (three other operas are now lost)
*** Franz Liszt (Hungarian Rhapsody): ''Don Sanche'' -- and it was a '''collaborative effort''' written, no less, when he was in his teens
*** Jean Sibelius: ''The Maiden in the Tower'', composed to ''' a Swedish libretto''' and first performed in '''Helsinki'''
* [[One-Woman Wail]]
* [[Paper-Thin Disguise]]
** [[Necessary Weasel]]. The entire audience, including the rearmost, who are usually 50m or more from the stage, have to understand who the disguised character is.
* [[Public Domain Soundtrack]]: Many, many famous tunes are originally from operas. In particular, the ''[[Ride of the Valkyries (Music)|Ride of the Valkyries]]'' and a number of other [[Standard Snippet|Standard Snippets]] have operatic origins.
* [[Recursive Crossdressing]]: Cherubino from ''[[The Marriage of Figaro (Theatre)|The Marriage of Figaro]]'', Octavian from Strauss's ''[[Der Rosenkavalier (Theatre)|Der Rosenkavalier]]'', and many more.
* [[Recycled Script]]: Several examples, but Rossini was particularly well known for lifting music from one of his operas to another. It was acceptable at the time, as long as the two works didn't premiere in the same town.
* [[Rule of Drama]]: The meeting of the queens in Donizetti's ''Maria Stuarda'', just to name ''one'' example.
* [[Rule of Three]]: Many operas have three acts, especially those of Wagner.
** For Verdi and Puccini, their third operas (respectively with ''Nabucco'' and ''Manon Lescaut'') formally launched their careers.
* [[Shallow Love Interest]]: Very common - as in the Commedia dell'Arte, viewers are given little explanation as to who the inamorati actually are. They're young and in love, which usually sums up both characters' entire personalities (or at least the soprano's).
* [[Sung Through]]: That's kind of the point.
* [[Sweet Polly Oliver]]: ''Fidelio''
* [[Tear Jerker]]: Some operas, especially ones by Puccini, seem engineered specifically to be as heart-rending as possible.
* [[That Makes Me Feel Angry]]: In opera, this trope is pretty much a must-have, since the music is more important than the words and many singers don't bother acting things out too much. Opera is full of ''(insert adjective here) mi sento'' and other status-descriptions
** Or the composer/librettist put it in to give the singer an indication of how the character should feel; singers are expected to act nowadays.
** Also, during the Baroque era, musical drama tended to be structured according to the so-called [[wikipedia:Doctrine of the affections|doctrine of affects]], with consecutive numbers depicting contrasting emotions - a lilting love duet followed by a furious vengeance aria, for instance. If the idea is to juxtapose readily identifiable emotions for maximum effect, it makes sense to flag them in the libretto.
* [[Theme Song Reveal]]: Most notably in Wagner's ''Die Walküre''
* [[True Art Is Angsty]]
* [[Untranslated Title]]: Most of the titles below that are not proper nouns.
* [[Villain Protagonist]]: ''Boris Godunov'', ''[[Don Giovanni (Theatre)|Don Giovanni]]'', ''Faust''
* [[Villain Song]]
* [[What Is This Thing You Call Love?]]: Many characters wonder something similar aloud in trying to understand their feelings; most conclude that, yes, that strange feeling is love indeed
* [[Wig, Dress, Accent]]: Many, many operas
* [[World of Ham]]: Pretty much all of them. An [[Enforced Trope]] back then, since you have to SHOUT for the back audience and [[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?|poetically narrate each little thing that is happening to you while epic music plays]].
* [[Willing Suspension of Disbelief]]: Pretty much a given for all operas ever. Many plots are completely implausible, [[The Casanova]] is often played by a short, fat, middle aged guy, [[The Ingenue]] is often played by a tall, buxom woman, and there's only so much costuming can do. Opera is pretty much built on this trope - generally, the audience is there for the music.
* [[Yandere]]: Many a love rival, of ''both'' genders.
{{examples|Examples appearing in fiction}}


