Changes

An opera can last for five hours or more ([[Richard Wagner|Wagner]]’s ''Mastersingers of Nuremberg'') or under ten minutes ([[Darius Milhaud]]’s ''The Deliverance of Theseus''; have a cast of hundreds ([[Giuseppe Verdi|Verdi]]’s ''Aida'' – with or without the [[elephant]]s) or just a handful ([[Samuel Barber]]’s ''A Hand of Bridge''; can be a story from the start of the world (Eugen D'Albert’s ''Cain'') or its end (Wagner’s ''Götterdämmerung''); historical ([[Handel]]’s ''Julius Caesar'') or topical ([[John Adams]]’ ''Nixon in China''), for children (''Hansel and Gretel'') or adults (''Salome''); the fantasmagorical ([[Mozart]]’s ''[[The Magic Flute]]'') or of real and grubby life [[Alban Berg]]’s ''Lulu'').

An opera can last for five hours or more ([[Richard Wagner|Wagner]]’s ''Mastersingers of Nuremberg'') or under ten minutes ([[Darius Milhaud]]’s ''The Deliverance of Theseus''; have a cast of hundreds ([[Giuseppe Verdi|Verdi]]’s ''Aida'' – with or without the [[elephant]]s) or just a handful ([[Samuel Barber]]’s ''A Hand of Bridge''; can be a story from the start of the world (Eugen D'Albert’s ''Cain'') or its end (Wagner’s ''Götterdämmerung''); historical ([[Handel]]’s ''Julius Caesar'') or topical ([[John Adams]]’ ''Nixon in China''), for children (''Hansel and Gretel'') or adults (''Salome''); the fantasmagorical ([[Mozart]]’s ''[[The Magic Flute]]'') or of real and grubby life [[Alban Berg]]’s ''Lulu'').

Many of the works of the world’s great writers have been adapted for the operatic stage – from [[Shakespeare]] (''[[Macbeth]]'', ''[[Hamlet]]'', ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]'', ''A Midsummer Night’s Dream'' and more.) [[John Bunyan]] (''The Pilgrim’s Progress''), Aleksandr Pushkin (''Eugene Enegin'' ''Boris Godunov'' etc.), [[Tolstoy]] “''War and Peace'') [[Goethe]] (''Faust'') and many more.

Many of the works of the world’s great writers have been adapted for the operatic stage – from [[Shakespeare]] (''[[Macbeth]]'', ''[[Hamlet]]'', ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]'', ''A Midsummer Night’s Dream'' and more.) [[John Bunyan]] (''The Pilgrim’s Progress''), Aleksandr Pushkin (''Eugene Enegin'' ''Boris Godunov'' etc.), [[Tolstoy]] ''War and Peace'') [[Goethe]] (''Faust'') and many more.

Opera as we know it grew out of court entertainment in [[Renaissance]] [[Italy]]. It was a logical progression from the [[madrigal]], by then at its highest point, as a vehicle for dramatic expression in both solo and ensemble singing accompanied by an “orchestra” – although it would be considered to be a chamber ensemble today.  There were already masques and miracle plays and other stage entertainments with sets and costumes but the year 1600 is generally regarded as the time of opera’s birth. The first opera that is still performed today is [[Claudio Monteverdi]]’s ''L’Orfeo'', (1607) that age-old favourite tale of Orpheus and Euridice (in this case given a happy ending). It consisted of solo and choral arias (airs or songs) sung to a narrative and with scenery, but performed in a series of tableaux. There was not a lot of walking about.  

Opera as we know it grew out of court entertainment in [[Renaissance]] [[Italy]]. It was a logical progression from the [[madrigal]], by then at its highest point, as a vehicle for dramatic expression in both solo and ensemble singing accompanied by an “orchestra” – although it would be considered to be a chamber ensemble today.  There were already masques and miracle plays and other stage entertainments with sets and costumes but the year 1600 is generally regarded as the time of opera’s birth. The first opera that is still performed today is [[Claudio Monteverdi]]’s ''L’Orfeo'', (1607) that age-old favourite tale of Orpheus and Euridice (in this case given a happy ending). It consisted of solo and choral arias (airs or songs) sung to a narrative and with scenery, but performed in a series of tableaux. There was not a lot of walking about.