Mozart’s affection for expansive drama is also evident in his crown jewel Don Giovanni (1787). The stalwart composer who defined this era was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart himself and his Le Nozze di Figaro or The Marriage of Figaro (1786), was adapted from a French play by Beaumarchais. This difference is apparent in the much simpler musical forms with a stress on plot realism. The Classical age in the 18th century brought with it a few changes to the opera, primarily due to a number of social movements such as the Enlightenment. On the modern stage, this role is fulfilled by women known as countertenors. These were men who had undergone castration in order to maintain their high-pitched soprano skills. Studies also show that there was a rise in male singers known as the castrati during this time. One of the finest proponents of Italian Baroque opera at this time was German composer George Frideric Handel. The advent of the Baroque era in the 17th century saw the opera in full bloom and was typically characterized by intricate arias that went with moving set parts. He wrote Dafne in 1597, and from here on, we can distinctly comprehend the genesis of two operatic types, the “opera seria”, dignified pieces of musical dramatic performance suitable for royalty, and more comedic works, known as the “opera buffa”. This is where we behold the contribution of the Italian composer Jacopo Peri, widely known as the one who invented the first genuine opera. There were, however, certain elements missing from the final result such as the uniquely innovative dramatic vocals. In 1589, history was witness to the intermedi finally bearing much of the characteristics of the opera – stage effects, solo singing, and costumes - that identify with what we have come to love today. The revered and respected Giovanni Bardi, a Florentine nobleman, was the primary architect of early operatic beginnings and to this end, he worked in conjunction with the musicians and bands of the time. The role of intermedi was to both demarcate among the divisions of the drama, and also to state how much time had passed through the introduction of characters who were not part of the central plot between interludes. The foremost reason that made Florence a point of origin for opera was its musical theatrical culture, particularly the intermedi or interludes, staged in-between play acts. Operatic development happened profoundly in Florentine culture under the Medici family, due to a rich heritage that comprised of three things – a powerful stage music tradition, civic humanism, and the city’s association of music with the universe. It is a collaborative effort on the part of the whole team, from the director to the actors to the musicians to bring an opera alive on stage. While architects design the props and set, the director oversees how costumers, designers, or artists work on the stage. This is followed by a composer who adds the defining element to the opera - the music - in a way that perfectly blends with the story-setting and the acting. Then comes the writer of the libretto, who converts the prose into a play, keeping to the musical settings of an opera. But most of all, it is the writer of the story, who may have penned down his work hundreds of years ago. It takes a great deal of preparation to get an opera on stage, such as the people, venue, acting, and pitch-perfect voice. The music may accompany the entire drama or be broken up into segments. The opera is a musical performance typically known to consist of vocal and instrumental performances with orchestral interludes and overtures. The concept developed during Renaissance Italy, in Florence, when a number of artists, musicians, and writers, along with eminent personalities of the time, famously the Florentine Camerata, started depicting Greek drama on-stage with music. It is an English word derived from the phrase in Italian, “opera in musica”, and involves both solo and ensemble singers, and sometimes, even dancers. Opera is a medium which is utilized to tell a story, often epic or heart-rending, through music, dance and drama. Opera: Musically Rendered Storytelling for The Ages
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