Brief Summary
This video provides an overview of the history of Western classical plays and operas, along with famous composers and their works. It covers theatrical forms from ancient Greece and Rome through the medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical, and Romantic periods. The lesson also touches on famous Filipino playwrights and their contributions.
- Theater's evolution from myth, ritual, and ceremony to modern performances.
- Key periods in theater history: Ancient Greek and Roman, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical, and Romantic.
- Famous playwrights and composers like Sophocles, Shakespeare, Bizet, Balagtas, and Reyes.
Introduction
The lesson introduces the history of Western classical plays and operas, focusing on famous composers and their works. The video aims to guide students through Arts modules one and two, encouraging them to take notes on important details to help with answering the module questions.
Theatrical Forms and Their Evolution
Theater originated from myth, ritual, and ceremony, evolving from actions performed by groups or leaders within a society. These actions transitioned from habit to tradition, ritual, and ceremony, driven by human desire for entertainment. Theater is defined as a place of seeing, involving playwrights, directors, designers, technical crews, actors, and an audience.
Ancient Theaters: Greek and Roman (700 BCE - 410 CE)
European theater began in ancient Greece around 700 BC with festivals honoring gods, particularly Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility. Athens was a cultural, political, and military center where festivals and competitions were held. Key Greek tragedy playwrights included Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. Greek drama consisted of tragedy, comedy, and satyr plays. Tragedy, the most admired type of play, dealt with tragic events and unhappy endings. Thespis, considered the first actor and father of tragedy, introduced the use of masks. Comedy plays, derived from imitation, included works by Aristophanes, such as "Lysistrata," and Euripides, such as "Cyclops." Satyr plays contained comic elements to lighten the mood or provided a happy ending to serious plays, featuring choruses of satyrs based on Greek mythology.
Ancient Theater Terms and Structures
Theater buildings were called "theatron," large open-air structures built on hillsides, comprising the orchestra, skene, and audience area. The orchestra was a circular or rectangular area for plays, dances, and religious rites. Roman theater, starting in the 3rd century BC, included festival performances, acrobatics, comedies, and tragedies. The spread of Greek culture influenced Roman theater, with Etruscan actors initially performing live theater. Roman drama began with Livius Andronicus and remained popular, with numerous public games dedicated to theater.
Roman Theater Characteristics
Greek theaters greatly influenced Roman theaters. Pompey built one of the first permanent, non-wooden theaters in Rome, similar in structure to the theater of Athens. The building was part of a multi-use complex with a columned quadrangle, decorated background, gardens, fountains, and statues. Common themes in Roman theater included chariot races, gladiators, and public executions. Christians opposed the barbaric themes, leading to the closure of theaters. Comedy plays were popular, and women were allowed to perform on stage.
Medieval Theater (500 CE - 1400 CE)
During the medieval era, theater performances were largely prohibited in Europe. Minstrels, though denounced by the church, kept theater alive by performing in markets, public places, and festivals as puppeteers, jugglers, storytellers, dancers, and singers. Churches began staging their own theater performances during Easter, presenting biblical stories. Plays like "Mystery Adam" were eventually moved outside the church due to their portrayal of the devil and hell. Over time, plays revolved around biblical themes from creation to the last judgment.
Renaissance Theater (1400 - 1600)
Renaissance theater arts were characterized by a revival of classical Greek and Roman arts and culture. Mystery plays formed part of religious festivals, and morality plays featured protagonists choosing between godly and evil lives. Public theaters developed, including the Commedia dell'arte, an Italian comedy performed by traveling professional players with elaborate masks. Queen Elizabeth I was a prominent supporter of the theater, and acting companies were organized by aristocrats. "Gorboduc," by Thomas Norton and Thomas Sackville, was an early English play performed during Christmas celebrations and before Queen Elizabeth I. William Shakespeare, a famous actor and poet, emerged during this period, writing about 38 plays, including "Romeo and Juliet" and "Hamlet." Other playwrights included Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Kyd. Ballet was first performed in public, originating from Italian Renaissance courts and flourishing in France with Catherine de Medici.
Innovations of the Stage in the Renaissance Theater
The proscenium was developed, framing the stage and dividing it from the audience. Backdrops for scenery were popularized through painting. Commedia dell'arte, or comedy of the profession, featured quick-witted performances by characters or players.
