singspiel

[ sing-speel; German zing-shpeel ]
/ ˈsɪŋˌspil; German ˈzɪŋˌʃpil /

noun

a German opera, especially of the 18th century, using spoken dialogue and resembling ballad opera.

Origin of singspiel

1880–85; <German, equivalent to sing(en) to sing + Spiel play

Words nearby singspiel

singly, sing out, Sing Sing, sing someone's praises, singsong, singspiel, singular, singularity, singularize, singular point, singulary
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Example sentences from the Web for singspiel

  • A Singspiel in three scenes, a free rendering of Comala with the original ending unchanged.

    Ossian in Germany|Rudolf Tombo

  • The old German singspiel form is preserved in the original score of "Der Freischtz," which contains spoken dialogue.

    How Music Developed|W. J. Henderson

  • Leipsic and Vienna made earnest attempts to support the German "singspiel" (song-play).

    How Music Developed|W. J. Henderson

  • Did not Wagner himself recommend a budding bard to start his musical career with a Singspiel?

    The Opera|R.A. Streatfeild

British Dictionary definitions for singspiel

Singspiel
/ German (ˈzɪŋʃpiːl) /

noun

a type of comic opera in German with spoken dialogue, popular during the late 18th and early 19th centuries

Word Origin for Singspiel

literally: singing play
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012