It is hard to imagine a world without opera. It seems that this type of art has always existed to the delight of fans. In fact, he is about seven hundred years old. During this time, the opera has substantially changed.
The appearance of the opera
Opera originated in Italy. She "grew up" from theatrical mysteries - spiritual performances in which music served as the background, shading the actors' play. In such performances, music sounded from time to time, emphasizing important dramatic moments. Subsequently, she became increasingly important in such mysteries. From some point throughout the performance, the music sounded without any pauses. The first prototype of the opera is considered to be a comedy on a spiritual theme called "The Conversion of St. Paul", written by Beverini. In this comedy, music sounds from the very beginning to the end, but still plays the role of accompaniment.
In the sixteenth century, pastorals came into vogue, there were choral performances of motets or madrigals (musical and poetic plays). At the end of the sixteenth century, solo vocal numbers appeared in pastorals. This was the beginning of the birth of opera in the form familiar to modern man. This genre was called drama in musica, and the word "opera" appeared only in the first half of the seventeenth century. It should be noted that a number of composers continued to call their works musical dramas even after the appearance and consolidation of the word "opera".
There are several types of opera. The main one is rightfully considered the "Grand Opera" or lyrical tragedy. It arose after the French Revolution and actually became the main musical direction of the nineteenth century.
History of opera houses
The first opera house opened in 1637 in Venice. The opera served the entertainment of aristocrats and was not accessible to ordinary people. The first major opera is considered to be "Daphne" by Jacopo Peri, which was first performed in 1597.
Opera quickly gained popularity, becoming a favorite form of art. The literary plots of operas make them an accessible and understandable form of musical art, since it is much easier to perceive than traditional concerts without a plot.
Today, about twenty thousand opera performances are given per year. This means that more than fifty operas are performed daily in the world.
From Italy, opera quickly spread to other European countries. Over the years, it became publicly available, ceasing to serve exclusively as entertainment for aristocrats. "Opera" began to appear in opera houses, from which ordinary citizens could listen to delightful singing.
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