Portal:Opera/Intro

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. Founded in 1778, La Scala is one of the world's most famous opera houses.

Opera is an art in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work (called an opera) which combines a text (libretto) and a musical score. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery and costumes and sometimes includes dance. The performance is typically given in an opera house, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble.

Sydney Opera House, Australia. Built in 1973, and now an icon of modern architecture.

Opera started in Italy at the end of the 16th century (Jacopo Peri's lost Dafne, produced in Florence about 1597) and soon spread through the rest of Europe: Schütz in Germany, Lully in France, and Purcell in England all helped to establish their national traditions in the 17th century. However, in the 18th century, Italian opera continued to dominate most of Europe, except France, attracting foreign composers such as Handel. Opera seria was the most prestigious form of Italian opera, until Gluck reacted against its artificiality with his "reform" operas in the 1760s. . . .