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.

Words nearby singspiel

singletrack, singletree, singlish, singly, singsong, singspiel, singular, singular point, singularity, singularize, singulary

Origin of singspiel

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples 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