An opera in which the text and action are not interrupted by set arias, duets, etc., the music being determined throughout by dramatic appropriateness; musical drama of this character, in general. It involves the use of a kind of melodious declamation, the development of leitmotif, great orchestral elaboration, and a fusion of poetry, music, action, and scene into an organic whole. The term is applied especially to the later works of Wagner: "Tristan und Isolde," "Die Meistersinger," "Rheingold," "Walkure," "Siegfried," "Gotterdammerung," and "Parsifal.".
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). music drama. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/music_drama/definitions/2035369 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "music drama" http://smartdefine.org/music_drama/definitions/2035369 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
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| MLA | Webster's. "music drama" 27 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/music_drama/definitions/2035369> |