Definition

Noun: A form of opera where the musical and dramatic components are of equal significance, with the music being composed to suit and enhance the narrative action.

Usage

This term is used to describe a specific genre of theatrical performance that integrates singing and orchestral music with a serious, plot-driven story. The music is not merely an accompaniment but is essential to the development of the drama.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in musicological criticism to distinguish works where drama drives the music from those where musical set pieces (like standalone arias) might interrupt the narrative flow.
• It can describe a modern theatrical piece that uses operatic conventions but prioritizes dramatic cohesion.

Variants and Related Words

• Music drama: A variant spelling and term closely associated with the operatic theories of Richard Wagner.
• Opera: A broader category of theatrical work set to music, of which musical drama is a specific type.
• Dramatic opera: A near-synonymous phrase emphasizing the dramatic element.

Synonyms

• Opera (in the specific sense of a dramatically integrated work)
• Lyric drama

Related Phrases

• Through-composed: A technique often associated with musical drama, where music flows continuously without the recitative-aria structure.
• Gesamtkunstwerk: A German concept meaning "total work of art," related to the ideal of unifying music, poetry, and drama.

Noun

1. opera in which the musical and dramatic elements are equally important; the music is appropriate to the action