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From the very first opera performance in Italy in 1607, to the origins of some of the world’s most recognisable music, and modern day experimental productions, we’ll share a timeline of how opera has changed over the last 400 years.
The first opera, “Dafne,” was written by Jacopo Peri in 1597, but it is Monteverdi’s “Orfeo” (1607) that is often considered the first true opera. Baroque opera was characterized by its use of recitative, a style of singing that imitates speech and is used to advance the plot.
Opera originated in Italy around 1600, but its story began many years earlier with the birth of Jacopo Peri in 1561. During his time at the famed Medici court, Peri cultivated the idea of dramatic singing through his work with Florentine poets, musicians, and writers.
John Blow's tragic opera, Venus and Adonis, today considered the first English opera, has its première, either in London or at the court of Windsor. Read more... 15 Feb 1686. Lully's final collaboration with the librettist Quinault, the tragédie lyrique Armide, has its première at the Paris Opéra.
The first lays out what one sees and hears at an opera: how people dress, both cast members and audience; the design and acoustics of the house; and the types of music heard (solo arias, ensembles, orchestral music, dance). He draws examples from various operas to illustrate his points.
7 lut 2002 · The chronologically organized primary sources include 115 passages--private letters, portions of libretti, literary criticism, satire, and poetry--from opera’s late Renaissance infancy through modern times.
Break down opera’s history of more than 400 years into six separate eras and uncover key players, standout musical features, and notable artistic innovations within each time frame. Listen to a wide variety of musical examples from 1600 to the present day.
