Analysis of the Play Candide

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In Act One of Candide, there is four scenes, the first scene is entitled Westphalia, when the scene is first introduced the music has a happy sound, similar to that of circus music and as the introduction goes on the music goes from an allegro tempo to a peaceful and dream like piano sound and grave tempo. As the music continues to come in the lights continue to brighten on stage as well as if the music and lights are tied together. As the cast came out they performed the opening song during this song they harmonized really well. In Scene One the audience is introduced to the Baron and Baroness of Westphalia, Baron Thunder-ton-Tronck and Baroness; the Baron is a baritone, his voice is low but not low enough to be a bass; the Baroness is a mezzo soprano, she has the ability to hit high notes but they are not as high as those that can be hit by a soprano. Later in Scene One, the characters Candide, Cunegonde the daughter of the Baron, Maximilian the son of the Baron, and the tutor Pangloss performed “The Best of All Possible Worlds” during this song, like the opening the audience witnesses a variety of vocal ranges. Candide is a tenor; his voice is in the middle of the vocal scale it is not extremely high and not extremely low. Cunegonde is a soprano; her voice is definitely at the beginning of the vocal scale, she hit extremely high notes and held them very well. Maximilian is a baritone; his vocal range is a little lower than Candide’s. The tutor Pangloss is also a tenor, like Candide his voice is in the middle of the vocal scale as well. During “The Best of All Possible Worlds” there is a round, which was very well executed by the actors and actress.
When Candide is expelled from school in Scene One the somber sound of his song...

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...a the entire cast joins in to sing “Make Our Garden Grow” during this final number the music has a gradual increase from mezzo forte to fortissimo. The song has a slow climatic build which gives the song a lot of power.
Overall I truly enjoyed myself at the opera. It gave me a new perception on plays and operas, before I went I thought it would be cut and dry and I would be ready to leave as soon as I got there, but it was the complete opposite of that. I laughed, I wanted to cry (but I didn’t), and I felt the energy from the stage. I did recommend this opera to some of my friends and I will recommend it to more people because it was really, really good. All of the music was well executed and performed beautifully. I can see myself checking out more operas and plays here at USC, they are really good way to spend an evening enjoying classical music and a good show.

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