In the opera's I see or listen to, again and again, I notice how I
enjoy the aria’s, the ensembles, the big choir bits,...
BUT there's nothing so powerful to me -dramatically speaking- than a straight and simple dialogue between two characters, set in music. To write a credible and dramatic musical dialogue must be an enormous achievement. There’s so much to consider: each character has its own intention, mood, ‘character’ – but it has to be more than just the sum of two persons – they interact, they exchange meaning. What one character says influences the other character's response, and that in turn influences the next response, and so on… The tension between the two may rise, the tension may drop…; some external factor can come and interrupt the dialogue.
To me, of all the drama in opera, the drama of a simple, unfurnished dialogue is the most powerful.
Oddly enough, not that much opera has dialogue. I really have to get used to the convention in older opera's that the real musical bits (the arias) only convey the feelings of a character in a certain moment, and it is the recitative that spurs the action. All crucial things are told in predictable recitative! That’s why I like Mozart duets, trio’s,… Things
happen, people are
interacting,
in music! That’s why I like Janáček, Berg, Britten…, although I still have a lot to explore.
Benjamin Britten’s opera’s often feature excellent musical dialogue. E.g. that short scene in
'Billy Budd' where the novice wakes Billy at night and tries to bribe him into commiting mutiny, but Billy isn’t quite awake enough to understand fully what's going on. For a start, the whole dialogue is set in the most telling, easy flowing music. The vocal line characterises the characters (
) perfectly (the nervousness and over-excitement of the novice; the sleepiness and naivety of Billy), and at the same time keep a dynamic exchange going between the two.
There's also the dialogue between the Governess and Miles in the second act of
'The Turn of the Screw', where the Governess gently questions Miles on the awful secret she thinks he's hiding. There's only that! Two people talking! Opera has great marching armies, storms, wars, fights, murder, but - in my mind - just to be able to do this: to bring an intimate confrontation of two people alive in music, is unsurpassable! The music is simple, nothing is happening, still the focus and the tension is enormous!
-Why Miles, not yet in bed? Not even undressed.
Oh, I've been sitting. Sitting and thinking.
-Thinking? Of what were you thinking?
Of this queer life. The life we've been living.
-What do you mean by that? What life?
My dear, you know. You're always watching, watching, watching...
-I don't know, Miles, for you've never told me. You've told me nothing. Nothing of what happened before I came. I thought till today that you were quite happy.
I am, I am. I'm always thinking, thinking.
-Miles, I've just written to your guardian.
What a lot you'll have to tell him.
-So will you, Miles.
In your opinion, who are the best dialogue composers? What is your favourite operatic dialogue and why? Do members know of any of the following dialogues that should be interesting in an opera: a verbal fight? An attempt at seduction? Bringing important news? 