{{examples|Famous operas, sorted by composer, include:}}
* ''[[Amadeus]]'': Several are featured, for obvious reasons
* John Coolidge Adams
* ''[[Artemis Fowl (Literature)|Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony]]'': The book pretty much starts out with Artemis attending an opera, specifically ''Norma'', and commenting on how Butler does not know how to appreciate an opera.
** [[Dr. Atomic]]
* ''[[Dark Knight Trilogy|Batman Begins]]'': Thomas and Martha Wayne -- as well as young Bruce -- see ''Mefistofele''. Little Bruce gets shit scared and they go out...DeathByOriginStory ensues.
** [[Nixon in China]]
* ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'': The Opera House
* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'': In "Nightmares," Willow is supposed to sing the duet from ''Madame Butterfly'' with a world-famous tenor.
* ''[[Citizen Kane (Film)|Citizen Kane]]'': Fictional opera written for Kane's second wife; based on Massenet's ''Thaïs''
* ''[[Discworld]]'': Heavily but [[Affectionate Parody|affectionately]] parodied in ''Maskerade'' -- see page quote
* ''[[The Fifth Element]]'': "Il dolce suono" from Donizetti's ''Lucia di Lammermoor''
* ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'': Contains some original/fictional opera elements
* ''[[Frasier]]'': Both Frasier and Niles are opera buffs
* ''[[Gilligans Island]]'': Cast creates in "The Producer" episode an operatic rendition of [[Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Hamlet]]'', set to the Habanera and Toréador melodies from ''Carmen'' and the Barcarolle from ''The Tales of Hoffmann'').
* ''[[Hellsing]]'': Rip Van Winkle identifies herself with Kaspar from ''[[Der Freischuetz (Theatre)|Der Freischuetz]]''. She even sings a few bits from the opera, [[What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic|but nothing that Kaspar sings.]]
* ''[[Looney Tunes]]'': Featured particularly in "[[Rabbit of Seville]]," "Long-Haired Hare," and, most famously, "[[What's Opera, Doc? (Film)|What's Opera Doc]]" All together now: "[[Ride of the Valkyries (Music)|Kill da wabbit! Kill da wabbit! Kill da wabbit!...]]"
* ''[[Mad Men]]: [[The Marriage of Figaro (Theatre)|The Marriage of Figaro]]''
* ''Milk'': Incorporates the finale of ''[[Tosca (Theatre)|Tosca]]'' at the end
* The video game adaptation of ''[[Parasite Eve]]'' opens at an opera.
* ''[[The Phantom of the Opera]]'' parodies Mozart's ''[[The Marriage of Figaro (Theatre)|The Marriage of Figaro]]'' (''Il Muto'') and ''[[Don Giovanni (Theatre)|Don Giovanni]]'' (''Don Juan Triumphant'')
** In the novel and the silent film, Gounod's ''[[Faust]]'' features in several key scenes.
* In ''[[Philadelphia (Film)|Philadelphia]]'', Andrew Beckett listens to the aria "La mamma morta" from ''Andrea Chénier'' by Umberto Giordano.
* ''[[Pretty Woman]]'': ''La Traviata'' (an opera about a prostitute who falls in love with a rich man).
* ''[[Professor Layton and The Eternal Diva]]'' features, well, a diva. She performs an aria on the soundtrack.
* ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' had a sketch consisting of ''[[Star Trek|Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]'' being performed as an Italian opera.
** Featuring such great lines as "Oh no! My ear! I'm not supposed to get eels in it!"
* ''[[Seinfeld]]'': episode "The Opera" centers around the gang going to a performance of ''Pagliacci''
* ''[[The Simpsons]]'': one episode ("[[The Barber of Seville (Theatre)|Homer of Seville]]") has Homer become an overnight opera star, and includes snippets from several shows.
* ''[[Star Wars]]: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith'' (a literal example of a [[Space Opera]])
* ''The Talented Mr. Ripley'' film version has Ripley watching a production of Tchaikovsky's ''Eugene Onegin.''
* ''The Untouchables'': Al Capone struggles to keep a straight face during ''Pagliacci''
* Alien operas occasionally pop up throughout [[Speculative Fiction]]. [[Star Trek|Klingon]] and [[Babylon 5|Centauri and Narn]] operas spring to mind.
* ''[[Quantum of Solace (Film)|Quantum of Solace]]'': ''[[Tosca (Theatre)|Tosca]]'', probably chosen because of the parallel between its [[Scarpia Ultimatum]] and the General's evil behavior
* Several ''[[Victorian Romance Emma]]'' characters are opera fans. Rossini's ''Barber of Seville'' plays a minor role in the story.
* Much of ''[[The Count of Monte Cristo]]'' takes place in opera houses.
* The [[Marx Brothers]] film ''[[A Night At the Opera]]'' features quite a bit of ''Il Trovatore,'' including the famous Anvil Chorus

=== Famous operas ===

* John Coolidge Adams
** [[Dr. Atomic (Theatre)|Dr. Atomic]]
** [[Nixon in China (Theatre)|Nixon in China]]


* Ludwig van [[Beethoven]]
* Ludwig van [[Beethoven]]
** [[Fidelio (Theatre)|Fidelio]]
** [[Fidelio]]


* Vincenzo Bellini
* Vincenzo Bellini
** Norma, the source of the page image. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBW5a77wINQ Casta Diva is quite famous.]
** Norma, the source of the page image. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBW5a77wINQ Casta Diva is quite famous.]
** I Capuleti e i Montecchi, an adaptation of ''[[Romeo and Juliet (Theatre)|Romeo and Juliet]]''
** I Capuleti e i Montecchi, an adaptation of ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''


* Georges Bizet
* Georges Bizet
** [[Carmen (Theatre)|Carmen]] (you've probably heard [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs0E2CufQ7c the Habanera], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8Ult8x-doE the Toreador song], and perhaps [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_elappgMI9o the overture])
** [[Carmen]] (you've probably heard [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs0E2CufQ7c the Habanera], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8Ult8x-doE the Toreador song], and perhaps [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_elappgMI9o the overture])
** The Pearl Fishers (Les pêcheurs de perles; source of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIVXxRHGtdM this beautiful duet])
** The Pearl Fishers (Les pêcheurs de perles; source of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIVXxRHGtdM this beautiful duet])


* Benjamin Britten
* Benjamin Britten
** [[Billy Budd (Theatre)|Billy Budd]]
** [[Billy Budd (theatre)|Billy Budd]]
** [[Death in Venice (Literature)|Death in Venice]]
** [[Death in Venice]]
** [[Peter Grimes (Theatre)|Peter Grimes]]
** [[Peter Grimes]]


* Gaetano Donizetti
* Gaetano Donizetti
** The Elixir Of Love ("L'elisir d'amore", [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Funp7JTWp2A "Una furtiva lagrima"])
** The Elixir Of Love ("L'elisir d'amore", [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Funp7JTWp2A "Una furtiva lagrima"])
** [[La Fille Du Regiment (Theatre)|La Fille Du Regiment]] ("The Daughter of the Regiment")
** [[La Fille du Régiment|La Fille Du Regiment]] ("The Daughter of the Regiment")
** Lucia Di Lammermoor
** Lucia Di Lammermoor


Line 165: Line 48:


* John Gay
* John Gay
** [[The Beggars Opera (Theatre)|The Beggars Opera]]
** [[The Beggar's Opera|The Beggars Opera]]


* George Gershwin
* George Gershwin
** [[Porgy and Bess (Theatre)|Porgy and Bess]]
** [[Porgy and Bess]]


* Philip Glass
* Philip Glass
Line 176: Line 59:
* Charles Gounod
* Charles Gounod
** [[Faust]]
** [[Faust]]
** [[Romeo and Juliet (Theatre)|Romeo et Juliette]]
** [[Romeo and Juliet|Romeo et Juliette]]


* Georg Friedrich Händel (over 50 music dramas in total; listed are some of his greatest hits)
* Georg Friedrich Händel (over 50 music dramas in total; listed are some of his greatest hits)
** Giulio Cesare In Egitto (Julius Caesar in Egypt; most frequently staged of all Händel's operas)
** Giulio Cesare In Egitto (Julius Caesar in Egypt; most frequently staged of all Händel's operas)
** Rinaldo ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peJxkzPSQFg "Lascia ch'io pianga"])
** Rinaldo ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peJxkzPSQFg "Lascia ch'io pianga"])
Line 188: Line 71:


