History of Opera

While the history of opera originally begins in the late 16^th century, the act of putting on plays as a form of entertainment dates back to Greek and Roman times.

During intermissions, also known as intermezzi, between acts of the play, performers would keep patrons entertained with dancing and music. Similar to the jesters in English courts, players participated in dancing, wore colorful costumes, sang, performed skits and played musical instruments; the intermezzi became popular with the court in its own right.

Because of the popularity, a new form of entertainment that involved music and singing began to emerge in the late 1500s.

Timeline of Opera

• 1597: Dafne has the distinction of being the first opera ever composed. The opera incorporates musical instruments, including the lute, viol and harpsichord, in a small grouping. Recitative singing is also featured.
• 1600: A second and more involved opera, Euridice, is written by Ottavio Rinuccini and composed by Peri.
• 1600s: Castrati is introduced. Young boys were castrated so their voices can attain and retain high octave levels. Numerous operas were written suited to the voice ranges of the boys. This procedure continues into the late 1800s.
• 1607: Claudio Monteverdi attempts his first opera, L'Orfeo, which is a success and has maintained its popularity for more than 400 years.
• 1625: Francesca Caccini is the first female opera composer, creating her first piece, La Liberazione di Ruggiero. Her father, also a composer, worked with Jacopo Pier in composing music for Euridice.
• 1637: Two opera houses open to the public, the Teatro San Cassiano and the Teatro Santi Giovanni e Paolo. 
• 1700-present day: Operatic is a sensation, with pieces written by composers including Gluck, Handel, Scarlatti, Mozart, Auber, Rossini, Donizetti, Ravel, Debussy, Puccini, Beethoven , Strauss, Adams, Gershwin and Menotti.
• 1987: Scottish composer Judith Weir composes her full-length debut, A Night at the Chinese Opera. Weir becomes acclaimed, known as a prolific writer.