In the modern world, the leading singer of the opera is called the prima donna. Also in the opera, the term "female lead" is often used. The lead singer of an opera is sometimes referred to as a diva.
The origin of the term "prima donna"
Diva is a word of Italian origin, literally means "first lady". The original meaning of the word is the female lead singer in the opera.
The term was first used in a letter from Cardinal Ferdinand Gonzaga to his father the Duke of Mantua in 1610. In it, the cardinal praised the beautiful voice of the singer Adriana Baroni Basil. Shortly thereafter, the duke invited the woman to his service. With his permission, the performer performed at court and in various Italian cities.
Possessing great talent, Adriana was also known for her whims, which may have influenced the second meaning of the word "diva".
A prima donna is also called a selfish woman with a complex character. It is quite remarkable in this sense that the term refers to the world of music, since it is believed that people of art have a hot temperament and unbridled disposition. Due to such negative associations, the term gradually fell out of use, although it is still used in the world of opera.
The prima donna originally sang in a soprano voice, and the parts of the main female role were written specifically for this timbre of voice.
The leading opera singer has historically held more rights than other opera singers. She had her own dressing room and received special attention from the director and composer.
In the world of opera, the term became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Who is diva
Opera singers are also sometimes called divas. The word "diva", like "diva", is of Italian origin. It literally means "goddess" or "divine." This meaning implies that the singer is so talented that her singing is reminiscent of the voice of a goddess. The first divas appeared among the prima donnas of the opera. Over time, this concept has become more general. It began to denote any popular singer with talent.
For the first time, talented leading opera singers began to be called divas in the 80s of the 19th century. Notable examples of opera divas are Maria Callas, Nelly Melba, Rene Fleming, Leontine Price and Joan Sutherland.
Since over time the term began to spread to other musical genres, there are more divas as such.
Many music performers of various genres have received the title of diva. These include Whitney Houston, Madonna, Diana Ross, Patsy Cline, Aretha Franklin.
The word diva has a negative connotation. This is due to the fact that the talent of an artist is often associated with a capricious character. Therefore, another meaning of the word "diva" is a wayward woman.
Such a negative coloring of the meaning of the word is not entirely fair. Being a diva, like a diva, means hard everyday work. The lifestyle of opera singers is too full of work to leave time for whims and extravagance. In addition, many of them, on the contrary, were distinguished by kindness, politeness and generosity.
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