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Singspiel

Singspiel

9.9
A light German opera that mixes speaking and singing
  • noun
  • /ˈzɪŋˌʃpiːl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Singspiel
  • The famous Singspiel 'Die Entführung aus dem Serail' is a classic.

Examples

  • The theater staged a Singspiel to introduce audiences to German musical traditions.

  • Mozart's 'The Magic Flute' is a well-known Singspiel that features both spoken and sung parts.

  • Many students enjoyed performing in the school's annual Singspiel because of its lively songs and dialogue.

  • Many operas include elements of Singspiel.

  • The singspiel at the local theater featured a delightful mix of lighthearted dialogue and melodic songs.

  • In the 18th century, many composers began to write singspiel that combined spoken roles with music.

  • She enjoyed the singspiel so much that she attended every performance during the festival.

Synonyms

operetta
vsSingspiel
5 7.3

A short, light stage musical with spoken parts and songs that is often funny

is a German national form combining spoken dialogue and songs
light opera
vsSingspiel
1 5.3

A short, funny musical play with singing and a light story

is a German form that pairs spoken dialogue with musical numbers
bouffe
vsSingspiel
  • Specialized
9.9

A short funny opera with some spoken words and a happy ending

is similar but is specifically a German theatrical-musical style
opera bouffe
vsSingspiel
9.9

A funny musical play with singing and talking that ends happily

is comedic too but lacks the satirical, sharply mocking tone
zarzuela
vsSingspiel
9.9

A Spanish musical play that has spoken dialogue, singing, and dance

is like this but does not focus on dance or Spanish elements

Surface Forms

Singspiel singular
Singspiele plural

Etymology

Singspiel comes from two German parts, sing and spiel, which mean 'sing' and 'play', so a Singspiel is like a 'singing play' with both spoken words and songs.