Howard Goodall on Opera

 

    Opera was born in Italy 400 years ago and it was heavily influenced by Italian culture. In the 1600's, a group of intellectuals known as the Camerata, would meet to discuss the arts and sciences. They eventually went on to create the first opera in 1598 called, "Dafne". The first opera performed in public was performed at the wedding of Henry the 4th of France and Marie De'Medici of Florence. The show didn't go over well and the art form may have died right then and there if not for Vincenzo Gonzaga and his assistant. Gonzaga was head of one of the most powerful families in Europe and when he had arrived home, he and his assistant wanted to commission an opera just like the one they had seen in Florence. This lead to the creation of the first successful opera, L'Orfeo. L'Orfeo was written by Monteverdi and is about a musician named Orfeo, who travels to the underworld to win back his recently deceased wife. In the end, he sings and plays so beautifully that he persuaded the king of hell to send her back to the land of the living.  

      After the success of L'Orfeo, opera's popularity spread rapidly throughout all of Europe. Opera houses were popping up left and right, every composer wanted to take a crack at composing their own opera. Even Mozart got in on the opera action and rewrote the French play, Le Mariage de Figaro, into an opera. The play was actually banned in Europe at the time, since it was a commentary on the royalty and upper class of Europe. Composing it into an opera was a way to get around it banning. 

    Breaking free from imprisonment and liberation was and still is a common theme amongst many operas. The opera Fidelio, was one of these and was performed in opera houses all across Europe after the end of hostilities in 1945. The end of the war symbolized an end to tyranny, similar to what occurs in the opera. Opera has been caught in the middle of conflict many times, including being made into propaganda. These days, many people believe musicals are the modern day version of operas, but many modern opera composers are drawing in big crowds for their shows. I didn't know much about the history of opera before watching this video since, it is not a form of art that I listen to or watch. After watching this video however, I feel I have a better understand of the art form and more of an appreciation for it.