* Ruggero Leoncavallo
* Ruggero Leoncavallo
** [[Pagliacci (Theatre)|Pagliacci]] ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky271W94VHA "Vesti la giubba"])
** [[Pagliacci]] ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky271W94VHA "Vesti la giubba"])


* Heinrich August Marschner
* Heinrich August Marschner
** ''[[Der Vampyr (Theatre)|Der Vampyr]]''
** ''[[Der Vampyr]]''


* Jules Massenet
* Jules Massenet
Line 198: Line 81:


* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
** [[Cosi Fan Tutte (Theatre)|Cosi Fan Tutte]]
** [[Cosi Fan Tutte]]
** [[Don Giovanni (Theatre)|Don Giovanni]]
** [[Don Giovanni]]
** [[The Magic Flute (Theatre)|The Magic Flute]] (''Die Zauberflöte''; contains the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvuKxL4LOqc Queen of the Night's Aria])
** [[The Magic Flute]] (''Die Zauberflöte''; contains the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvuKxL4LOqc Queen of the Night's Aria])
** ''[[The Marriage of Figaro (Theatre)|The Marriage of Figaro]]'' (''Le nozze di Figaro''; you might recognize [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlh9t7eGh4o the overture], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ_RWdMSX4w "Voi che sapete"], or [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4q4eFboMro "Non più andrai"])
** ''[[The Marriage of Figaro]]'' (''Le nozze di Figaro''; you might recognize [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlh9t7eGh4o the overture], [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ_RWdMSX4w "Voi che sapete"], or [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4q4eFboMro "Non più andrai"])


* Claudio Monteverdi
* Claudio Monteverdi
** Orfeo (oldest opera still regularly performed) (The [[Trope Maker]])
** Orfeo (oldest opera still regularly performed) (The [[Trope Maker]])
** When Monteverdi composed ''L'Orfeo'', Opera as a genre didn't yet exist. The collection of songs to be performed back-to-back was merely advertised as Monteverdi's new "works." The Latin word for works is ''opera'' (plural of ''opus''), and the term has been with us ever since.
** When Monteverdi composed ''L'Orfeo'', Opera as a genre didn't yet exist. The collection of songs to be performed back-to-back was merely advertised as Monteverdi's new "works." The Latin word for works is ''opera'' (plural of ''opus''), and the term has been with us ever since.
Line 211: Line 94:


* Giacomo Puccini
* Giacomo Puccini
** [[La Boheme (Theatre)|La Boheme]] (roughly, The Artistic Life; [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpxXlhTP8os "Che gelida manina"] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0-1sQ0XOGE "O soave fanciulla"])
** [[La Boheme]] (roughly, The Artistic Life; [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpxXlhTP8os "Che gelida manina"] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0-1sQ0XOGE "O soave fanciulla"])
** La Fanciulla Del West (The Girl of the Golden West, based on David Belasco's play)
** La Fanciulla Del West (The Girl of the Golden West, based on David Belasco's play)
** [[Madame Butterfly (Theatre)|Madame Butterfly]] ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVRhuQWS4tc "Un bel dí])
** [[Madame Butterfly]] ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVRhuQWS4tc "Un bel dí])
** Manon Lescaut
** Manon Lescaut
** La Rondine (The Swallow)
** La Rondine (The Swallow)
** [[Tosca (Theatre)|Tosca]] ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RStRJ7ccm4Q "Vissi d'arte"] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mX7ugJ5NM8 "E lucevan le stelle"])
** [[Tosca]] ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RStRJ7ccm4Q "Vissi d'arte"] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mX7ugJ5NM8 "E lucevan le stelle"])
** Il Trittico (The Triptych)
** Il Trittico (The Triptych)
*** Il Tabarro (The Coat)
*** Il Tabarro (The Coat)
Line 224: Line 107:


* [[Gioachino Rossini]]
* [[Gioachino Rossini]]
** [[The Barber of Seville (Theatre)|Il barbiere di Siviglia]] (The Barber of Seville; there's the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_onNwWNaIaI Overture] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmTcmBn56Jk "Largo al factotum"])
** [[The Barber of Seville|Il barbiere di Siviglia]] (The Barber of Seville; there's the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_onNwWNaIaI Overture] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmTcmBn56Jk "Largo al factotum"])
** Guillaume Tell (William Tell; source of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D5SDGjRidY that overture] -- the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHECVnQC7A last part] is the most famous)
** Guillaume Tell (William Tell; source of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D5SDGjRidY that overture]—the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHECVnQC7A last part] is the most famous)
** [[La Cenerentola (Theatre)|La Cenerentola]] (An opera adaptation of Cinderella.)
** [[La Cenerentola]] (An opera adaptation of Cinderella.)
** [[L Italiana in Algeri (Theatre)|L Italiana in Algeri]] (The Italian girl in Algiers)
** [[L'Italiana in Algeri]] (The Italian girl in Algiers)


* Bedřich Smetana
* Bedřich Smetana
Line 233: Line 116:


* [[Stephen Sondheim]]
* [[Stephen Sondheim]]
** [[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Theatre)|Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]] (originally a Broadway [[The Musical|musical]], but now frequently performed by "serious" opera companies)
** [[Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (theatre)|Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street]] (originally a Broadway [[The Musical|musical]], but now frequently performed by "serious" opera companies)


* Johann Strauss, Jr.
* Johann Strauss, Jr.
Line 245: Line 128:
** Elektra
** Elektra
** Die Frau Ohne Schatten (The Lady Without A Shadow)
** Die Frau Ohne Schatten (The Lady Without A Shadow)
** [[Der Rosenkavalier (Theatre)|Der Rosenkavalier]] (The Cavalier of the Rose)
** [[Der Rosenkavalier]] (The Cavalier of the Rose)
** [[Salome (Theatre)|Salome]] (after the Oscar Wilde play)
** [[Salome]] (after the Oscar Wilde play)


* [[Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky]]
* [[Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky]]
Line 253: Line 136:


