Opera Day – February 8, 2027

History of Opera Day

Opera was born out of the classical music tradition in the West. It first started in Italy and then spread across Europe to France, Germany, Russia, and England. Opera was first known to play its focus on the chorus by recreating dramas from Ancient Greek. The first season of opera took place in Venice in 1637, becoming a popular art of entertainment ever since. Since its inception, the opera art form has evolved and diverged in numerous ways throughout its history. For much of the 18th century, opera seria, with its elevated style and virtuoso performances were best-loved among the Italians.

Yet as with all artistic movements, there were a few who wanted to innovate the existing art form. Mozart is well-known for his comic operas such as ‘The Marriage of Figaro,’ while Verdi is famous for confident, patriotic operas. Wagner was one of the most influential opera composers who dissolved the distinct recitatives and arias into “endless melody,” and developed the idea of the ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’ (complete artwork) where he synthesized different art forms into one.
Composers in the 20th century continued to experiment with the art form and came up with innovative concepts such as atonality and dissonance. The modern era saw an explosion of musical theater, the modern rendition of opera. While there are a number of key differences, some musicals closely resemble opera – for example, ‘Les Misérables,’ which has also been adapted into a movie. The genre has also influenced current entertainment, with soap operas revolving around personal dramas just the way the original opera was intended.