After the desire for a revival of Greek drama encouraged by Renaissance artists during the 1600’s, Opera as we know it was formed. Opera was continually developed as Renaissance artists discovered their beloved Greek tragedies could be restored through music. Opera evolved overtime as new contributions to the style were introduced by innovative and diverse musicians. These musicians knew what Opera embodied and continually developed the style to what would endure and resonate with future audiences. This paper will discuss the origins of Opera including characteristics introduced by composer Claudio Monteverdi which were further adapted by George Frideric Handel, allowing opera to rise to prominence. It will discuss how both these composers,
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Claudio Monteverdi is perhaps considered the founding father of opera, although he was not the first composer of the art form. Monteverdi had an ear for polyphony and a keen sense of dramatic action (Riding & Dunton-Downer: 2006 pg. 55), making him the ideal composer of Opera, who would further enhance works of his predecessors which lacked strong sense of theatrical effect or musical direction. (Raeburn: 1998 pg. 23) ‘L’Orfeo’, Monteverdi’s first opera written in 1607 gained widespread appeal due to its development of the existing theatrical piece ‘Orpheus’, thus making it an example of ‘Opera Seria’, an opera with serious themes. Monteverdi knew that the plot of ‘L’Orfeo’ would be comprehended by audiences, yet needed to make certain this could be communicated through music, thus recitative style was created. Recitative is described as a passage in music, in which the words are sung in a way that represents speech. (Merriam-Webster, …show more content…
(Griffin: 2007, pg. 46) Mozart was able to transcend the style of opera from earlier works of Monteverdi and Handle, diversifying the style. “Inspired by challenging libretto’s, he painted fully-fledged characters through subtle orchestrations, harmonically ambitious recitatives, memorable arias and intricate ensembles.” (Riding & Dunton-Downer: 2006 pg. 103) Mozart is well known for adopting the contrasting style of ‘Opera Buffa’, comedic opera which dramatised everyday issues. This differs to the styles of his predecessors who composed ‘Opera Seria’s’. Mozart’s development of opera takes inspiration from the reforms of composer, Christoph Gluck. Gluck resisted the ideas of Handel, believing that the drama of the work should balance with all elements. He wrote “I have striven to restrict music to its true office of serving poetry by means of expression and by following the situations of the story, without interrupting the action or stifling it”. He insisted that orchestras should comment on the action rather than accompanying the singers, and believed the function of an overture was to create atmosphere and to introduce the music that was to follow. (Griffin: 2007, pg. 44-45) Such ideas are present in Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’, which utilises music to create both humor and tragedy to a storyline full of memorable aria’s and complex ensembles. (Riding & Dunton-Downer: 2006
Claudio Monteverdi is perhaps considered the founding father of opera, although he was not the first composer of the art form. Monteverdi had an ear for polyphony and a keen sense of dramatic action (Riding & Dunton-Downer: 2006 pg. 55), making him the ideal composer of Opera, who would further enhance works of his predecessors which lacked strong sense of theatrical effect or musical direction. (Raeburn: 1998 pg. 23) ‘L’Orfeo’, Monteverdi’s first opera written in 1607 gained widespread appeal due to its development of the existing theatrical piece ‘Orpheus’, thus making it an example of ‘Opera Seria’, an opera with serious themes. Monteverdi knew that the plot of ‘L’Orfeo’ would be comprehended by audiences, yet needed to make certain this could be communicated through music, thus recitative style was created. Recitative is described as a passage in music, in which the words are sung in a way that represents speech. (Merriam-Webster, …show more content…
(Griffin: 2007, pg. 46) Mozart was able to transcend the style of opera from earlier works of Monteverdi and Handle, diversifying the style. “Inspired by challenging libretto’s, he painted fully-fledged characters through subtle orchestrations, harmonically ambitious recitatives, memorable arias and intricate ensembles.” (Riding & Dunton-Downer: 2006 pg. 103) Mozart is well known for adopting the contrasting style of ‘Opera Buffa’, comedic opera which dramatised everyday issues. This differs to the styles of his predecessors who composed ‘Opera Seria’s’. Mozart’s development of opera takes inspiration from the reforms of composer, Christoph Gluck. Gluck resisted the ideas of Handel, believing that the drama of the work should balance with all elements. He wrote “I have striven to restrict music to its true office of serving poetry by means of expression and by following the situations of the story, without interrupting the action or stifling it”. He insisted that orchestras should comment on the action rather than accompanying the singers, and believed the function of an overture was to create atmosphere and to introduce the music that was to follow. (Griffin: 2007, pg. 44-45) Such ideas are present in Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’, which utilises music to create both humor and tragedy to a storyline full of memorable aria’s and complex ensembles. (Riding & Dunton-Downer: 2006