* [[Giuseppe Verdi]]
* [[Giuseppe Verdi]]
** [[Aida (Theatre)|Aida]] (the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMCQgzsQ5uw Triumphal March])
** [[Aida]] (the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMCQgzsQ5uw Triumphal March])
** Un Ballo In Maschera
** Un Ballo In Maschera
** [[Don Carlo (Theatre)|Don Carlo]]
** [[Don Carlo]]
** Falstaff
** Falstaff
** La Forza Del Destino
** La Forza Del Destino
** [[Macbeth (Theatre)|Macbeth]]
** [[Macbeth]]
** Nabucco
** Nabucco
** Otello (''someone'' was a Shakespeare fanboy)
** Otello (''someone'' was a Shakespeare fanboy)
** [[Rigoletto (Theatre)|Rigoletto]] (source of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A3zetSuYRg "La donna e mobile"], another often quoted tune)
** [[Rigoletto]] (source of [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A3zetSuYRg "La donna e mobile"], another often quoted tune)
** Simon Boccanegra
** Simon Boccanegra
** [[La Traviata (Theatre)|La Traviata]] (based on ''La Dame aux camelias'' by the younger [[Alexandre Dumas (Creator)|Alexandre Dumas]]. It has [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcKdnkGBSgA Il Brindisi] aka the Drinking Song and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C58XiYewTlE Sempre libera])
** [[La Traviata]] (based on ''La Dame aux camelias'' by the younger [[Alexandre Dumas]]. It has [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcKdnkGBSgA Il Brindisi] aka the Drinking Song and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C58XiYewTlE Sempre libera])
** [[Il Trovatore (Theatre)|Il Trovatore]] (the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXFZckzjcKw Anvil Chorus] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0_UG2UnM7o "Di quella pira"])
** [[Il Trovatore]] (the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXFZckzjcKw Anvil Chorus] and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0_UG2UnM7o "Di quella pira"])
** I Vespri Siciliani
** I Vespri Siciliani


* [[Richard Wagner (Creator)|Richard Wagner]]
* [[Richard Wagner]]
** Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman)
** Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman)
** Lohengrin -- Source of the [[wikipedia:Bridal Chorus|Bridal Chorus]]
** Lohengrin—Source of the [[wikipedia:Bridal Chorus|Bridal Chorus]]
** Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Master-singers of Nuremberg)
** Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Master-singers of Nuremberg)
** Parsifal
** Parsifal
** [[The Ring of the Nibelung (Theatre)|The Ring of the Nibelung]] (Der Ring des Nibelungen, often referred to as the Ring Cycle)
** [[The Ring of the Nibelung]] (Der Ring des Nibelungen, often referred to as the Ring Cycle)
*** Das Rheingold (The Rhine-gold)
*** Das Rheingold (The Rhine-gold)
*** Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) -- Source of the ''[[Ride of the Valkyries (Music)|Ride of the Valkyries]]''
*** Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) -- Source of the ''[[Ride of the Valkyries]]''
*** Siegfried
*** Siegfried
*** Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods) -- working title ''Siegfrieds Tod'' (Siegfried's Death)
*** Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods) -- working title ''Siegfrieds Tod'' (Siegfried's Death)
** [[Tannhaeuser (Theatre)|Tannhaeuser]] und der Sängerkrieg auf Wartburg (Tannhäuser and the Song Contest at the Wartburg)
** [[Tannhaeuser]] und der Sängerkrieg auf Wartburg (Tannhäuser and the Song Contest at the Wartburg)
** Tristan und Isolde (Tristram and Iseult)
** Tristan und Isolde (Tristram and Iseult)


* Carl Maria von Weber
* Carl Maria von Weber
** [[Der Freischuetz (Theatre)|Der Freischuetz]]
** [[Der Freischütz]]


* Kurt Weill
* Kurt Weill
** Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny ([[The Rise and Fall of The City of Mahagonny (Theatre)|The Rise and Fall of The City of Mahagonny]])
** Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny ([[The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny]])
** [[Street Scene (Theatre)|Street Scene]] (original considered a musical, now often performed as an opera)
** [[Street Scene]] (original considered a musical, now often performed as an opera)
** [[The Threepenny Opera (Theatre)|The Threepenny Opera]]
** [[The Threepenny Opera]]

