singspiel

American  

[sing-speel, zing-shpeel] / ˈsɪŋˌspil, ˈzɪŋˌʃpil /

noun

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

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Singspiel British  

/ ˈzɪŋʃpiːl /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of singspiel

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

Example Sentences

Stoute was known for his patience with horses and trained numerous champions including Harbinger, Shareef Dancer, Singspiel and Pilsudski.

From BBC

In Mozart and Schikaneder’s singspiel, women lurk in the dark, wild outskirts beyond the gates of Sarastro’s shining, orderly sanctum.

From New York Times

“Fidelio” being a singspiel, the dialogue is spoken rather than sung recitative.

From Los Angeles Times

In Beethoven’s original singspiel — a music theater form in which sung numbers are set up by spoken scenes — a woman named Leonore disguises herself as a man, Fidelio, to infiltrate the prison where her husband, Florestan, is being held for political reasons.

From New York Times

Conceived as a Singspiel, in which spoken dialogue alternates with musical numbers, Fidelio took eight years to reach the form in which it’s usually heard today.

From The Guardian