History of Opera 1 – Origins

During Carnival of 1598, at the modest Palazzo Corsi in Florence (Italy), a ‘work of music’ (un opera in musica) was performed that, by modern standards, could be considered an opera, the first opera of history (but most of the music is lost).
PLAYLIST - Theatre and more:
   • Theatre and more  

00:03 Aria Dalle più alte sfere, music: Emilio de' Cavalieri (sung by Emma Kirkby)
00:20 Spectacle ‘La Pellegrina’ 1589, written by Girolamo Bargagli of Siena, stage design Bernardo Buontalenti
01:35 The marriage of Ferdinand I de' Medici with Christine de Lorraine
03:23 Opera ‘Daphne’ 1598, music: Jacopo Peri, libretto: Ottavio Rinuccini
04:44 The Florentine Camerata
07:54 Aria: The ‘Prologo’ of ‘La Tragedia’
11:48 Opera ‘Eurydice’ 1600, music: Jacopo Peri, libretto: Ottavio Rinuccini
15:00 Recitative, the sung dialogue between Orpheus and Pluto
17:00 Maria de’ Medici’s marriage by proxy with Henry IV
18:24 Opera with intermedi: ‘Il rapimento di Cefalo’ 1600, most of the music was composed by Giulio Caccini, libretto: Gabriello Chiabrera
22:32 Aria ultima: Chi mi confort’ahimè (only one line)
24:10 Opera ‘L’Orfeo’ (Orpheus) 1607, music: Claudio Monteverdi, libretto: Alessandro Striggio the younger
26:51 Aria: Signor, quell'infelice