{{tropelist|Tropes typical of opera include:}}
* [[Aesop]]
** [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in Donizetti's ''Don Pasquale''
** And in Stravinsky's ''A Rake's Progress''
** And in [[Gioachino Rossini|Rossini's]] ''Il Turco in Italia''
** In [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart's]] ''[[Don Giovanni]]'', one was apparently [[Enforced]]. ([[Love It or Hate It|Opinions vary wildly]] on whether it's better when performed with or without it.)
* [[All There in the Manual]] Without a program, good luck trying to understand what's going on on stage.
** MANY modern opera houses (Especially in Germany) show the text right above the stage, and some fancy opera houses even have a small screen on the back of the seats with the text in several selectable languages.
*** Performing opera in translation has disadvantages too. It's often just as hard to make out the words, and when you can the effect isn't always what it might be. For example, to an English ear Tosca (in [[Tosca|one of the rare operas with a stonking good story]]) may sound dramatic when she sings 'Mori! Mori! Mori! ... È morto.' but translated into English this becomes 'Die! Die! Die! ... He's dead.' 'Nuff said.
* [[All Musicals Are Adaptations]]
* [[Blood-Splattered Wedding Dress]]: Poor, ''poor'' {{spoiler|Lucia di Lammermoor.}}
* [[Camp]]: Especially in [[Richard Strauss]] operas)
* [[Classical Mythology]]: Baroque (1601-1750) operas tended to draw on these for their plots.
* [[Creator Couple]]: Practically every opera by Vincenzo Bellini that you will see (except his last, ''I Puritani'') has a libretto by Felice Romani.
* [[Crosscast Role]]: There are many "trouser roles" for women playing men and several "skirt roles" for men playing women.
** In the Baroque period (Opera's earliest century-and-a-half), female roles were often played by male castrati. (And, yes, a ''castrato'' is [[Nightmare Fuel|exactly what you think it is]].)
* [[Dark Reprise]]
* [[Dawson Casting]]: Due to the physical requirements and amount of training involved, teenage characters like Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly) or Salome are almost always portrayed by singers in their twenties or older. And teenage ''boys'' are generally played by [[Cross-Dressing Voices|adult women]], usually mezzo-sopranos.
** Sometimes averted with less demanding roles such as Barbarina from ''[[The Marriage of Figaro]]'', who is occasionally played by a high-school aged singer.
* [[Damsel in Distress]]
* [[Deus Angst Machina]]
* [[Deus Ex Machina]]
* [[Downer Ending]]: Anything by Puccini or Verdi
** [[Bittersweet Ending]]: In the rare cases it's not.
** ''Anything'' by Puccini... excepting the chamber comedy ''Gianni Schicchi.'' Although, the entire Donati clan may disagree that it was quite so funny.
* [[Dramatis Personae]]
* [[Ending Fatigue]]: A common complaint of several operas.
* [[Epic Song]]: What would an opera be without at least one of these?
* [[Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory]]: Individual operas may very well be subject to this, but the entire ''form'' of Opera is actually a product of this. In attempting to revive classical Greek plays to the theatre of the Renaissance era, interested scholars decided that the Greek plays were meant to be sung in their entirety. New works followed suit, and the rest is history.
* [[Femme Fatale]]: All the best diva roles. Special mention goes to Violetta from ''La Traviata''.
* [[Flame War]]: For all the veneer of civilisation in the genre, opera enthusiasts can get just as vicious in defense of their favourite singers and composers as any other fans. Just go have a look at the comments on any opera clip on [[YouTube]].
* [[Gender Bender]]: Not only are many male roles played by women, but many of these men [[Recursive Crossdressing|end up crossdressing]].
* [[Happily Ever After]]: Anything by Mozart or Rossini
** Rossini has had his share of tragic endings as well, in his lesser known 'serious' operas.
* [["I Am" Song]]
* [[Ill Girl]]: Mimi in ''[[La Boheme]]'' and Violetta in ''La Traviata.''. They both have the infamous [[Incurable Cough of Death]]
* [["I Want" Song]]
* [[Irrelevant Act Opener]]: Lots of operas—often a drinking song
* [[Kill'Em All]]
* [[Large Ham]]: Opera has long been full of hammy divas and divos (many roles, and perhaps the very nature of Romantic opera, lend themselves to this), though singers and productions seem to be averting this trope more and more these days, partly thanks to speakers making it no longer necessary to have [[No Indoor Voice]].
* [[Leitmotif]]: <s>Wagner</s> Wagner commentator Hans von Wolzogen is the [[Trope Namer]], although the concept predated Wagner by quite a while
* [[Love Hurts]]
* [[Love It or Hate It]]: [[Richard Wagner]]. Composer of the finest music and producer of the best plots ever, or overly bombastic and just too damn long-winded?
* [[Love Triangle]]
* [[The Musical]]: ''[[La Boheme]]'' into ''[[Rent]]'', ''[[Madame Butterfly]]'' into ''[[Miss Saigon]]'', ''La Traviata'' into ''[[Moulin Rouge]]'', and ''Aïda'' into ''[[Aida]]''
* [[One-Hit Wonder]]: Pietro Mascagni and Ruggero Leoncavallo fall into this category respectively with ''Cavalleria Rusticana'' and ''I Pagliacci''.
** Composers who only wrote one opera include:
*** Béla Bartók: ''Duke Bluebeard's Castle''
*** Ludwig van Beethoven: ''Fidelio''
*** Paul Dukas ([[Fantasia|The Sorcerer's Apprentice]]): ''Ariane et Barbe-bleu'' (three other operas are now lost)
*** Franz Liszt (Hungarian Rhapsody): ''Don Sanche''—and it was a '''collaborative effort''' written, no less, when he was in his teens
*** Jean Sibelius: ''The Maiden in the Tower'', composed to ''' a Swedish libretto''' and first performed in '''Helsinki'''
* [[One-Woman Wail]]
* [[Paper-Thin Disguise]]
** [[Necessary Weasel]]. The entire audience, including the rearmost, who are usually 50m or more from the stage, have to understand who the disguised character is.
* [[Public Domain Soundtrack]]: Many, many famous tunes are originally from operas. In particular, the ''[[Ride of the Valkyries]]'' and a number of other [[Standard Snippet]]s have operatic origins.
* [[Recursive Crossdressing]]: Cherubino from ''[[The Marriage of Figaro]]'', Octavian from Strauss's ''[[Der Rosenkavalier]]'', and many more.
* [[Recycled Script]]: Several examples, but Rossini was particularly well known for lifting music from one of his operas to another. It was acceptable at the time, as long as the two works didn't premiere in the same town.
* [[Rule of Drama]]: The meeting of the queens in Donizetti's ''Maria Stuarda'', just to name ''one'' example.
* [[Rule of Three]]: Many operas have three acts, especially those of Wagner.
** For Verdi and Puccini, their third operas (respectively with ''Nabucco'' and ''Manon Lescaut'') formally launched their careers.
* [[Shallow Love Interest]]: Very common - as in the Commedia dell'Arte, viewers are given little explanation as to who the inamorati actually are. They're young and in love, which usually sums up both characters' entire personalities (or at least the soprano's).
* [[Sung Through]]: That's kind of the point.
* [[Sweet Polly Oliver]]: ''Fidelio''
* [[Tear Jerker]]: Some operas, especially ones by Puccini, seem engineered specifically to be as heart-rending as possible.
* [[That Makes Me Feel Angry]]: In opera, this trope is pretty much a must-have, since the music is more important than the words and many singers don't bother acting things out too much. Opera is full of ''(insert adjective here) mi sento'' and other status-descriptions
** Or the composer/librettist put it in to give the singer an indication of how the character should feel; singers are expected to act nowadays.
** Also, during the Baroque era, musical drama tended to be structured according to the so-called [[wikipedia:Doctrine of the affections|doctrine of affects]], with consecutive numbers depicting contrasting emotions - a lilting love duet followed by a furious vengeance aria, for instance. If the idea is to juxtapose readily identifiable emotions for maximum effect, it makes sense to flag them in the libretto.
* [[Theme Song Reveal]]: Most notably in Wagner's ''Die Walküre''
* [[True Art Is Angsty]]
* [[Untranslated Title]]: Most of the titles below that are not proper nouns.
* [[Villain Protagonist]]: ''Boris Godunov'', ''[[Don Giovanni]]'', ''Faust''
* [[Villain Song]]
* [[What Is This Thing You Call Love?]]: Many characters wonder something similar aloud in trying to understand their feelings; most conclude that, yes, that strange feeling is love indeed
* [[Wig, Dress, Accent]]: Many, many operas
* [[World of Ham]]: Pretty much all of them. An [[Enforced Trope]] back then, since you have to SHOUT for the back audience and [[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?|poetically narrate each little thing that is happening to you while epic music plays]].
* [[Willing Suspension of Disbelief]]: Pretty much a given for all operas ever. Many plots are completely implausible, [[The Casanova]] is often played by a short, fat, middle aged guy, [[The Ingenue]] is often played by a tall, buxom woman, and there's only so much costuming can do. Opera is pretty much built on this trope - generally, the audience is there for the music.
* [[Yandere]]: Many a love rival, of ''both'' genders.

