The story of Italian opera begins around the turn of the
17th Century and depicts an important piece of Italian
culture. Divided into two periods, the Baroque and the
Romantic, opera displays tragic-comedy that was adorned
with beautiful scenes and breathtaking music. Historians
across the world recognize the significance these periods
have had on Italian culture.
The art of opera is derived from Italy. Baroque was the
first period recognized in the Italian culture. Over two
centuries, it grew in popularity. In the 1600’s, music
enhanced the Romantic period. Henry IV of France and Marie
de Medici loved opera music and requested that it be played
at their wedding in Florence.
Orpheus and Euridice were both composed from a poem
written by Ottavio Rinuccini and Jacobo Peri. Giulio
Caccini wrote the music that brought their poem to life,
completing the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. This opera
was dynamic in musical instruments and successfully
portrayed the Italian culture.
In 1607, Claudio Monteverdi wrote La Favolo d’Orfeo (The
Fable of Orpheus). This spectacular opera was Claudio
Monteverdi’s first, which elevated the importance of
dramatic instrumental music in the Italian culture. Now,
400 years later, The Fable of Orpheus is still performed
on stages across the world.
In 1613, St. Mark’s in Venice made Monteverdi the “maestro
da cappela”. Monterverdi wrote elaborate madrigals during
his tenure. In 1637, Venice opened the first public opera
house, Teatro San Cassiano. The public’s enthusiasm drew a
more chic audience through the opera doors.
Shortly before Monteverdi’s death, he began to write
again. From 1637 to 1642, he wrote two beautiful operas,
I Ritorno d'Ullise (The Return of Ullyses) in Patria and
L'Incoronazione di Poppaea (The Coronation of Poppaea).
Both were exceptional musical mixtures of recitatives,
solos, duets and ensembles.
Monteverdi was responsible for setting the standards for
operatic composers to follow. He was responsible for the
introduction of bel canto and buffa styles of opera. Bel
canto consisted of operatic singing that was pure and even
toned. Buffa style referred to the very unusual and
unexpected comic complications or burlesque elements in
the scene.
Within forty years, the popularity of opera grew so rapidly
that Venice opened ten opera houses to accommodate the
demand. More than 350 operas had been performed near the
end of the 18th century in Venice, as well as many by
other Venetian composers in other areas of Italy. Numerous
spectators traveled into Venice for the music and
individual artists gained recognition through their
performance in opera.
Gioacchino Rossini wrote serious and humorous operas. In
1810, La Cambiale di Matrimonio, a comic (buffa) opera,
became Rossini’s first hit. In early 19th century,
romantic opera gave more dimension to the extreme emotions
which were typical of that era.
Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Giuseppe Verdi
were Rossini’s successors in the Italian bel canto. During
the course of Giuseppe Verdi’s career, he transformed the
nature of operatic writing with vigorous music. His
contribution to the opera was done with such enthusiasm
and it created a threshold for a new operatic era.
Many forms of opera blended with fine art, musical drama,
song, elaborate scenery, and artistic scenery by the 20th
century. It was the medium through which tales and myths
were fabricated, leaving the audience to their
imagination. Today, opera is the essence of Italian
culture.
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