Baroque Theater (1600 - 1750)
Baroque theater was marked by the use of technology for special effects and scene changes, facilitated by ropes and pulleys. This technology influenced the content of performances, exemplified by the "deus ex machina" solution, where gods descended from the heavens to rescue heroes. Theaters were richly decorated, and opera succeeded intellectual and artificial qualities in plays.
Neoclassical Theater (1800 - 1900)
The neoclassical period saw the styles of Roman and Greek societies influencing theater arts. The theater was characterized by grandiosity, with elaborate costumes and sceneries. Plays aimed to entertain and teach lessons. Stages were restyled with dramatic arches, and multiple entry points were evident. Lighting and sound effects intensified the mood, and changing scenery became more noticeable. The concept of "decorum," meaning proper audience behavior, was applied. Only tragedy and comedy were officially established, symbolized by happy and sad masks. Tragedies portrayed the lives of the upper classes, while comedies focused on the lower ranks of society. Key playwrights included Pierre Corneille, Jean-Baptiste Molière, and Jean Racine.
Trivia About Neoclassical Theater
The first spotlight, called the limelight, was used in the U.S. during this period. The Theatre Regulation Act of 1843 banned drinking in legitimate theaters, leading tavern owners to renovate their establishments to accommodate live performances.
Romantic Theater (1800 - 2000)
During the Romantic period, melodrama and opera became the most popular theatrical forms. Melodrama, derived from the Greek "melos" (music) and French "drame" (to perform), involved characters in danger to evoke emotions, accompanied by orchestral music or song. Opera combined text (libretto) and musical score, with acting, scenery, costumes, and dance as important elements. Victor Marie Hugo, a famous Romantic playwright, was known for his poetry, novels, and dramatic achievements, including "Les Contemplations," "La Légende des Siècles," "Les Misérables," and "Notre-Dame de Paris." Georges Bizet, a famous Romantic composer, was known for his operas, with "Carmen" being the most popular.
Famous Western Classical Plays and Operas: Greek Playwright Sophocles
Sophocles, an ancient Greek tragedian, wrote 123 plays, with only seven surviving in complete form, including "Ajax," "Antigone," and "Oedipus the King." He won first place in 24 out of 30 dramatic competitions in Athens. Sophocles influenced drama by adding a third actor and developing characters to greater importance than the chorus.
Theatrical Elements of Oedipus Rex
"Oedipus Rex" is a tragedy with one to three characters per play, though they can portray other characters. The chorus consists of 12 members wearing identical masks. Masks advance the universality of themes and prevent audience distraction. Oedipus wore a gold mask with exaggerated eye sockets, while Jocasta's mask expression depended on the scene. Gestures and movements were important due to the use of masks. Sophocles used the chorus to provide context, and they often lamented terrible events. Men wore loose floor-length ponchos, while females wore draped robes. The Parthenon's facade served as the stage design.
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare, born in 1564 and died in 1616, was an English poet and playwright known as the greatest writer in the English language. His works include about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. Between 1585 and 1592, Shakespeare began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. His early plays were mostly histories and comedies, while his later works were tragedies and tragicomedies.
Theatrical Elements of Romeo and Juliet
The stage was divided into three levels: a main stage area, an upper canopied area for balcony scenes, and an area under the stage called hell. There was no curtain, so scenes flowed into each other. Costumes were based on the style and design of dresses worn during the Renaissance period.
Carmen by Georges Bizet
"Carmen," written by Georges Bizet, is set in Seville, Spain, during the mid-19th century. The main characters include Carmen, Don José, Micaela, Escamillo, and others. The opera, first performed in Paris in 1875, is in four acts with music by Bizet and libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. The story tells of the downfall of Don José, a naive soldier seduced by the gypsy Carmen. The staging is set in Seville and the surrounding hills in 1820.
Famous Filipino Playwrights and Their Compositions
Francisco Balagtas, born in 1788 and died in 1862, is best known for "Florante at Laura." He learned poetry from José de la Cruz and was imprisoned, during which he wrote "Florante at Laura." Severino Reyes, born in 1861 and died in 1942, is known as the father of Tagalog zarzuela. His masterpiece, "Walang Sugat," underscores the injustice of Spanish rule. Ricardo G. Abad, born in 1946, is a famous Filipino director involved in over 120 productions. Salvador F. Bernal, born in 1945, is known as the father of theater design in the Philippines and was a National Artist awardee.
Conclusion
The lesson concludes with a review of the different Western classical plays and operas, as well as famous Filipino playwrights. Students are instructed to complete activities in Arts modules 1 and 2, and are provided with social media contact information for questions.