{{examples|Examples appearing in fiction include:}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* ''[[Hellsing]]'': Rip Van Winkle identifies herself with Kaspar from ''[[Der Freischütz]]''. She even sings a few bits from the opera, [[What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic|but nothing that Kaspar sings.]]
* Several ''[[Victorian Romance Emma]]'' characters are opera fans. Rossini's ''[[The Barber of Seville]]'' plays a minor role in the story.

== [[Film]] ==
* ''[[Amadeus]]'': Several are featured, for obvious reasons
* ''[[Dark Knight Trilogy|Batman Begins]]'': Thomas and Martha Wayne—as well as young Bruce—see ''Mefistofele''. Little Bruce gets shit scared and they go out... [[Death by Origin Story]] ensues.
* ''[[Citizen Kane]]'': Fictional opera written for Kane's second wife; based on Massenet's ''Thaïs''
* ''[[The Fifth Element]]'': "Il dolce suono" from Donizetti's ''Lucia di Lammermoor''
* ''[[Milk]]'': Incorporates the finale of ''[[Tosca]]'' at the end.
* In ''[[Philadelphia (film)|Philadelphia]]'', Andrew Beckett listens to the aria "La mamma morta" from ''Andrea Chénier'' by Umberto Giordano.
* ''[[Pretty Woman]]'': ''La Traviata'' (an opera about a prostitute who falls in love with a rich man).
* ''[[Professor Layton and The Eternal Diva]]'' features, well, a diva. She performs an aria on the soundtrack.
* ''[[Star Wars]]: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith'' (a literal example of a [[Space Opera]]).
* ''[[Quantum of Solace]]'': ''[[Tosca]]'', probably chosen because of the parallel between its [[Scarpia Ultimatum]] and the General's evil behavior.
* The [[Marx Brothers]] film ''[[A Night at the Opera]]'' features quite a bit of ''Il Trovatore,'' including the famous Anvil Chorus.

== [[Literature]] ==
* ''[[Artemis Fowl|Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony]]'': The book pretty much starts out with Artemis attending an opera, specifically ''Norma'', and commenting on how Butler does not know how to appreciate an opera.
* ''[[Discworld]]'': Heavily but [[Affectionate Parody|affectionately]] parodied in ''[[Maskerade]]'' — see this page's quote.
* ''[[The Phantom of the Opera]]'' parodies Mozart's ''[[The Marriage of Figaro]]'' (''Il Muto'') and ''[[Don Giovanni]]'' (''Don Juan Triumphant'')
** In the novel and the silent film, Gounod's ''[[Faust]]'' features in several key scenes.
* ''[[The Talented Mr. Ripley]]'' film version has Ripley watching a production of Tchaikovsky's ''Eugene Onegin.''
* Much of ''[[The Count of Monte Cristo (novel)|The Count of Monte Cristo]]'' takes place in opera houses.

== [[Live-Action TV]] ==
* The remake of ''[[Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)| Battlestar Galactica]]'': The Opera House
* ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'': In "Nightmares," Willow is supposed to sing the duet from ''Madame Butterfly'' with a world-famous tenor.
* ''[[Frasier]]'': Both Frasier and Niles are opera buffs
* ''[[Gilligan's Island]]'': Cast creates in "The Producer" episode an operatic rendition of [[Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Hamlet]]'', set to the Habanera and Toréador melodies from ''Carmen'' and the Barcarolle from ''The Tales of Hoffmann'').
* ''[[Mad Men]]: [[The Marriage of Figaro]]''
* ''[[Seinfeld]]'': episode "The Opera" centers around the gang going to a performance of ''Pagliacci''
* ''[[The Untouchables]]'': Al Capone struggles to keep a straight face during ''Pagliacci''
* Alien opera occasionally pops up throughout [[Speculative Fiction]]. [[Star Trek|Klingon]] and [[Babylon 5|Centauri and Narn]] operas spring to mind.

== [[Video Games]] ==
* ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'': Contains some original/fictional opera elements
* The video game adaptation of ''[[Parasite Eve]]'' opens at an opera.

== [[Western Animation]] ==
* ''[[Looney Tunes]]'': Featured particularly in "[[Rabbit of Seville]]," "Long-Haired Hare," and, most famously, "[[What's Opera, Doc?]]" All together now: "[[Ride of the Valkyries|Kill da wabbit! Kill da wabbit! Kill da wabbit!]]"
* ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' had a sketch consisting of ''[[Star Trek|Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan]]'' being performed as an Italian opera.
** Featuring such great lines as "Oh no! My ear! I'm not supposed to get eels in it!"
* ''[[The Simpsons (animation)|The Simpsons]]'': one episode ("[[The Barber of Seville|Homer of Seville]]") has Homer become an overnight opera star, and includes snippets from several shows.



