OPERA

Opera is a form of theatre in which music plays the central role in telling the story. The drama is sung with orchestral accompaniment, often supported by staging, costumes, and sometimes dance. The term opera, from Italian meaning “work,” reflects its nature as a composite art form combining text (libretto) and music.

Opera originated in late 16th-century Italy, emerging from the experiments of the Florentine Camerata who sought to revive ancient Greek drama. Early试 works by Peri and Caccini explored the idea of sung dialogue, while Claudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo (1607) became a landmark in combining music and drama with formal innovations. The genre soon spread to major European cities and diversified in style and language.

Two broad genres developed in the 18th century: opera seria (serious) and opera buffa (comic). Musical structure typically includes recitative, arias, ensembles, and choruses, with continuo accompaniment in the Baroque and more varied orchestration in later periods. Librettos are commonly in Italian, though operas are also written and performed in German, French, English, and other languages. Modern productions may be performed in translation or with surtitles, and staging ranges from traditional to highly experimental.

The Romantic era broadened expressive horizons, with composers such as Gluck, Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, and Puccini driving stylistic and dramatic innovations. The repertoire remains vast, spanning Baroque masterpieces to contemporary works, including new operas that explore diverse themes and technologies.

Opera is produced worldwide in dedicated houses and festivals, such as La Scala, the Paris Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera, continuing to influence performance practice, vocal technique, and dramaturgy across genres.