Giacomo Puccini: Turandot

Similarly to Noh, opera is a bit more than just music. Opera is a story given to the listener, a majority of which is done in sung form. What causes it to stand alone, and not just be a "play," is its distinct use of human voice throughout the songs, and, as a more recent change, always involving orchestrated music (though plays will sometimes use an orchestra, it isn't always guaranteed). As another similarity to Noh, it is also a classical style that is not performed often anymore. A good example of this music is "Nessun Dorma" by Giacomo Puccini (performed in Turnadot), a popular composer in the 18th and 19th century.



Throughout the song, it is apparent that the singer is the forefront, and holds the melody, as the instruments are barely audible throughout the performance (which is not a problem with the recording made). The instruments are mainly used to accent the singer throughout the song, never quite being a notable player in the piece until after the singer has completed his part in the piece. The singer consistently keeps singing throughout the piece, with a few, large, cadences between the phrases being sung. The song keeps a slow tempo throughout, only changing when a dramatic end to a phrase drew near. The song is homophonic, though the singer is loud enough that it is almost a monophony.