Opera: An Evolution over Time

The literal or etymological meaning of the word ‘opera’ in Italian is ‘work’ (from its plural ‘opus’ meaning ‘labor’ or ‘work’). If we wish to inquire about the origin of opera, we will only learn that it had no particular source, it has rather evolved with time. Initially it was performed in courts, and later moved on to public performances. The country where it first originated was of course Italy, as the literal meaning suggests. The first accepted composition of the opera is “Daphne”. It was said to be the first performance of the opera composition in 1598 during a carnival at the home of Jacopo Corsi, in the beautiful city of Florence, Italy. Italy was a great music talent and enjoyed great music in its music carnivals, canti camascialeschi. The time period from 1500-1700 AD is considered as the one propounding the earliest influences of this Italian Music on the European Continent; this period is known as “Baroque”.

After the Baroque Period, the opera split into two – opera seria (serious opera) and opera buffo (comedic opera). The former was dominated by Germans. It took excerpts from myth and history; while the latter took the lives of ordinary men and exemplified their stories of love, revenge, deceit, etc. another form of opera which dimmed the Italian opera for a while was the “Ballad Opera”; it was inspired by the Old Ballads and got immediate popularity in London. Another form of Opera called the “Singspiel Opera” combined songs with spoken dialogues and was popularized by the Germans; similarly French Comique was popularized by the French; and both of these find their root in the “opera buffo”.

Opera glasses

In 1800, the opera was still dominated by the Italians and we see that the storylines were based on tragedy and the conflicts between tyranny and oppression. In 1900, opera came to be dominated by the Germans and became nationalistic and often based on legend and folklore.

Till date, opera remains an outstandingly popular form of music which is enjoyed world over. From merely the European Continent, it has evolved to become a world heritage when it comes to music. This is evident by the large number of Opera Houses all over the world; the largest one being in the New York City and second to it in Chicago; both being Non-European. The Opera House in Sydney is also very popular.

With time, Opera has served the taste of all music lovers and has also commercialized the use of "Opera Glasses" also known as Theatre Binoculars. These are designed according to the Galileo design of the binoculars with hardly any change in design at present. The most feasible magnification power of these is considered to be 3X. These havejavascript:void(0) also evolved from once being considered as a cheap means of watching the opera by the middle or lower classes who didn’t have the capacity to purchase front row tickets; to now being a very trendy affair and a style statement for going to the opera. Extremely exquisite, extravagant and intricate designs are available in these with added new features of dim lights, lorgnettes, handles, chains etc. They are now recognized as fashion accessories and a must have for an opera-goer.

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