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Vocal arts medicine provides care and prevention strategies for professional voice disorders in performing artists. The issue of correct "Fach" determination depending on the presence of a lyric or dramatic voice structure is of crucial importance for opera singers, as chronic overuse often leads to vocal fold damage. To avoid phonomicrosurgery or prevent a premature career end, our aim is to offer singers an improved, objective fach counseling using digital sound analyses and machine learning procedures. For this purpose, a large database of 2004 sound samples from professional opera singers was compiled. Building on this dataset, we employed a classic ensemble learning method, namely the Random Forest algorithm, to construct an efficient fach classifier. This model was trained to learn from features embedded within the sound samples, subsequently enabling voice classification as either lyric or dramatic. As a result, the developed system can decide with an accuracy of about 80% in most examined voice types whether a sound sample has a lyric or dramatic character. To advance diagnostic tools and health in vocal arts medicine and singing voice pedagogy, further machine learning methods will be applied to find the best and most efficient classification method based on artificial intelligence approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While mythology provides profound insights into the human condition and the universe, opera has drawn much of its thematic material from mythology, with a particular emphasis on the Orpheus myth. The main question of this research centers on the significance of the Orpheus myth within the realm of opera and the enduring reasons behind its selection as a recurring subject matter for centuries. To comprehend the import of Orpheus in opera, it becomes imperative to conduct an examination of the sources that piqued the interest of early opera composers and librettists. Furthermore, delving into the identity of Orpheus and its multifaceted connotations is essential for a comprehensive understanding. Opera, emerging during the Renaissance period, finds its roots in the cultural revival that sought inspiration from Ancient Greece. Hence, the foundational sources for opera lie in the musical heritage of Ancient Greece and the profound significance of Ancient Greek tragedy as an art form within Greek society. The Orpheus myth, distinguished as the paramount mythological narrative, became a pivotal source of inspiration for opera creators who sought to craft a novel and potent form of vocal expression reminiscent of the emotive potency witnessed in Ancient Greece. The portrayal of Orpheus as a heroic figure symbolizing the transcendent power of music, along with the dramatic intensity inherent in the myth, rendered it an alluring choice for opera. Consequently, this myth significantly influenced opera composers and librettists who, too, aspired to harness the captivating power of music. This resonance has led to the creation of numerous Orpheus-themed operas since the inception of opera itself. This research, undertaken from a historical perspective, employs qualitative research methodologies, encompassing historical and descriptive analysis methods. The corpus of analyzed documents comprises primary sources narrating the Orpheus story, as well as foundational, reliable, and current scholarly articles, theses, and books elucidating the interplay between mythology and opera. The journey of Orpheus within the realm of opera is observed to have commenced from the very inception of opera and appears to persist to the present day. Consequently, this research underscores the enduring relationship between opera and the Orpheus myth, spanning centuries, warranting recognition as an interdisciplinary field of study under the nomenclature 'Orpheus Opera.' Considering the limited scholarly attention devoted to the intersection of Orpheus and opera within our national context, this study aspires to serve as an inaugural foray into this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work-integrated learning (WIL), facilitated through masterclass performances, has emerged as an essential instrument for bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, enhancing the quality of education and the competitiveness of graduates in the professional world. However, there is limited knowledge about the importance of masterclass performances in enhancing WIL for opera singer graduates, especially in South African higher education. Firstly, this study applies the WIL framework for understanding the benefits and opportunities of masterclass performances in improving opera singer graduates' employability through WIL. Secondly, this study examines the potential role of adopting masterclass performances into South African higher education (music schools) curricula. The study defines masterclass performances for a curriculum providing students with working experiences in experiential learning. The study design includes a qualitative research method with critical discourse analysis. This study's findings have six themes: (a) importance of curricularisation of masterclass performances in South African higher education for opera singer graduates; (b) benefits of the masterclass for opera singer graduates, (c) successes of masterclass performances at international universities; (d) lesson for universities of South Africa from the masterclass performances (e) emerging trends in masterclass performances in improving WIL; and (f) Challenges facing curricularisation of masterclass performances in South African higher education. The findings reveal that masterclass performances in the curricula can assist opera singer graduates in improving their employability in the industry. This study concludes by affirming that the masterclass performances curriculum offers unique WIL and performative opportunities for opera singers, graduates in particular. The curricularisation of masterclass performances in South African higher education for opera singer graduates is instrumental in providing a comprehensive, practical, and well-rounded education that prepares students for successful careers in the opera industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charles Montagu (c. 1662–1722), Earl (later Duke) of Manchester, played an important role in furthering the establishment of Italian-style opera in London. He gained knowledge of opera and continental singers and musicians on his Grand Tour and three diplomatic missions abroad. This article prints relevant portions (some for the first time) from his correspondence and other printed and manuscript sources to expand our knowledge of his involvement with opera in London, Vienna, France and Italy. The correspondence suggests why his advice and assistance were sought by John Vanbrugh and later by the Royal Academy of Music and adds to our knowledge of the history of opera in London in its so-called 'critical decade'. Most important was his mission to Venice in 1707–8. Although no evidence has emerged that Manchester met Handel in Venice or extended to him an invitation, he was responsible for the recruitment of Nicola Grimaldi (called 'Nicolini'), painters and other singers to London. Even at this early stage, opera in London was part of an operatic system that extended across Europe, involving not only musicians and impresarios but also ministers of state and foreign diplomats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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By presenting the supposedly "nostalgic" and "traditional" genre operetta as a genderfuck spectacle, without opera singers and with queer icons and dancers instead, "gay Jewish kangaroo" Barrie Kosky has revolutionized popular musical theatre in Berlin and brought operetta back to its pre-1933 roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chapter 2 is a case study of Enrico Petrella's once-famous opera I Jone i (1858), and as mentioned above, in it Vella retraces the borders, both material and discursive, that the funeral march crisscrossed in the nineteenth century. But Vella also argues that nineteenth-century opera production was more complex and interconnected than either nation-centred or strictly local histories can account for. Enrico Petrella's funeral march in I Jone i (1858) might at first seem indistinguishable from other nineteenth-century musical ephemera. [Extracted from the article]