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Singspiel
German - 18th and 19th century
Comic or romantic entertainment combining spoken dialogue, ensembles, folk-coloured ballads and arias.
Literally, 'song play'. Much of the action is carried forward by spoken dialogue, thus the music lacks recitatives and consists entirely of set numbers.
Derived from translations of English ballad operas, but also influenced by French opéra comique.
Originally performed by traveling troupes. Plots generally comic or evolving to romantic, often including magic. Developed into German 'rescue opera' and romantische Oper.
Schauspiel mit Gesang (literally 'play with singing') was a term used by Goethe for his early Singspiel libretti.
In Danish called Syngespil with composers like Sarti, Schulz, Kunzen.

Notable composers: Hiller, Mozart, Weber
Operas
Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart) DE - 1782 2*
Die Zauberflöte (Mozart) DE - 1791 3*
Composers
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) 3*
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) 3*
Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) 1*
Georg Benda (1722-1795)
Johann Adam Hiller (1728-1804)
Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Johann Friedrich Reichardt (1752-1814)
Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg (1760-1802)
Ludwig Abeille (1761-1838)
Wenzel Müller (1767-1835)
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