The Catholic Church Forbade the Staging of Opera During the Lenten Season

In this blog post, we take a look at the Catholic Church’s ban on opera during the Lenten season.

History

In the early days of opera, the Catholic Church was very influential in what could and could not be performed. One of their most well-known mandates was that no opera could be staged during the Lenten season. This was a time of fasting and prayer for many Christians, and the Church felt that opera – with its often erotic and bawdy storylines – was not appropriate during this time. This didn’t stop opera lovers, though, and many operas were written specifically for the Lenten season.

Opera began in the late 16th century

In 1597, a group of Florentine noblemen staged an impromptu performance of Claudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo to celebrate the marriage of one of their members. This private performance is considered by many to be the first opera. Orfeo was so popular that it was performed again in Mantua the following year. Opera quickly spread throughout Italy and, by the early 17th century, had reached France, Germany, and England.

One of the most important early operas is Jacopo Peri’s Dafne, which was first performed in Florence in 1598. Peri’s work is significant not only because it is one of the earliest operas, but also because it marked the beginning of a debate that continues to this day: what, exactly, is opera? Dafne is based on a section from an ancient Greek epic poem (Ovid’s Metamorphoses), and Peri set his work to music using a style that was popular at the time for solo vocal pieces (known as monody). Many scholars believe that Dafne should be considered the first opera because it was the first work to truly integrate music and drama. However, others argue that Orfeo, which also combined music and drama, should be considered the first opera because it was actually performed before Dafne.

The matter is further complicated by another work composed around the same time as Dafne: Jacopo Corsi’s L’Euridice. Like Dafne, L’Euridice is based on a story from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. However, unlike Dafne (which was written for solo voice), L’Euridice contains elements of both monody and polyphony (in which two or more voice parts are sung simultaneously). This has led some scholars to argue that L’Euridice should be considered the first opera because it contains elements of both music and drama AND because it uses both monophonic and polyphonic textures.

The issue of what constitutes opera will likely never be fully resolved. However, one thing is certain: whatever your definition of opera may be, there is no doubt that the genre has its roots in late 16th-century Italy.

The Catholic Church forbade the staging of opera during the Lenten season in the early 17th century

In the early 17th century, the Catholic Church forbidden the staging of opera during the Lenten season. This was a direct result of the church’s prohibition of theatre during Lent, which began in 1567. Opera, which was considered to be a form of theatre, was also banned. This ban lasted for over 200 years, and it was not until 1803 that the church lifted its ban on opera during Lent.

Reasons

There were several reasons the Catholic Church forbade the staging of opera during the Lenten season. First, the church felt that the content of most operas – which often included themes of love, lust, violence, and death – was inappropriate for the holy season of Lent. Additionally, the church was concerned that the lavish sets and costumes associated with opera would be too distracting for those who were supposed to be focusing on penance and preparing for Easter.

The Church felt that opera was a pagan form of entertainment

The main reason that the Catholic Church forbade the staging of opera during the Lenten season was because they felt that it was a pagan form of entertainment. This is because opera originated in Italy during the Renaissance, which was a time when the Catholic Church held a great deal of power. The Church felt that opera was immoral and that it would lead people astray from their religious beliefs.

The Church felt that opera was a distraction from religious devotion

The Church felt that opera was a distraction from religious devotion. Moreover, Church leaders were concerned about the often sensual and sometimes suggestive themes of many operas. They also believed that the music and lyrics of some operas could be blasphemous. For these reasons, the Church forbade the staging of opera during the Lenten season.

Impact

The Catholic Church’s stance on opera during the Lenten season had a significant impact on the development of the genre. Forbidding the staging of opera during Lent meant that there was a whole season where operas could not be performed. This led to a decline in popularity for the genre, as people were simply not exposed to it as much.

The ban was lifted in the late 17th century

In the late 17th century, the Catholic Church lifted its ban on opera during Lent, and the opera season soon expanded to include the entire year. The first public opera house in Venice, the Teatro San Cassiano, opened in 1637. By the end of the 17th century, there were public opera houses in most major Italian cities.

Opera became more popular in the 18th century

One of the main reasons for opera’s increased popularity in the 18th century was its ability to appeal to a wider range of audiences. It was now possible for opera to be enjoyed by people from all socio-economic backgrounds. This was due in part to the fact that there were more public performances of opera, as well as an increasing number of private performances. Operas were also being staged in a variety of different venues, including court theatres, public theatres, and even private homes.