Intermezzo is an interlude in drama or opera. The term also includes a short orchestral or piano piece. Sometimes the term is expanded and then means any interlude in an artistic medium to fill a break or create a transition. In music it is also referred to as an interludium and in the literature often as an interlude, also an intermediate medium. In terms of dealing there is an incident.
The term can be derived from the Italian and translated with Pause. As a result, the translation of the word refers to what is at issue: namely, the pauses of an artistic work [or, more precisely, the completion of ebendieser pauses]. But the main thing is the interlude in the opera to separate scenes. Let us look at an example from Cavalleria rusticana.
The above example comes from the opera Cavalleria rusticana. The opera in one act is by Pietro Mascagni, an Italian composer. The opera tells the story of Santuzza and her lover Turiddu, who, however, has only eyes for Lola, the wife of Alfio. On the day of the Holy Mass, Santuzza confronts her lover, who, however, ignores her and follows Lola into the church.
The intermezzo stands between the confrontation and the subsequent scene in an inn where Alfio and Turiddu meet and finally duel, where Turiddu is under the control of the opponent and dies. The intermezzo thus stands between two exciting scenes and is thus a break in the action, but symbolizes also the Easter peace of the pious church-goers.
Origins of the Intermezzo
For the first time the term is used in Italy in the 16th century, although it was not directly connected with the other scenes of the work, but was intended primarily to entertain the viewer. Over time, however, the term was used for numerous artistic media and served mainly as a connection between individual elements and separated from the simple interlude.
Originally the intermezzo was an interlude in scenic representations. It had a very light, simple as well as serene character. Primarily, it should entertain and not connect the individual scenes. Most of these intermezzi were used as singing games or smaller dramatic acts and were often used as gaps to fill the theater evening.
Sometimes the intermezzo also served traveling artists to present themselves to the audience and present their own dramatic singing without having to resort to a larger theater staff. Intermezzi were usually conceived for only a few people and were generally restricted to two or three figures. For this reason, the action had to be manageable.
In the beginning such intermezzi were often madrigals, that is, polyphonic vocal pieces, which usually had a secular content. In terms of contents, these were initially related to the play, but soon began to emerge and became small inter- mediate pieces, which had their own action and had little to do with the main work.
One of the most famous intermezzos of the 16th century is the Combattimento d’Apol. line col serpente (The Battle of Apollo with the Dragon) by Giovanni Bardi, presented to Ferdinand de Medici’s wedding feast. In this interlude, Bardi imitated the ancient Greek songs, which were sung in honor of the god Apollo, simply and poignantly.
From these interludes developed themselves in the following partly own pieces, which were still still quite simple nature, but nevertheless became more complex. Thus, a closeness between Intermezzo and the Posse as well as the Schwank can be seen. Both genres describe comic stages. Regarding the opera, the Singspiele were the origins of the Opera buffa (short, joking opera).
The intermezzo in the opera
In the sixteenth century the concept was either an interlude in the dramatic work or the performance of an opera. From the interludes of the serious opera the opera buffa later developed. Seriously, there was a comical piece between the files.
While these were mostly mainly short madrigals, that is, polyphonic vocal pieces, they also quickly developed whole plot sequences and complex stories. It is important to note that such an interlude would not necessarily be short, but could last for an hour or longer. A well-known example is La Serva Padrona (1733) by Giovanni Battista Pergolesis.
This short opera in two acts was, for example, recorded as an intermezzo between the acts of Vivaldi’s L’odio vinto dalla costanza, in 1739, showing that the stage was removed from the entertaining interlude and became a full-length program. This distance from the grave opera was now the basis of opera buffa.
In addition, the comic opera Opéra comique developed from this form of the Intermède. An example is the work Le Devin du village (1752) by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, which was designed for the first time as an interlude with an act and subsequently served as the model for the Opéra comique.
Short overview: The most important part of the Intermezzo at a glance
Intermezzi are interludes in opera or drama. However, in general, any performance between two parts of an artistic medium can be regarded as an intermezzo. The term “colloquially” means an incident.
Originally, such intermezzi were entertaining singing inserts (madrigals), which were shown between the elevators. Over time, however, this resulted in more independent and more complex performances, which were only loosely linked to the main activity.
Various forms can be identified: there is a similarity to the jazz or the posse with regard to the uninterrupted interlude, the whole also serving as an example for the opera buffa, the operetta, and the comic opera.
Forms of the interlude and their names
Independent forms
Embolium: in the Greek theater pantomimic shortcut between the acts
Entracte: entertaining, musical in the theater, partly only instrumental
Intermezzo: upper notion, but also a one-movement piece or movement in instrumental music as well as an interlude in the opera
Skit: short piece of music on a music album (often in hip-hop)
Intermediate music: music in radio plays and audio books, can also occur elsewhere
Interlude: humorous insert, separates the act of the play
Transitions in music
Bridge: a transitional piece in jazz, pop, rock and electro
Interludium: transition between the main parts in music, smaller instrumental piece
Ritornell (Refrain): Part, which recurs in the course of a piece of music