Opera singers have to study and train for years. Not only do they have to learn to sing the difficult music, but they also have to learn several languages because most operas are not in English. Most opera singers know Italian, French and German. They might also know Russian, Spanish and Czech.
They have to learn how to act and perform other skills such as fencing, acrobatics or dancing.
Experts say training to be an opera singer is like training to be professional athlete. It takes a huge amount of time and commitment.
The singers
Singers are named according to how high or low their voices can go.
- The soprano is the female singer with the highest voice. In opera, the soprano is usually the main heroine.
- The mezzo-soprano is the female singer whose voice is in the mid-range.
- The contralto is the female singer with the lowest-pitched voice.
- The tenor is the adult male singer with the highest voice. The tenor often plays the hero.
- A baritone is the male singer whose voice is in the mid-range.
- The bass is the male singer with the lowest-pitched voice. He often plays the villain or a person in power.
Operas are spectacles, or big, colorful events. The sets and costumes play a major part inthe production.
Many famous artists have designed for the opera. These include Marc Chagall, Salvador Dali, Julie Taymor, David Hockney and Maurice Sendak.
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