1. Opera
A Brief History

2. What is opera?
A story told to music, which combines music, dance, theatre, sets, costumes, make up, etc. Operatic stories come from history, mythology, fairy tales, folk stories, literature and drama. Opera requires big singing; singers train to acquire the projection required to sing opera unamplified.

3. The History of Opera
Opera is more than 400 years old. Dafne (1597) is considered the first true opera. Opera became hugely popular in Italy and spread to Germany and France and eventually the rest of Europe. Opera comique (witty, satirical) and grand opera (opera on a grand scale) developed, followed by lyric opera (Carmen, for example) and bel canto opera (Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti). Romantic composers like Verdi and Wagner paved the way for a new style called verismo. Puccini wrote veristic opera like Tosca and Madame Butterfly.

4. Great Opera Singers Maria Callas soprano Placido Domingo tenor
Sondra Radvanovsky

5. One of opera’s big moments: Tosca