ABSTRACT
Opera music is subject to theatrical rules; the objective of the director of an opera is to sift out the action inherent in the musical picture and restate this composition of sounds in terms of the dramatic that is to say the visual. Tamagno was a dramatic and magnificent Othello in opera because he studied his role with the great tragic actor Salvini, and his musical mentor was Verdi himself. Another master of diction is Chaliapine, who perhaps does not know the exact rules but because he has an intuitive genius he is able to find the right expression and achieves by this means an unparalleled effect. The production notes of Richard Wagner contain among other things, the secret of producing an opera. Tatiana's love-motif, which you hear in the orchestra, must be expressed on the stage. The so-called 'Revenge Duet' in the third act of Rigoletto is usually looked upon as a bravura piece for an effective finale.
