Musicals vs Operas
Mon, 10 Sept 2001, 12:39 amWalter Plinge26 posts in thread
Musicals vs Operas
Mon, 10 Sept 2001, 12:39 amJust to kick-start this brand-spanking new section (thanks Granty!), I thought I'd pose the toughest question there is in this area..... just what the hell is the difference between a musical and an opera?
Given that we are all eargerly awaiting the arrival of "Les Miserables" at the Regal (some more eagerly than others though, I have to say), and that that production features opera-type dudes like David Dockery and Justin Freind right alongside your more musical-theatre-type broads like Amanda Chesterton and Gillian Binks, I was wondering where people drew the line.
Is "Les Mes" an opera? Is "Threepenny Opera" a musical? Or vice versa? Or neither?
Thoughts, people!
D.M.
Given that we are all eargerly awaiting the arrival of "Les Miserables" at the Regal (some more eagerly than others though, I have to say), and that that production features opera-type dudes like David Dockery and Justin Freind right alongside your more musical-theatre-type broads like Amanda Chesterton and Gillian Binks, I was wondering where people drew the line.
Is "Les Mes" an opera? Is "Threepenny Opera" a musical? Or vice versa? Or neither?
Thoughts, people!
D.M.
RE: Musicals vs Operas
Mon, 10 Sept 2001, 11:41 amI'd have to say that the way I differentiate is purely and simply with the vocal quality that is used. 'Candide' by Bernstein is classified as an opera, whereas 'West Side Story' and 'On the Town' by the same composer are definitely musicals, despite the fact that there is not much difference in the keys, tone sets and tessituras used in all three. The main difference is that you have the 'lofty', low larynx, high soft palate, vowel heavy classical sound in the opera, and twangy, high larynx belters and legit singers in the two musicals, with more emphasis on consonants. There is also more talking in the two musicals, but then Messers Lloyd-Webber, Rice, Boubil, & Shoenberg have changed the goalposts dramatically there if you're using that as a guage.
Les Mis is definitely a musical - because of the vocal qualities used. Even the opera types like David, Justin and Simon are going for a much twangier 'flatter' sound than they will be using, say, in Marriage of Figaro. Then there are your stock standard belters like me and Gill who leave no question as to which genre the show is set in. Andrew Lloyd-Webber has an annoying tendency to refer to his musicals as 'operas' but quite frankly, I don't think the emporer is wearing any clothes. As long as he keeps casting belters like Elaine Paige and legit sopranos like Sarah Brightman and Marina Prior, they are sung-through musicals. Full stop.
The Threepenny Opera...weeell. Kurt Weill I'd almost say is a genre all on his own, with his jazz-derived music, smutty lyrics, and songs for women in incredibly low keys. Let's just say, if it's Ute Lemper singing it, it's a musical. If it's Ana Sofie Von Otter (in mezzo mode) it's an opera.
And, as a last word, if you cast Les Mis with opera singers, it would still be a musical, but you'd get no audiences, because I'd burn the theatre down before you went up, Meadows, so don't even think about it. Eponine & Fantine have to be belters, and Valjean has to have the edgier music theatre 'sound' - there's no way a hardened criminal would have a beautiful classical tenor voice. Likewise, however, I wouldn't cast 'La Boheme' with musical theatre singers. I guess that's where another differentiation could be made - is vocal line taking precedence (opera) or is text more important (musicals and, I controversially suggest, Gilbert and Sullivan)?
Amanda Chesterton
PS If any one uses this discussion as another 'opera is better than musical theatre' argument, by God I shall get violent...
Les Mis is definitely a musical - because of the vocal qualities used. Even the opera types like David, Justin and Simon are going for a much twangier 'flatter' sound than they will be using, say, in Marriage of Figaro. Then there are your stock standard belters like me and Gill who leave no question as to which genre the show is set in. Andrew Lloyd-Webber has an annoying tendency to refer to his musicals as 'operas' but quite frankly, I don't think the emporer is wearing any clothes. As long as he keeps casting belters like Elaine Paige and legit sopranos like Sarah Brightman and Marina Prior, they are sung-through musicals. Full stop.
The Threepenny Opera...weeell. Kurt Weill I'd almost say is a genre all on his own, with his jazz-derived music, smutty lyrics, and songs for women in incredibly low keys. Let's just say, if it's Ute Lemper singing it, it's a musical. If it's Ana Sofie Von Otter (in mezzo mode) it's an opera.
And, as a last word, if you cast Les Mis with opera singers, it would still be a musical, but you'd get no audiences, because I'd burn the theatre down before you went up, Meadows, so don't even think about it. Eponine & Fantine have to be belters, and Valjean has to have the edgier music theatre 'sound' - there's no way a hardened criminal would have a beautiful classical tenor voice. Likewise, however, I wouldn't cast 'La Boheme' with musical theatre singers. I guess that's where another differentiation could be made - is vocal line taking precedence (opera) or is text more important (musicals and, I controversially suggest, Gilbert and Sullivan)?
Amanda Chesterton
PS If any one uses this discussion as another 'opera is better than musical theatre' argument, by God I shall get violent...
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