It is the ultimate musical. As the varied voices reach a crescendo, you are transported to paroxysms of delight. But don't expect frivolous love themes here. Operas have engendered the Risorgimento and have given voice to the soul of Italy. The patterns and rhythms are complex but well set- taking you from the depths of misery of a dying hero to the joyous exhilaration of the triumph of the spirit- in a few swift turns. Each note is calculated to let your imagination fly and can be handled by only the finest singers- chiseled by years of practice. Not surprisingly, its appreciation is a rigorous task, enjoyed by few. And its intelligence quotient draws the upper echelons as much for its sophistication as for its "been there" visibility factor.
Your travel to destination Italy remains incomplete without a trip to Italian opera.HISTORY
Shortened from the Italian "opera in musica" [work in music], opera originated in Italy. When a certain Medici thought of entertaining his guests at his daughter's marriage with Henry IV of France, an Italian poem recounting the story of Orpheus and Eurydice was set to music. It led to a seeding of an inspiration. For, it was turned into La Favola d'Orfeo [The Fable of Orpheus], the first opera by Claudio Monteverdi. CLASSICAL OPERA
Traversing tumultuous times reflecting the socio-political conclusions, the opera turned Baroque and Romantic in its journey through 2 centuries. Monteverdi was its father and took the operatic form to newer heights through a seamless marriage of music with words in such classics as I Ritorno d'Ullise in Patria, 1637, [The Return of Ullyses] and L'Incoronazione di Poppaea, 1642 .Melodrama entered the opera around this time and have it a fuller shape , even as it pulled in more crowds.ROMANTIC OPERA
Verdi transformed the entire classicism of opera by introducing contemporaneous themes. Born in the exciting times of the unification, he took opera to nationalistic heights with his path breaking operas "Nabucco" and "Va, pensiero". These went a long way in giving shape to the Italian Risorgimento and were performed time and again as the rallying call. The curtain had gone up on the Romantic age in operas.
The opera came closer to life, portraying characters in flesh and blood. The agony of the parting and the ecstasy of the triumph found some real voices. Patriotic themes emerged as a hot favorite with Verdi's operas stirring the soul of Italy into action. The standard romantic themes were woven in but in the background, the momentous events loomed. He experimented further and created "Aida" to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal.. Later he plunged into the classical source material of the Bard, coming up with the masterpiece of an "Otello" described by critics as the finest of Italian romantic operas with the traditional components. His last opera, "Falstaff" [1893], broke free from every norm. CONTEMPORARY OPERA
It's a spectacle today. A fine melding of the arts, a musical drama, full of glorious song, costume, orchestral music and pageantry that rises to dizzying heights with or without the aid of a plausible plot. Everything is exaggerated, even to farcical levels. Most famous opera writers, however, like Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, Puccini and Verdi have always taken care to weave their themes around the joys and sorrows, the cares and concerns, the marriages, births and partings of real folks. Nearly all of these have fleshed out women characters such as Violetta, Tosca, Santuzza, Amelia in The Masked Ball, and Gilda in Rigoletto where their independence and compassion shines through. Listening to such stars as Luciano Pavarotti, Mirella Freni and Renata Scotto or even the rising ones such as Barbara Frittoli, Sonia Ganassi and Michele Pertus can make your day. . Step into the perfect setting of splendid 17th to 19th century architecture, in any of the twelve grand theatres of fame, including the world-famous La Scala in Milan, the Petruzzelli of Bari and The Fenice Theatre of Venice. And the operatic experience will linger forever!