Who Wrote the First Opera?

Opera started about 400 years ago and has evolved into an art form that includes drama, music, dance, costumes, make-up, and sets. Jacopo Peri wrote the first opera, Daphne, in 1597.

The Camerata discussed Greek drama at length, and came to the conclusion that Greek drama had been sung. Since this group had much influence at the time, composers started putting Greek dramas to music. Jacopo Peri, who wrote the first opera, picked the story of Daphne, who was being pursued by Apollo. When Apollo was about to catch her, she begged her father, a river god named Peneus, to help. He changed her into a laurel tree. This work was lost, but his second opera, Euridice, has survived until today.

What Is an Opera?

An opera is simply “a work.” The difference between an opera and a stage drama or musical, is in an opera, all the lines are sung, whereas in a musical, you have some singing and some spoken dialogue. The story, or libretto, of an opera comes from various sources: Greek dramas, folk tales, mythology, literature, fairy tales, and more.

Greek Dramas

Opera has its origins in the Renaissance, when people were intrigued with ancient cultures, especially the Greeks. There existed a group of poets, musicians, and intellectuals who met at the home of Giovanni de' Bardi to discuss the latest happenings in drama, art, and literature. This group, called the "Camerata de' Bardi," was quite famous and many famous people would attend their meetings and participate in their discussions.

Opera Through the Years

The first composer of note after Peri was Claudio Monteverdi. He was very famous and well-known, so much so, that many people think he was the first to write an opera. He wrote the opera, "La Favola d'Orfeo" (The Legend of Orpheus) in 1607.

The Baroque period (approximately 1600 - 1750) was a simple time and the operas written reflected that feeling. Composers of note include Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and Georg Friedrich Handel. During his day, Handel was very well-known and his operas were performed often in all parts of Europe.

The Classical Period, (approximately 1725-1827) saw composers like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Haydn, and Ludwig von Beethoven. During this time, opera was written to appeal to a broader audience, who wanted to be entertained. So, the Grand Opera was developed which had more crowd scenes, dancing, and choruses. Another form of opera which originated at this time was "opera comique," which was a shorter opera and had simpler themes. Also, "opera bouffe" was created, which was more fun and satirical.

Two operatic forms were combined to make "opera comique," which had elements of "lyric opera," and "grand opera." Bizet's "Carmen," written in 1875, is a good example of this form.

The Romantic period (approximately 1827-1900) saw more changes to opera, with the new style, "veristic opera." It was simply a more realistic tale, where the characters were experiencing more primitive emotions and violence. Leading composers of this time were Verdi, Rossini, Wagner, and Puccini.

Terminology

You don't have to know much about Jacopo Peri, who wrote the first opera, to enjoy it, but it might help to be familiar with some of the terms of the operatic performance you hear or attend.

• Sotto voce: Singing “under the voice” like a stage whisper
• Aria: Melody or a melody sung solo
• Ballad Opera: A combination of dance, song, and dialogue
• Coloratura: A soprano whose voice is very high and agile
• Diva: a female star with prominence, from the Italian for ”goddess”
• Duet: a musical work performed by two people
• Finale: The end of the work
• Libretto: The words, or the story, of an opera
• Maestro: A title of for conductors, directors, and composers of opera
• Operetta: A light, cheerful opera
• Overture: The music played at the opening of the opera