{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Theater]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
[[Category:Genre Tropes]]
[[Category:Genre Tropes]]
[[Category:Musical Number Index]]
[[Category:Musical Number Index]]
[[Category:Music Tropes]]
[[Category:Music Tropes]]
[[Category:index]]
[[Category:Index]]
[[Category:Opera]]
[[Category:Theatre]]

Latest revision as of 19:27, 17 August 2023


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    /wiki/Operawork
    Opera legend Maria Callas in the supreme diva role, Norma
    "Opera is when a guy gets stabbed and instead of bleeding, he sings."
    —Ed Gardner
    "Well, basically there are two sorts of operas. There's your heavy opera, where basically people sing foreign and it goes like 'Oh oh oh, I am dyin', oh, I am dyin', oh, oh, oh, that's what I'm doin', and there's your light opera, where they sing in foreign and it basically goes 'Beer! Beer! Beer! Beer! I like to drink lots of beer!' although sometimes they drink champagne instead. That's basically all of opera, really."
    —Nanny Ogg, Maskerade

    Opera has been around since the end of the 16th century and still going strong(ish — hardly anything composed in the last half-century has entered the standard repertoire). Most basically, opera is musical theater — just (generally) within the classical idiom; dialogue is usually sung rather than spoken. Major opera composers include Mozart, Handel, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini and Richard Strauss, though there are, of course, many more.

    The opera genre is as varied as any other. Some operas have incredibly well-crafted lyrics and story lines that are true works of art, while others are not quite as brilliant. Many operas are comedies, and even the serious ones tend to have at least some humorous parts.

    That said, the opera genre is known for featuring many a work with extremely drawn-out texts focusing on a single (often trivial) theme. As a result, opera texts (libretti) are often mocked, and in many cases it's mainly the quality of the music that makes an opera work, along with the same thing you need for any theatrical production: committed performers bringing the art form to life on stage. Movies have car chases, rock songs have guitar solos, and operas have death-arias (the soprano frequently dies). In fact, both Anna Russell and B.J. Ward (in her one-woman show, Stand-Up Opera) have made entire comedy routines of poking fun at opera tropes.

    Several modern films and other works have been created as operas (that is, entirely consisting of sung dialogue). The most famous "serious" opera film is probably The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, starring Catherine Deneuve. A very modern example is Repo! The Genetic Opera, which transplants the style into industrial sci-fi horror. The term Rock Opera is thrown around at times for a sub-genre of the themed Concept Album, but most "rock operas" are not produced for the stage (with an exception or two). The nearest thing to a modern successor to opera is Broadway-style Musical Theater. Indeed, musicals can trace their origins to opera through the operatic subgenre of operetta or light opera, which, as its name implies, is light in terms of subject matter (i.e. it's funny) and music, and often feature a good deal more plain dialogue than ordinary operas. The works of Gilbert and Sullivan are generally considered transitional, as while they considered their works to be comic operas, they would probably be called musicals if produced today.

    Used in movies and TV shows to add a touch of class. Or just something artsy. Or for the cast to get bored and fall asleep, which is something that can't be done (too loud).

    Not to be confused with Oprah. Nor with the Web browser. Definitely not a defunct Canadian radio program.

