ABSTRACT
I suggested earlier that opera was little different from other forms of music theatre except that it was played in repertoire. This, although essentially true, is something of a generalisation. Certainly, opera has the basic musical features of sheer size, exotic location, and principal singers who do their stuff at the front of the stage to be near the orchestra. However, the pace is generally slower with fewer but longer scenes. Any permanent masking tends to be functionally sombre rather than decorative. Some opera productions still adhere to the tradition of complete scene changes, but permanent settings with minimal rearrangements have increasingly become more common.
