| Opera is a form of theatre in which the
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| | passages occurring in the midst of, or
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| drama is conveyed wholly or predominantly
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| | instead of, recitative, are also referred
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| through music and singing. Opera emerged
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| | to as arioso. During the Baroque and
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| in Italy around the year 1600 and is
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| | Classical periods, recitative could
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| generally associated with the Western
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| | appear in two basic forms: secco (dry)
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| classical music tradition. Opera uses
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| | recitative, accompanied only by
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| many of the elements of spoken theatre
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| | "continuo", which was often no more than
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| such as scenery, costumes, and acting.
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| | a harpsichord; or accompagnato (also
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| Generally, however, opera is
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| | known as "stromentato") in which the
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| distinguished from other dramatic forms
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| | orchestra provided accompaniment. By the
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| by the importance of song. The singers
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| | 19th century, accompagnato had gained the
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| are accompanied by a musical ensemble
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| | upper hand, the orchestra played a much
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| ranging from a small instrumental
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| | bigger role, and Richard Wagner
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| ensemble to a full symphonic orchestra.
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| | revolutionised opera by abolishing almost
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| Opera may also incorporate dance; this
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| | all distinction between aria and
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| was especially true of French opera for
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| | recitative in his quest for what he
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| much of its history.
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| | termed "endless melody". Subsequent
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| Comparable art forms from various other
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| | composers have tended to follow Wagner's
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| parts of the world, many of them ancient
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| | example, though some, such as Stravinsky
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| in origin, exist and are also sometimes
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| | in his The Rake's Progress have bucked
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| called "opera" by analogy, usually
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| | the trend. The terminology of the various
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| prefaced with an adjective indicating the
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| | kinds of operatic voices is described in
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| region (for example, Chinese opera).
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| | Section 3 below.
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| These independent traditions are not
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| | The word opera means "works" in Italian
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| derivative of Western opera, but are
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| | (from the plural of Latin opus meaning
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| rather distinct forms of musical theatre.
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| | "work" or "labour") suggesting that it
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| Opera is also not the only type of
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| | combines the arts of solo and choral
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| Western musical theatre: in the ancient
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| | singing, declamation, acting and dancing
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| world, Greek drama featured singing and
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| | in a staged spectacle. Dafne by Jacopo
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| instrumental accompaniment; and in modern
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| | Peri was the earliest composition
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| times, other forms such as the musical
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| | considered opera, as understood today. It
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| have appeared.
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| | was written around 1597, largely under
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| The words of an opera are known as the
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| | the inspiration of an elite circle of
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| libretto (literally "little book"). Some
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| | literate Florentine humanists who
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| composers, notably Richard Wagner, have
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| | gathered as the "Camerata".
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| written their own libretti; others have
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| | Significantly, Dafne was an attempt to
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| worked in close collaboration with their
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| | revive the classical Greek drama, part of
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| librettists, e.g. Mozart with Lorenzo da
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| | the wider revival of antiquity
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| Ponte. Traditional opera consists of two
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| | characteristic of the Renaissance. The
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| modes of singing: recitative, the
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| | members of the Camerata considered that
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| plot-driving passages often sung in a
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| | the "chorus" parts of Greek dramas were
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| non-melodic style characteristic of
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| | originally sung, and possibly even the
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| opera, and aria (an "air" or formal song)
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| | entire text of all roles; opera was thus
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| in which the characters express their
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| | conceived as a way of "restoring" this
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| emotions in a more structured melodic
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| | situation. Dafne is unfortunately lost. A
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| style. Duets, trios and other ensembles
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| | later work by Peri, Euridice, dating from
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| often occur, and choruses are used to
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| | 1600, is the first opera score to have
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| comment on the action. In some forms of
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| | survived to the present day. The honour
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| opera, such as Singspiel, opéra
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| | of being the first opera still to be
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| comique, operetta, and semi-opera, the
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| | regularly performed, however, goes to
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| recitative is mostly replaced by spoken
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| | Claudio Monteverdi's Orfeo, composed for
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| dialogue. Melodic or semi-melodic
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| | the court of Mantua in 1607.
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