grand opera: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

No, it is a musical. Grand opera is a specific 19th-century operatic genre with continuous music, typically on a serious theme. While 'Les Mis' is large-scale and serious, its form is that of a modern musical theatre piece.

Yes, in its literal artistic sense, it is a neutral/positive term denoting ambition and artistry. Metaphorically, it can be admiring ('a grand opera of engineering') but often carries a critical note of excess.

'Opera' is the general term for the art form. 'Grand opera' is a subgenre—specifically large-scale, through-composed (no spoken lines), often historical/mythological operas that were dominant in 19th-century France and influential elsewhere.

Giacomo Meyerbeer (the quintessential figure), Gioachino Rossini ('Guillaume Tell'), Giuseppe Verdi (early and middle works like 'Don Carlos'), and Richard Wagner (though his works evolved into his own concept of 'music drama').

A serious, large-scale opera with a continuous musical structure, without spoken dialogue, typically on a historical or mythological theme.

Grand opera is usually formal, artistic, cultural critique, sometimes metaphorical in business contexts. in register.

Grand opera: in British English it is pronounced /ˌɡrænd ˈɒp.ər.ə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌɡrænd ˈɑː.pɚ.ə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.