Ukufunda Umculo We-opera

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-ITALY

UMCULI uma aqonde aphakamise isifuba nekhanda, isiphongo, izindebe nomlomo kuhleleke kahle. Ngemva kokwandulelwa umculo omfushane wezinsimbi, umculi wethena uqala ukuhlabelela ngomkhulu umfutho. Uwashaya kalula nje amanothi, kuyilapho izwi lehla lenyuka livela ndawana-thile. Kuhlokoma ihlombe ekupheleni kwalolu nqambothi.

Umculo we-opera uwumdlalo waseshashalazini odlalwa abadlali abahlabelelayo bephelezelwa umculo wezinsimbi. Ingabe uyayithanda? Wake walithola ithuba lokuya lapho kudlalwa khona lo mculo? Ucabanga ukuthi iyini imfihlo eyenza izwi lomculi we-opera libe lihle?

Iphimbo—Liyinsimbi Yomculo

Iphimbo liyisipho esimangalisayo esivela kuNkulunkulu, futhi libizwa ngokufanele ngokuthi insimbi yomculo. Nakuba bembalwa abantu abakwazi ukucula njengomculi we-opera, kwabaningi ukucula kuyingxenye yokuphila engokwemvelo njengokudla nokulala. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uyakwazi noma awukwazi ukucula, akungabazeki ukuthi uzoba nesithakazelo ekuhlolisiseni kahle ukuthi “lensimbi” isebenza kanjani.

Ilaka, eliphakathi nendawo emphinjeni, empeleni liyisitho esenza umsindo. Lakhiwa uqwanga oluzungeze isikhoxe esinemisipha emincane emibili—imisipha yakho yezwi. Wakheka kanjani lo msindo? Uma uphefumula ngokuvamile, imisipha yezwi iyakhululeka bese yakha isikhala esingunxantathu emphinjeni, esaziwa ngokuthi amaxhaka (glottis). Lapho ucula, umoya ophuma emalakeni uba mningi, bese amaxhaka encipha, futhi imisipha yezwi iyavevezela bese kwakheka umsindo. Njengoba imisipha yezwi inwebeka, ukuvevezela kwayo kuyakhula futhi kuphume inothi eliphezulu. Ngakolunye uhlangothi ukunciphisa umoya nokukhulula imisipha yezwi, kwenza ukuba amaxhaka avuleke kakhulu kubangele nokuba ukuvevezela kwezwi kunciphe nezwi lindonde.

Indlela Yokuhlabelela Nesimo Somzimba

Eseyinsizwa, u-Enrico Caruso wayenomzwilili wezwi; kodwa, lalintula umfutho. Ukuliqeqesha kwalinika amandla. Izwi elimnandi liyisiphiwo esingokwemvelo, kodwa lapho kuculwa i-opera, nendlela yokuhlabelela ibalulekile. Oculayo kudingeka afunde indlela yokuphefumula ukuze abe nomoya owanele. Khona-ke, kumelwe afunde nendlela yokuwulawula. Kuthiwa umculi odumile wangekhulu le-18 uCarlo Broschi, owaziwa nangelikaFarinelli, wayekwazi ukucula amanothi angu-150 ewudonse kanye umoya.

Abaculi be-opera nabo ngokufanayo kufanele bafunde indlela abangenza ngayo izwi labo libe namandla ngokusebenzisa umzimba njengesikhulisa-zwi. Ngokochwepheshe abathile, lapho kuculwa amanothi aphansi, amathambo esifuba enza lo msebenzi, kuyilapho awemihlathi nawobusa enza kanjalo lapho kuculwa amanothi aphezulu.

Abantu abaningi bacabanga ukuthi ukucula kumane nje kulawulwe umminzo. Kodwa, kuye kwaphawulwa ngokufanelekile ukuthi umzimba wonke uyacula, ngomqondo wokuthi amandla omuntu ewonke ahilelekile. Ukusebenza kwayo yonke imisipha kuzo zonke izingxenye zomzimba kufanele kube sezingeni elifanele ngokulinganayo. Ngakho ukucula i-opera kudinga ukuzikhandla namandla engeziwe, mhlawumbe okuyisizathu esenza abanye abaculi bayo babe nemizimba eqatha. UMaria Callas wayengomunye wabaculi bekhulu lama-20 abadumile, kodwa abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi ukunciphisa umzimba kakhulu kwaba nomthelela ekuwohlokeni kwezwi lakhe.

