Glossary

A method that consists of painting on canvases stretched on the ground using long brushes. Not to be confused with the à l’allemande technique, which involves suspending the canvases.   

from the Italian for "season," refers to a seasonal management system in which an opera house programs around ten operas that are each performed several times consecutively. This system contrasts with the repertory system. In the stagione approach, soloists and artistic teams are engaged for specific productions.

The director does not work alone, but is assisted by a team made up of a set designer, a costume designer, and sometimes a lighting designer, a video maker, etc. That team collaborates with La Monnaie’s own teams throughout the creation of a production.  

A musical ensemble that plays music onstage (or backstage) that is heard by the characters onstage.   

A horizontal metal bar located above the stage from which parts of the set, curtains, or lights are suspended.  

They indicate, for the stringed instruments, how to move the bow on the strings. Symbols indicate to the musician whether to “push” or “pull”. The position of the bow and the length of the bow stroke are also indicated.   

The singers selected to play the various parts in an opera.

Castrati were male singers who were castrated before puberty to preserve their prepubescent vocal characteristics. Castrati were particularly prevalent in 17th and 18th-century opera, with the practice being officially banned in 1902.

An ensemble of singers who perform a work collectively.

She or he is the leader of the first violin section. This musician is responsible for playing any solos and is also the representative of the orchestra and responsible for communicating with the conductor.

From the auditorium, cour is the right of the stage and jardin is the left. These terms enable all the artists and technicians to get into position on the left or on the right for movements, exits, and entrances. They were adopted in the eighteenth century at the Théâtre des Tuileries in Paris. The palace court was located to the right of the stage and the gardens to the left.  

A list, including timings, of all onstage changes, changes in lighting and scenery, and singers’ entrances. It is compiled by the stage managers based on the score.  

Responsible for the staging, the director provides the artistic vision for an opera or play and coordinates all the elements that make up the show: acting, scenery, lighting, rhythm, etc. 

Variations in the intensity of a musical note or phrase (from piano, quiet to forte- loud, and the degrees of variation mezzo piano, fortissimo, etc.)  

The last stage rehearsal with the orchestra before the premiere, played without interruption.

The top part of the grid, from which technicians called fly operators manoeuvre parts of the sets up and down.  

The conductor’s score, in which all the parts for all instruments are detailed.    

Italian expression meaning "good luck".

Music rehearsal with orchestra but without staging.

Any action performed by the stage machinery to lift the curtain or carry out a scene change, seen or unseen. 

Situated in front of and below the stage, this is where the orchestra is located during the performance of an opera. 

A painting technique for simulating textures. 

Belgian composer.

Dress rehearsal without the orchestra.

Onstage rehearsal with piano. 

Stage rehearsal with the orchestra, played without interruption.

The first public performance of an opera.

The first public performance of an opera

He handles the production, exploitation, and distribution of the scores, as well as managing all activities related to the exploitation of the intellectual property rights (copyright) of the works. Renting a score from a publisher ensures that you will have a score that is as close to the original text as possible, with no errors, and that is as legible as possible. A score can evolve depending on new interpretations and discoveries, which is why some (even the best-known operas by Verdi and Mozart) are frequently republished.  

A scene change that is carried out very quickly.

A production that has already been performed and is revived several years later.  

Revolving platform used to turn the sets. 

19th-century German composer who revolutionised the art of opera. His operas include Parsifal, Der Ring des Nibelungen and Tristan und Isolde.

Located on either side of the stage and invisible to the audience, this is where the stage managers and prop technicians operate, and where the singers are positioned before their entrances onstage. Parts of the sets can also be stored there.  

The art and study of the construction of scenery for the stage (closely related to the staging).   

An artist specialising in the creation of scenery, responsible for the scenic design.  

Document containing a number of symbols (including notes) enabling music to be read and played.

An opera season runs from September to June. Around ten productions are usually performed during this period, with each production usually presented several times.

The artists who sing or play a part alone, or who sing a solo in an opera.

Person who manages the technical organisation of a show and acts as a link between the artistic team and the technical team.  

Stage rehearsal with staging and the orchestra  

All the elements that contribute to a production, including actors, sets, lighting, and rhythm, and shape the aesthetic and vision of the work.

Tessitura denotes the range of notes, spanning from the lowest to the highest, that a singer can perform with comfort and ease.

German expression for wishing success. Saying "good luck” is said to bring bad luck.

A singing exercise where the singer melodically modulates their voice using a vowel sound.