A sung-through or through-sung is a work of performance art such as stage musical, musical film, or opera. It is a type of storytelling in which little is spoken. Rather, the entire script is replaced by songs. Monologues, dialogues, asides, and any other literary device used to tell the story are set to music. This is often accompanied by musicians, and sometimes choreography.
A scene that may include a speech, a conversation, and some musings may include a combination of recitative, aria, and arioso. Early versions of this include the Italian genre of opera buffa, a light-hearted form of opera that gained prominence in the 1750s. [1] [2]
A through-sung opera or other form of narrative work with continuous music may also be described as through-composed.