Origin of Opera
Origin 1
The origin of opera can be traced back to the tragedy of ancient Greece. This art form is the root of the art of opera.
Origin 2
Some musical forms in the medieval period also laid the foundation for the emergence of opera. The first is the religious drama at the end of the 10th century. Later, the religious drama was replaced by the mystery drama (Mystery) and miracle drama (Miracles), which prevailed from the 14th to the 16th century. The second is the pastoral drama. This genre uses music, poetry, and drama to express the countryside. Scenes from life, it remained popular until the 16th century and became one of the important origins of opera.
Origin Three
The madrigal operas of the Renaissance also heralded the birth of opera. Composers use the genre of pastoral to compose some dramatic scenes in poetry, or use a group of pastoral songs to describe some simple storylines. The latter form is called pastoral opera.
Origin Four
The most direct origin of opera is the Intermedio at the end of the 15th century. These were some fables, mythological plays or pastoral plays interspersed between the acts of comedies at that time. By the 16th century, the interludes between acts formed a related story in terms of plot, and added decorative melodies. and simple harmonic accompaniment.
Origins Five
Opera was finally produced in Florence, Italy, at the end of the 16th century. At that time, a group of celebrities in the cultural and artistic circles often gathered at the homes of the nobles Bardi and Corsi. They were keen to restore ancient Greek drama and tried to create a vivid art that combined poetry and music. They believed that polyphonic art destroyed the expression of the meaning of lyrics, and advocated the use of monophonic melody. In practice, they found that the tones sung freely with harmonic accompaniment can not only be used in the same poem, but also in the entire drama. . Then came the earliest operas, which were called pastoral dramas at that time.
Opera (Italian: opera, opere is the plural form) is a Western stage performing art. Simply put, it is a drama that mainly or entirely uses singing and music to explain and express the plot (it is sung and Not a drama told). Opera only appeared in Florence, Italy in the 17th century, that is, around 1600. It originated from the theater music of ancient Greek dramas. Opera performances, like those of drama, rely on the typical elements of theater, such as backgrounds, costumes, and performances. Generally speaking, unlike other dramas, opera performances pay more attention to musical elements such as singing and the singer's traditional vocal skills. Singers and choruses are often accompanied by a team of instrumentalists. Some operas only require a small band, while others require a complete orchestra. Some operas are interspersed with dance performances. For example, many French operas have a ballet performance. Opera is regarded as part of the Western classical music tradition, and therefore, like classical music, is not as popular as contemporary pop music, and modern musicals are regarded as modern versions of opera.
Opera first appeared in Italy in the 17th century and spread to various European countries. Heinrich Schütz in Germany, Jean-Baptiste Lully in France and Henry Pere in England Purcell pioneered opera in the 17th century in their own countries. Until the 18th century, Italian opera remained the mainstream in Europe. Although Paris attracted many foreign composers to make a living in France, Handel eventually settled in England.