Which statement describes Singspiel?

• A. A German-language opera with spoken dialogue; The Magic Flute is an example
• B. An Italian-language opera with no dialogue
• C. A French-language opera with ballet
• D. An English-language operetta

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that Singspiel blends spoken German dialogue with musical numbers. It isn’t a fully sung opera; instead, dialogue in German moves the plot between arias, ensembles, and choruses. The Magic Flute is a classic example, because Mozart wrote it in German and interspersed spoken scenes with songs, giving it a theatrical feel that integrates dialogue with music. The other descriptions point to different traditions—fully sung Italian opera, French opera with ballet, or English-language operetta—so they don’t capture the distinctive German-speaking, dialogue-in-between-singing structure of Singspiel.