Opera is a form of art that originated in Italy in the 17th century. A work of drama is presented by singers and musicians. Is a traditional art form in the western world and is usually performed in an opera house in front of an audience. Initially it was meant for the royalties but it did not remain confined to them and soon found way into opera houses. The early history was full of operas which had both comedy and tragedy as their central themes. Most of the famous operas in Italy were actually written by foreigners but the original works of Italian composers like Puccini and Rossini are also famous and still performed at many opera houses of Milan, Italy.
One of the oldest operas is Dafne, which was composed by Jacopo Peri. Dafne is a classic example of Monody which is solo acting and singing of a melodrama. This style of presenting operas dominated the early part of the 17th century. Many Italian composers copied this style and many operas were produced in the later part of the 17th century. Another style that later evolved was polyphonic madrigals where one singer accompanied the rendition of the song on the instruments. The other two genres that became popular were frottola and villanela which were a three part compositions. The top part was an active melody while the lower parts were more supportive in nature. Fully developed monody was a logical step from these genres. The operas used to be funded by the rich and opulent sections of the society and the events where opera used to be performed were weddings, military victories and other celebrations. The operas of this time were lavish affairs. One important form of entertainment around this time was madrigal opera. In this form, many madrigals were stitched together to make up a musical drama.
It was in the 19th century that romantic operas made their appearance on the opera scene in Italy. They added another dimension to the already rich culture of opera. Rossini it was who initiated the romantic period. He was succeeded by Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi. Verdi later charted an altogether different course and his popular opera Nabucco, with its great music and choruses caught the imagination of the people. He also produced some romantic operas later.
There are many impressive opera houses in the city of Milan, Italy. Many of these are today operating as theaters. If you have been to Italy and did not see a live opera performance, you have missed out on a great opportunity to see the cultural wealth of Italy.
Teatro Alla Scala
This famous opera house had been closed for a long time and only reopened in 2004 after major renovation was completed. This is a historic place as many classical operas were performed here in the later part of the 18th century. During the World War I, this opera house got badly damaged but was reopened in 1946 and became popular as the most prominent opera house in Italy.