The characteristic performance in Italy is opera.
Opera is a dramatic work that uses vocal and instrumental music to express the plot. It is a comprehensive art genre that combines music with poetry, dramatic performance, dance, stage art, costumes, etc.
The structure of an opera usually includes overture, intermezzo, chorus, duet, solo, etc. The solo of the protagonist in the opera is divided into arias, recitatives, minor arias, recitatives, cavatina, romance and serenade, etc.
Italian Opera
In the early 13th century, a kind of "Lauda" (Lauda) evolved from religious hymns became popular in central Italy. It took the form of a short play and was composed by Two or more singers play characters from biblical stories, singing solo, duet or duet. The climax of the play is often the scene of the Virgin's grief after the crucifixion of Jesus.
Lauda soon developed from religious ceremonial activities to theatrical performances that met the needs of believers' gatherings and mass cultural entertainment. Later, the plot was continuously enriched, the number of scenes and simple props were added, the lines and roles were fixed, with the soloist playing the role of Christ and the Virgin, and the chorus playing the role of the masses. In the middle of the Middle Ages, some Rauda reflected political and religious issues from a heretical perspective. Rauda advanced the development of later secular drama.