This is Opera Season 2 Episode 14 The Birth Of Opera

The Birth of Opera is a fascinating episode of the second season of This is Opera. Through a mix of historical reconstructions and interviews with experts, the episode presents the origins of opera as an art form and explains how it came to be a fundamental part of the Western cultural tradition.

The episode opens with a dramatization of a scene in Florence, Italy, in the late sixteenth century. A group of musicians, poets, and intellectuals gather at the palace of Giovanni de' Bardi to discuss a new form of musical theater. They are looking for a way to revive the classical Greek drama, which they believe has been lost for centuries. They want to create a new art form that combines poetry, music, dance, and theater, and that is capable of expressing complex emotions and ideas.

One of the guests, the composer Jacopo Peri, suggests that they could use a new technique called recitative, which is based on the natural rhythms of spoken language, to give the music a dramatic quality. Another guest, the poet Ottavio Rinuccini, offers to write a libretto based on an ancient myth. And so, the first opera is born.

The episode then explores the development of opera in Italy and the rest of Europe. It shows how opera became a vehicle for political propaganda, a showcase for singers and composers, and a popular entertainment for all social classes. It explains how different genres of opera emerged, such as opera seria, which focused on heroism and tragedy, and opera buffa, which was a more light-hearted and comic form of opera.

The episode also presents some of the most famous arias and scenes from operas of the time, such as Claudio Monteverdi's Orfeo, Christoph Willibald Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Don Giovanni. It explains how these operas were influenced by the cultural and social trends of their time, such as the Enlightenment, the rise of nationalism, and the emergence of the bourgeoisie.

One of the most interesting aspects of the episode is its exploration of the role of women in opera. It shows how many of the leading roles in opera were originally written for castrati, male singers who were castrated before puberty to preserve their high voices. But as castrati became less popular, women started to take on these roles. The episode focuses on some of the most famous female opera singers of the time, such as Caterina Gabrielli, Francesca Cuzzoni, and Maria Malibran, and how they were able to break down gender barriers and become cultural icons.

The Birth of Opera also explores the impact of opera on society and politics. It shows how opera was used to promote patriotism and national identity, as in the case of Giuseppe Verdi's operas during the Risorgimento, or Italian unification. It explains how opera was censored or banned in some countries, such as England, where it was seen as a corrupting influence on public morals.

Overall, The Birth of Opera is a well-researched and engaging episode of This is Opera. It provides a comprehensive overview of the origins and evolution of opera, and it offers fascinating insights into the cultural, social, and political contexts of the time. Whether you are a fan of opera or just curious about this art form, this episode is definitely worth watching.