o-pe-ra / ˈäp(ə)rə
noun
a dramatic composition featuring singers and instrumentalists, in which all dialogue is sung with accompaniment No good opera plot can be sensible, for people do not sing when they are feeling sensible. H. Auden, 1907-1973 the score of a musical drama I seem to write an opera about every 20 years; if you live long enough you can write four operas. Virgil Thomson, 1896-1989 the performance of a dramatic composition Whenever I go to an opera, I leave my sense and reason at the door with my half-guinea, and deliver myself up to my eyes and my ears. Lord Chesterfield, 1694-1773 a company or theater where dramatic compositions and other orchestral works are performed I tell you, it is easier to build a grand opera or a city center than to build a personal house. Alvar Aalto, 1898-1976 the form or branch of dramatic art represented by such compositions Opera is the most complete art form. Karen DeCrow, 1937-2014