An: I just checked and I can't believe 401 people have clicked on my story. I just intended this to be one or two chapters but it has progressed. Also 27 reviews for 3 chapters. Would it be embarrassing to say that I got38 reviews for my 1 chapter LOTR story. I love phans even if it doesn't seem like it.

Review Response. (Remember I answer every Review)

Kathryn M.B. Denson: Yeah I agree. Although I kinda scared my friends when I said my perfect man would have to kidnap me and force me to love them. Although they would have to be Erik and a musical genius. I don't ask for much ;). I got your email but I haven't replied yet I've been busy. I will this weekend though.

Ilsa: I agree with you. On all counts although it would be a lot easier to hate Gerry Butler if he didn't look so good in the mask. It would have been good as a silent film. I believe that it's the way the baby can sometime press on the diaphragm but it depends on the person. Its just a bit of a risk.

GAKDragonMCP: Wow you must have spent a lot of time on those review. It's really interesting your own vocal history. That happened to me but backward. Shame really. I think its so stupid smoking and singing. Look at charlotte church (if you know her). With the sight reading I was talking more about Mary Sues eg the mutes who the minute they look at music having never seen notation before they can sing. I had to learn Sof feg as well and found it didn't help I'd rather just go a b c d as it's the same thing. You know all you've said is really useful. All I intended to do was touch on the basics. But all you've said is really great. I hope people do read your reviews.

Phruity: Well I've never been a hero before. (Gloats)

RozzandMaya: I agree although I was talking mainly about ALW phantom. Funny you talk of stringing ALW on a tree. I might borrow that. (read chapter 5;) I've always wanted to break something while singing. With my voice I mean.

mrs. Malfoy: Sorry this isn't soon.(glares) stupid school.

The Common Wind Deity: Ah woodwinds. I learnt an important lesson playing flute. Orchestral and solo are two very different things. I mean I had problems with when the saints go marching in for god's sake.

Please do review.

This chapter is a bit disjointed as I wanted to fit a lot of different things into it. If the start doesn't interest you scroll through. I killed another opera at the bottom.

As always I believe this is right to the best of my knowledge

A few musical terms. (descriptions)

Ah yes. Another way of confusing anyone who actually understands what you are saying. Musical terms for things are written commonly in Italian. They often appear in shorthand in musical scores. Composers sometime use terms as a name for their piece e.g. Adagio. Of course this is very important in Opera as the cast have to show a variety of emotion through there voices. This is I believe, one of Christine biggest problems. As she does not have a great amount of tone and technique which comes which age Erik would spend a great amount of time working on her expressiveness so she is able to use more than one expression (cough Emmy Rossum cough). Here are a few simple musical terms which might prove useful.

Acapella – One or more vocalists singing without any accompaniment

Adagio – A tempo (speed) slow, restful at ease.

Allegro -A direction to play lively and fast.

Atonal- Musical without a key e.g. A minor. I've always seen Erik writing atonal musical as I do not think he would allow himself to be bound by musical laws.

Cadence – Series of chords that end a phase, this could be at the end of a piece. Types include perfect, imperfect, Plagal and interrupted.

Capriccio – a quick improvised piece of music. (Spirited)

Coda – closing section of a movement

Drone – dull monotonous note. Bass

Dynamics – loud or soft. Also used in sheet music arrow pointing forward getting wider or backwards getting smaller.

Energico – Play energetically

Espressivo – Perform expressively (cough Christine cough)

Expressionism -Atonal and violent style used as a means of evoking heightened emotions and states of mind. (Erik clears throat loudly) Oh wait I forgot he was fictional again. Erik you have no throat.

Flat -A symbol indicating that the note is to be diminished by one semitone. Going flat is when a singer does this accidentally. This is common.

Forte – Symbol meaning play loud.

Glissando – Sliding between to notes. Use this wisely or sound like siren. (Old Japanese's proverb)

Grandioso – Play grandly.

Grave –Speaks for itself really.

Key signature -The flats and sharps at the beginning of each staff line indicating the key of music the piece is to be played

Legato – Play smoothly.

Libretto -A book of text containing the words of an opera.

Maestro -Refers to any great composer, conductor, or teacher of music. (Loud throat clearing noise) Erik you still have no throat.

Obbligato -An extended solo, often accompanying the vocal part of an aria.

Ostinato -A repeated phrase.

Hmmmm this list was meant to be short wasn't it?

Piano – Play softly. Shown in music with a p or two ps. Mind your p's and q's. (Sorry couldn't help it)

Portamento -A mild glissando between two notes, for an expressive effect.

