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Opera? -

Many people are not fans of opera because they think it's too intense, too highbrow, or just really silly. However, understanding where it came from and how it's made might make it easier to enjoy.

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What is it, actually? -

Opera is essentially a musical with classical music and singing. It seems all special and intricate, but it was really just made to entertain. The stories are almost always about love, loss, and happiness–not at all different from what we watch on TV.

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Acquired taste -

The thing about opera is that, much like beer, when you first try it you probably won't like it. However, the more you 'drink' it, the tastier it becomes.

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What can you expect? -

At the opera, you can expect many different sources of entertainment. There will be acting, singing, an orchestra, dancing, grand set designs, and brilliant costumes.

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The basics -

In order to appreciate the musical brilliance of opera, you must learn the basics of its composition. It's not difficult, and will make a hell of a difference.

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What does it mean? -

The word "opera," comes from the Italian verb operari. Literally translated, it means "to work," but as a noun it means both hard work and a work of art.

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Opera -

Now it has come to mean a performance that mixes all classical elements of entertainment: music, poetry, and dance.

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Types of singing -

There are two main types of singing in opera. The first is called "recitative singing." It combines spoken word and song together to form a kind of melodious script. Almost like a classic version of rap!

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Arias -

The pieces of music you will be more familiar with are "arias." They are the catchy tunes of the opera that give the performance its character. The most famous aria in the world is probably La donna è mobile from Giuseppe Verdi's 'Rigoletto' (1851).

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When did it start? -

At the end of the 16th century, when the Baroque era came to a close, operatic performances started appearing in Italy. They achieved great popularity and spread across Europe.

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Why? -

During the Renaissance, music had become so complicated and indecipherable that people wanted to go back to the basics of solo singing.

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Monody -

Music listeners showed that they preferred the "monody." The monody is a piece of music where there is one person singing against a few chords.

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Evolution -

The monody was styled after ancient Greek music but soon more instruments were added and voice styles changed. The monody became our modern-day aria.

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Theater -

While the music scene was being reconfigured, plays were also rising in popularity. In England, William Shakespeare was changing the game. People from all over were flocking to theaters.

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The Florence Camerata -

In 1573, all the best young Florentine musicians, writers, and actors came together to form a group. Their aim was to revolutionize music and combine theater and song in one performance.

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'Dafne' (1598) -

The first opera ever written down and performed was written by Jacopo Peri. However, no one has any idea of what it was about because, at some point, it was lost.

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'L'Orfeo' (1607) -

'L'Orfeo,' written by Claudio Monteverdi, is regarded as the earliest opera ever performed due to the loss of 'Dafne.' It is based on the Greek tale of Orpheus, who goes to the underworld to rescue his lover.

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Controversy -

Claudio Monteverdi's opera mixed together comedy and tragedy. Those with a more sensitive disposition found the fusion upsetting.

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The split -

The aristocrats thought that opera ought to be serious and sensible. In contrast, those who had newly become wealthy much preferred comedy and crass jokes.

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The split -

Consequently, the opera genre separated into three sections: opera seria, opera buffa, and Commedia dell'arte. The last genre deviated from being operatic, but the other two stayed true.

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Opera seria -

While opera seria was popular among the old, rich families, it became a bit of a bore. Brilliant singers would take roles just to self-indulgently show off their voices, with no wish to actually entertain the viewer.

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Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) -

Gluck fought against the ego of these serious opera singers and believed that the music should not be more important than the story line.

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) -

Mozart took inspiration from Gluck and endeavored to make operas that would be fun and for everyone, the most notable of which is 'The Marriage of Figaro' (1786).

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George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) -

Even though opera was becoming popular all through Europe, most of them were still written in Italian as it was seen as the original opera language. Even German and English writers wrote in Italian. German-born Handel is one such example.

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Opera buffa -

If you go and see an opera buffa, you can be assured of several things: there will be a happy ending, love, cheeky jokes, and it will be about the lives of normal people. It's easy to see why this kind of opera appealed to so many.

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'La bohème' (1896) -

Composed by Giacomo Puccini, 'La bohème' is one of the most famous operas out there. It tells the tale of a poet, a painter, and a musician living together in Paris during a freezing winter.

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'La traviata' (1853) -

Giuseppe Verdi, the king of operas, wrote this opera using Alexander Dumas' book 'La Damme aux camélias.' The story is about a beautiful courtesan who falls in love with a poor man, and must pay the price.

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'Eugene Onegin' (1879) -

Pyotr Tchaikovsky based this opera on Alexander Pushkin's novel of the same name. It's about a selfish young man who rejects the love of a woman and quarrels with his best friend.

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'Carmen' (1875) -

This opera is in French and is written by Georges Bizet. The highly-controversial opera is about a passionate woman called Carmen. A soldier falls in love with her, but she falls for another, more wealthy, man. In a lover's rage, the soldier murders her and makes himself miserable.

Sources: (BBC Music Magazine)(San Francisco Opera)(Victoria and Albert Museum)

See also: The best classical music composers of all time

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