Verismo

Verismo is a style of Italian opera distinguished by realistic (sometimes sordid or violent, but not necessarily) depictions of everyday life (especially life of the lower classes), as opposed to historical or mythological subjects. Verismo works aim at realism (hence the name "verismo," or "realism").

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The ?realistic? approach of Verismo extends into the music in that the score of a Verismo opera is for the most part continuous and cannot easily be divided into separate scenes or ?numbers? to be performed in concert (as is the case with the genres preceding Verismo). No Verismo melody, fragment, or leitmotif is composed simply because it sounds pretty. The purpose of each bar of a Verismo score is to convey or reflect scenery, action, or a character?s feelings. In this approach, Verismo composers followed Richard Wagner?s method. Indeed, Wagner?s influence on Verismo is obvious. Act One of Die Walk?re and Act Three of Siegfried contain the seeds of many future Verismo fragments and melodies.

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Giacomo Puccini, the greatest Verismo composer, supplied no overtures for his operas, since an overture, in his view, had nothing to do with the dramatic action on the stage.

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Though Bizet's Carmen (1875) was the first Realistic opera, Verismo came to the fore 15 years later in Italy, with the historic premiere (1890) of Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana. The most famous composers of Verismo opera were Mascagni, Ruggero Leoncavallo (whose Pagliacci is often coupled with Cavalleria), Giacomo Puccini, Umberto Giordano, and Francesco Cilea. There were, however, many other Veristi: Alfano, Catalani, Charpentier, D?Albert (Tiefland), Franchetti, Leoni, Massenet (La Navarraise), Refice, Wolf-Ferrari, and Zandonai.

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Of the abovenamed composers, the Italians comprised a group that was called the Giovane Scuola ("Young School"). Don Lorenzo Perosi is included in the Giovane Scuola, even though he wrote almost exclusively sacred music.

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In the late 1990s, a journalist in a major Boston newspaper made the absurd claim that Verismo "began with 'Cavalleria Rusticana' in 1890 and pretty much ended with 'Pagliacci' two years later." This is patently incorrect. Puccini's Il Tabarro was written in 1918. Later still (1921) was Mascagni's Il Piccolo Marat, an archetypical Verismo opera. An opera does not need bloodshed to be a Verismo opera. Perhaps the most truly "realistic" opera of them all -- real people to whom every one of us can relate -- is Puccini's 1896 masterpiece, La Boh?me.

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See also: Italian neorealism

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Richard Wagner: Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 in Leipzig – February 13, 1883 in Venice) was an influential German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his groundbreaking symphonic-operas (or "music dramas"). His compositions are notable for their continuous contrapunta...

Siegfried: Siegfried could refer to:...

Giacomo Puccini: Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (December 22, 1858 – November 29, 1924) is regarded as one of the great operatic composers of the late 19th and early 20th century....