    Famous operas, sorted by composer, include:
    • Antonín Dvořák
      • Rusalka
    • Philip Glass
      • Einstein On The Beach
      • Akhnaten
    • Georg Friedrich Händel (over 50 music dramas in total; listed are some of his greatest hits)
    • Leoš Janáček
      • Jenufa
      • Kát'a Kabanová
    • Jules Massenet
      • Manon
      • Thais
    • Claudio Monteverdi
      • Orfeo (oldest opera still regularly performed) (The Trope Maker)
      • When Monteverdi composed L'Orfeo, Opera as a genre didn't yet exist. The collection of songs to be performed back-to-back was merely advertised as Monteverdi's new "works." The Latin word for works is opera (plural of opus), and the term has been with us ever since.
    • Amilcare Ponchielli
    • Bedřich Smetana
      • Prodaná nevesta (The Bartered Bride)
    • Johann Strauss, Jr.
      • Die Fledermaus
    • Richard Strauss
      • Die ägyptische Helena (Helen [of Troy] in Egypt)
      • Arabella
      • Ariadne Auf Naxos (Ariadne on Naxos)
      • Daphne
      • Elektra
      • Die Frau Ohne Schatten (The Lady Without A Shadow)
      • Der Rosenkavalier (The Cavalier of the Rose)
      • Salome (after the Oscar Wilde play)
    • Richard Wagner
      • Der fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman)
      • Lohengrin—Source of the Bridal Chorus
      • Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (The Master-singers of Nuremberg)
      • Parsifal
      • The Ring of the Nibelung (Der Ring des Nibelungen, often referred to as the Ring Cycle)
        • Das Rheingold (The Rhine-gold)
        • Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) -- Source of the Ride of the Valkyries
        • Siegfried
        • Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods) -- working title Siegfrieds Tod (Siegfried's Death)
      • Tannhaeuser und der Sängerkrieg auf Wartburg (Tannhäuser and the Song Contest at the Wartburg)
      • Tristan und Isolde (Tristram and Iseult)
    Tropes typical of opera include:
    • Aesop
    • All There in the Manual Without a program, good luck trying to understand what's going on on stage.
      • MANY modern opera houses (Especially in Germany) show the text right above the stage, and some fancy opera houses even have a small screen on the back of the seats with the text in several selectable languages.
        • Performing opera in translation has disadvantages too. It's often just as hard to make out the words, and when you can the effect isn't always what it might be. For example, to an English ear Tosca (in one of the rare operas with a stonking good story) may sound dramatic when she sings 'Mori! Mori! Mori! ... È morto.' but translated into English this becomes 'Die! Die! Die! ... He's dead.' 'Nuff said.
    • All Musicals Are Adaptations
    • Blood-Splattered Wedding Dress: Poor, poor Lucia di Lammermoor.
    • Camp: Especially in Richard Strauss operas)
    • Classical Mythology: Baroque (1601-1750) operas tended to draw on these for their plots.
    • Creator Couple: Practically every opera by Vincenzo Bellini that you will see (except his last, I Puritani) has a libretto by Felice Romani.
    • Crosscast Role: There are many "trouser roles" for women playing men and several "skirt roles" for men playing women.
      • In the Baroque period (Opera's earliest century-and-a-half), female roles were often played by male castrati. (And, yes, a castrato is exactly what you think it is.)
    • Dark Reprise
    • Dawson Casting: Due to the physical requirements and amount of training involved, teenage characters like Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly) or Salome are almost always portrayed by singers in their twenties or older. And teenage boys are generally played by adult women, usually mezzo-sopranos.
      • Sometimes averted with less demanding roles such as Barbarina from The Marriage of Figaro, who is occasionally played by a high-school aged singer.
    • Damsel in Distress
    • Deus Angst Machina
    • Deus Ex Machina
    • Downer Ending: Anything by Puccini or Verdi
      • Bittersweet Ending: In the rare cases it's not.
      • Anything by Puccini... excepting the chamber comedy Gianni Schicchi. Although, the entire Donati clan may disagree that it was quite so funny.
    • Dramatis Personae
    • Ending Fatigue: A common complaint of several operas.
    • Epic Song: What would an opera be without at least one of these?
    • Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory: Individual operas may very well be subject to this, but the entire form of Opera is actually a product of this. In attempting to revive classical Greek plays to the theatre of the Renaissance era, interested scholars decided that the Greek plays were meant to be sung in their entirety. New works followed suit, and the rest is history.
    • Femme Fatale: All the best diva roles. Special mention goes to Violetta from La Traviata.
    • Flame War: For all the veneer of civilisation in the genre, opera enthusiasts can get just as vicious in defense of their favourite singers and composers as any other fans. Just go have a look at the comments on any opera clip on YouTube.
    • Gender Bender: Not only are many male roles played by women, but many of these men end up crossdressing.
    • Happily Ever After: Anything by Mozart or Rossini
      • Rossini has had his share of tragic endings as well, in his lesser known 'serious' operas.
    • "I Am" Song
    • Ill Girl: Mimi in La Boheme and Violetta in La Traviata.. They both have the infamous Incurable Cough of Death
    • "I Want" Song
    • Irrelevant Act Opener: Lots of operas—often a drinking song
    • Kill'Em All
    • Large Ham: Opera has long been full of hammy divas and divos (many roles, and perhaps the very nature of Romantic opera, lend themselves to this), though singers and productions seem to be averting this trope more and more these days, partly thanks to speakers making it no longer necessary to have No Indoor Voice.
    • Leitmotif: Wagner Wagner commentator Hans von Wolzogen is the Trope Namer, although the concept predated Wagner by quite a while
    • Love Hurts
    • Love It or Hate It: Richard Wagner. Composer of the finest music and producer of the best plots ever, or overly bombastic and just too damn long-winded?
    • Love Triangle
    • The Musical: La Boheme into Rent, Madame Butterfly into Miss Saigon, La Traviata into Moulin Rouge, and Aïda into Aida
    • One-Hit Wonder: Pietro Mascagni and Ruggero Leoncavallo fall into this category respectively with Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci.
      • Composers who only wrote one opera include:
        • Béla Bartók: Duke Bluebeard's Castle
        • Ludwig van Beethoven: Fidelio
        • Paul Dukas (The Sorcerer's Apprentice): Ariane et Barbe-bleu (three other operas are now lost)
        • Franz Liszt (Hungarian Rhapsody): Don Sanche—and it was a collaborative effort written, no less, when he was in his teens
        • Jean Sibelius: The Maiden in the Tower, composed to a Swedish libretto and first performed in Helsinki
    • One-Woman Wail
    • Paper-Thin Disguise
      • Necessary Weasel. The entire audience, including the rearmost, who are usually 50m or more from the stage, have to understand who the disguised character is.
    • Public Domain Soundtrack: Many, many famous tunes are originally from operas. In particular, the Ride of the Valkyries and a number of other Standard Snippets have operatic origins.
    • Recursive Crossdressing: Cherubino from The Marriage of Figaro, Octavian from Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier, and many more.
    • Recycled Script: Several examples, but Rossini was particularly well known for lifting music from one of his operas to another. It was acceptable at the time, as long as the two works didn't premiere in the same town.
    • Rule of Drama: The meeting of the queens in Donizetti's Maria Stuarda, just to name one example.
    • Rule of Three: Many operas have three acts, especially those of Wagner.
      • For Verdi and Puccini, their third operas (respectively with Nabucco and Manon Lescaut) formally launched their careers.
    • Shallow Love Interest: Very common - as in the Commedia dell'Arte, viewers are given little explanation as to who the inamorati actually are. They're young and in love, which usually sums up both characters' entire personalities (or at least the soprano's).
    • Sung Through: That's kind of the point.
    • Sweet Polly Oliver: Fidelio
    • Tear Jerker: Some operas, especially ones by Puccini, seem engineered specifically to be as heart-rending as possible.
    • That Makes Me Feel Angry: In opera, this trope is pretty much a must-have, since the music is more important than the words and many singers don't bother acting things out too much. Opera is full of (insert adjective here) mi sento and other status-descriptions
      • Or the composer/librettist put it in to give the singer an indication of how the character should feel; singers are expected to act nowadays.
      • Also, during the Baroque era, musical drama tended to be structured according to the so-called doctrine of affects, with consecutive numbers depicting contrasting emotions - a lilting love duet followed by a furious vengeance aria, for instance. If the idea is to juxtapose readily identifiable emotions for maximum effect, it makes sense to flag them in the libretto.
    • Theme Song Reveal: Most notably in Wagner's Die Walküre
    • True Art Is Angsty
    • Untranslated Title: Most of the titles below that are not proper nouns.
    • Villain Protagonist: Boris Godunov, Don Giovanni, Faust
    • Villain Song
    • What Is This Thing You Call Love?: Many characters wonder something similar aloud in trying to understand their feelings; most conclude that, yes, that strange feeling is love indeed
    • Wig, Dress, Accent: Many, many operas
    • World of Ham: Pretty much all of them. An Enforced Trope back then, since you have to SHOUT for the back audience and poetically narrate each little thing that is happening to you while epic music plays.
    • Willing Suspension of Disbelief: Pretty much a given for all operas ever. Many plots are completely implausible, The Casanova is often played by a short, fat, middle aged guy, The Ingenue is often played by a tall, buxom woman, and there's only so much costuming can do. Opera is pretty much built on this trope - generally, the audience is there for the music.
    • Yandere: Many a love rival, of both genders.
    Examples appearing in fiction include:

    Anime and Manga

    Film

    Literature

    Live-Action TV

    Video Games

    Western Animation


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