Izinguquko Emculweni We-Opera

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, umculo we-opera uye waba nezinguquko endleleni yokuhlabelela. Ake sicabangele izibonelo nje ezimbili. Lapho kushintshwa izindawo zomculo we-opera njengasemasontweni nakwezinye izindawo wayiswa ezindlini ezakhelwe i-opera, ukuhlabelela ngezwi elipholile, nelithambile, kwathathelwa indawo ukuhlabelela ngokushintshashintsha izwi okuthuthukiswa umzimba ngendlela engokwemvelo. Lolu shintsho lwagcizelelwa nawukushintsha ekuphelezelweni yizinsimbi zomculo ezimbalwa ezazisetshenziswa uMozart kuya ekusetshenzisweni kweziningi, njengaseqenjini likaVerdi noWagner, ngokwesibonelo. Ngekhulu le-17 nele-18 kanye nasengxenyeni yekhulu lesi-19, emculweni we-opera kwaqalwa ukunakwa kakhulu umuntu ohlabelelayo noma ikhono lakhe kunomculo wezinsimbi. Indlela yokucula eyayisetshenziswa engxenyeni yesibili yekhulu le-19 nasengxenyeni yokuqala yekhulu lama-20 yayingafani nhlobo. Ngale nkathi, izwi, njengoba lalisabaluleke kakhulu kuyi-opera, laqala ukuba yisici esivelele kakhulu.

Impumelelo yomculo we-opera yabangela ukwanda kokubhalwa kwezingoma zayo. Ababhali bezingoma abanjengoPaisiello, uCimarosa, uGluck, uMozart, uDonizetti, uRossini, uBellini, uWagner, uVerdi, uPuccini, uBizet, uMeyerbeer noMascagni, ukubala nje abanye kosaziwayo abadume kakhulu, ababhala inqwaba yezingoma ezingenakulitshalwa ezithinta imizwelo ngokujulile.

Ukweqisa Ekuhlabeleleni

Kuke kwaba nezikhathi ezinzima emlandweni wokuhlabelela i-opera. Cabanga ngomculi wethena owayehamba phambili, owadla ubhedu iminyaka engaphezu kweyikhulu emculweni wase-Italy we-opera.a Abafana babehlatsheleliswa ithena ngaphambi kokuba bathombe ukuze bakwazi ukuhlala benamazwi anomfutho futhi afinyelela amanothi aphezulu ngokumangalisayo. UGuido Tartoni, uthi: “Ukwenqaba kweSonto ukuba abesifazane . . . bahlabelele emasontweni,” kwabangela ukuba kube nalesi simo.

Abaculi abaziwayo be-opera baba yizihlabani, futhi abanye babalandeli babo bayabakhulekela. Umngcwabo kaLuciano Pavarotti wawuyisibonelo salokho. UMaria Callas wabizwa ngokuthi La Divina (Ophakeme), kanti uJoan Sutherland wabiza ngokuthi La Stupenda (Omangalisayo). Kodwa, ukuphumelela kwe-opera ekujabuliseni izilaleli yikho okubangela leli zinga lodumo.

Mhlawumbe esikhathini esizayo ungase uzwe ngabahlabeleli bendlela yokuqala behlabelela izingoma ezidumile. Uma kunjalo, yima kancane ucabange ngokuqeqeshwa nokuzimisela okudingekayo ukukhipha lelo zwi elihle. Kungakushukumisela ukuba uqale ukubheka i-opera ngendlela umbhali othile ayibheka ngayo owayibiza ngokuthi iyindlela “yokuhlanganisa amazwi nomculo nokwenza inkondlo . . . ibe umkenenezo omnandi.”

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 12]

UKUHLUKANISWA KWAMAPHIMBO NGEZIGABA

Indlela yokuqala okuthiwa i-coloratura soprano: Izwi lowesifazane elikwazi ukushintsha ngokushesha lihlabelele amanothi aphakeme. Umculi ngokuvamile udlala indima eveza umdlandla nehlekisayo.

Indlela yokuqala okuthiwa i-lyric soprano: Izwi lowesifazene elikhudlwana. Umculi udlala indima enesihawu noma yothando.

Indlela yokuqala okuthiwa i-dramatic soprano: Izwi lowesifazane elikhulu. Umculi ngokuvamile unikwa indima evusa usinga.

Indlela ephakathi okuthiwa i-mezzo-soprano: Izwi lowesifazane elinesisindo nelindondayo kodwa elingelikhulu. Umculi ngokuvamile udlala indima yowesifazane osekhulile noma imbangi yomculi wendlela yokuqala.

Indlela yesibili (contralto): Izwi elingavamile lowesifazane. Umculi udlala izindima ezifana neze-mezzo-soprano.

Ithena: Izwi lowesilisa elinezimfanelo ezifana nezendlela yokuqala—lincane, linesisindo, livusa usinga. Umculi ngokuvamile udlala indima yesoka noma iqhawe.

Ibharathoni: Leli zwi liphakathi kwethena nebhesi. Umculi udlala indima yokuba umfowabo wothile, uyise noma imbangi.

Ibhesi: Izwi elindonda kunawo wonke, elihlukaniseke izingxenye ezintathu: i-brilliant, i-cantante ne-profundo. Elokuqala lizifanelekela kahle izindima ezinomdlandla futhi ezihlekisayo; eyesibili eyezindima ezinesihawu; bese kuthi eyesithathu eyezindima ezinemizwa ejulile.

[Isithombe ekhasini 10]

Isiteji se-opera

[Isithombe ekhasini 10]

Indlu ye-opera

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 10]

Stage: Philip Groshong for The Cincinnati Opera; house: Courtesy of Tourism Office of Budapest