Presto – Direction in sheet music. Very fast,

Rubato- An important characteristic of the Romantic period. It is a style where the strict tempo is temporarily abandoned for a more emotional tone.

Slur -A curve over notes to indicate that a phrase is to be played legato.

Staccato -Short detached notes, as opposed to legato.

Trill -Rapid alternation between notes that are a half tone or whole tone apart. (Cough Carlotta cough)

Verismo -A form of Italian opera beginning at the end of the 19th century. The setting is contemporary to the composer's own time, and the characters are modelled after every day life.

Vivace – Play brisk and lively.

Erik thanks you for staying with us. Or just scrolling through. Use these terms wisely. If in doubt look them up. Or you can email me. Erik doesn't mind. His inbox gets rather lonely.

My that sounds worse than I meant it.

Opera Number 2: La Travolta by Verdi

La Traviata premiered in 1853 so we are safe. However with Verdi's operas it is always worth checking as some of them were performed later than 1870.

Story

Set in Paris in 1850 this makes the story hit a little close to home which makes it a good choice for the opera Populaire.

Violetta Valéry, Dramatic Soprano, a Courtesan – Carlotta.

Flora Bervoix, Mezzo-Soprano, her friend

Annina, Soprano,Violetta's maid

Alfredo Germont, Lyric Tenor,Violetta's lover Could be sung by Erik

Giorgio Germont, Lyric Baritone, his father

Baron Duphol, Baritone,Violetta's protector

Gastone, Tenor, Viscount de Letorières.

Marquis d'Obigny, Bass, Flora's protector

Dr. Grenvil, Bass, Physician

At a party in Violetta's house, Alfredo is introduced to Violetta whom he has admired from a distance. Together they offer a toast to the revellers. The crowd leaves to dance, but Violetta, who feels faint remains. Alfredo joins her and expresses the deep concern he feels for her. She cuts him off telling him to look for love elsewhere. Alfredo begins to leave when Violetta gives him a flower and tells him to come back when it is wilted - tomorrow.

Five months later, Violetta and Alfredo have moved to a country house near Paris. Annina, who has been absent, returns and informs Alfredo that she has been away to make arrangements to sell her mistress' belongings to pay for her new life here with him. Alfredo leaves to secure money so that Violetta does not have to. Violetta arrives and soon after, so does an invitation to a party at Flora's that evening. A visitor arrives who announces himself to be Alfredo's father. He questions her virtues, but at the same time is impressed by her lady-like manners. She shows him the receipts of the sale of her belongings which helps to establish her as a lady of dignity and character instead of a fortune hunter as Giorgio first believed. She tells him that her love for Alfredo has redeemed her, but Germont says she must sacrifice Alfredo. It seems that Alfredo's scandalous affair with her has made his sister's chance for a respectable marriage very slim. Violetta refuses to give Alfredo, up but the elder Germont persists. She finally gives in and after Germont leaves, she writes a note for Alfredo.

Suddenly, Alfredo appears and she begs him to love her as she leaves for Paris and Flora's party. Moments later, Alfredo receives the letter from a gardener and realizes that his dream has ended. The elder Germont arrives to comfort Alfredo, but when Alfredo finds the invitation to Flora's party, he rushes off to the party. Full of rage, Alfredo denounces Violetta in front of the guests. Remorseful and shamed, he leaves. A month later, they are re-united after the elder Germont tells Alfredo of his earlier request of Violetta to leave him. The re-union, however, is short-lived as Violetta's succumbs to consumption.

Taken in part from Classic net.

This is not a Christine friendly opera though I suppose she could sing the maid. (Evil grin) She could not sing Violetta.

AND ALTOGETHER NOW.

Random Voices: MEG GIRY COULD NOT SING FIONA!

Exactly. One last thing.

The infamous interval.

Oh how many times I have seen this in phanfiction.

Usually there is not just one interval. As you may have observed in many operas there are more than two acts. Here is an example of what patrons might do if they were seeing Othello.

Arrive at Opera house.

Act One

Drinks

Act Two

5 Course gala dinner. (Where the name comes from)

Act Three

Nobility go home. They come for the social side.

Act Four.

Meeting with cast. Ballet girls…..

You have no idea how irritating it is to see just interval and home. That was not what it was like. IT was a full experience and still is.

I think there will just be one more chapter. I have covered all that I wanted to and if I carried on I would just be rambling. Which is what I do already? Erik apologises for not being in this chapter much but he was writing my coursework for me as I decided to give him hands. He would just like to say that Science is hard and acid burns.

Please Review.