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!
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