Classical Music Opera Movements in the Twentieth Century

An exploration of how classical music and opera have evolved throughout the twentieth century.

The Birth of Opera

Opera is a form of theatre in which music has a leading role and the parts are taken by singers, but is distinct from musical theatre. Opera is integral to the Western classical music tradition, and has long been performed in operatic venues and other places where classical music is heard.

The Renaissance

In the early 1500s, a new kind of music began to be composed for the first time in history. This music was called opera. The word “opera” comes from the Italian word “opera”, which means “work”. Opera is a type of musical theatre in which the story is told through music, and it is usually sung throughout.

Opera began in Italy during the Renaissance, and the first operas were written around the year 1597. They were called “intermezzi” and were short plays that were performed between the acts of longer plays. The first operas were very simple, and they had little or no plot. The first opera that is still performed today is called “Dafne”, and it was written by Jacopo Peri.

Opera became more popular in the seventeenth century, and many famous composers wrote operas such as: Georg Friedrich Händel, Antonio Vivaldi, Claudio Monteverdi, and Alessandro Scarlatti. Some of the most famous operas from this time period are: “The Barber of Seville”, “The Marriage of Figaro”, “Don Giovanni”, and “The Magic Flute”.

In the eighteenth century, opera became even more popular, and many new opera houses were built across Europe. This was also the time period when some of the most famous operas were written, such as: “The Marriage of Figaro”, “Don Giovanni”, “Cosi fan tutte”, and “The Magic Flute”.

The nineteenth century was a time of great change for opera. Many new composers began to write operas that incorporated narratives from other pieces of literature, such as poems and novels. These new operas were often much longer than previous ones, and they included more complex plots with multiple characters. Some of the most famous composers from this time period include: Giuseppe Verdi, Richard Wagner, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Giacomo Puccini. Some of the most famous operas from this time period are: “La traviata”, “Rigoletto”, “Eugene Onegin”, and “Madama Butterfly”.

Opera continued to evolve in the twentieth century with composers such as Igor Stravinsky, Kurt Weill, Benjamin Britten, and Leonard Bernstein writing works that pushed the boundaries of what opera could be. These works incorporated elements from other genres such as jazz and film music, and they often featured stories that were far different from those found in traditional opera. Some of the most famous operas from this time period are: “Porgy and Bess”, “West Side Story”, “The Rake’s Progress”, and “Candide”.

The Baroque

The Baroque is a period of Western classical music that lasted from approximately 1600 to 1750. It reached its expressive peak during the period from 1680 to 1720. The success of the Italian opera seria during this time was one of the key factors in the evolution of musical theatre into its modern form.

The term “Baroque” comes from the Portuguese word barroco, meaning “misshapen pearl”. The French philosopher and critic Voltaire used it derisively in reference to the excesses of the contemporary opera seria.

The Baroque era is generally divided into three major phases: early, middle, and late. The early Baroque (ca. 1600–1640) was a time of experimentation in which new musical styles and forms were developed. This period saw the rise of the basso continuo, a key element in Italian opera seria and in many other Baroque instrumental genres.

The middle Baroque (ca. 1640–1680) was a period of increased artistic activity, culminating in the development of several new genres, including opera buffa (comic opera). This phase also saw the rise of concertante music for soloists and orchestra, as well as the beginning of dramatic oratorio.

The late Baroque (ca. 1680–1750) is often considered to be a golden age for both vocal and instrumental music. This era saw the rise of several new genres, including cantata da camera (chamber cantata), as well as significant developments in existing genres such as opera seria and sonata form.

Opera in the Twentieth Century

Opera is a form of theatre in which music has a leading role and the parts are taken by singers, but is distinguished from musical theatre. Although opera originated in Italy in the 16th century, it has undergone a continuous development all over the Western world.

The Early Twentieth Century

Classical music opera did not change much in the early part of the twentieth century. The typical opera consisted of three acts with a libretto (the text of the opera) in a foreign language, usually Italian or French. The music was primarily sung with little or no spoken dialogue. Although there were a few exceptions, most operas were set in historic periods and featured stories about love, tragedy, and death.

The early twentieth century was a time of great change in the world of opera. Composers began to experiment with new techniques and styles, and operas began to reflect the changes taking place in society. Operas such as Alban Berg’s Wozzeck and George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess challenged established conventions and paved the way for new directions in opera.

The Late Twentieth Century

In the late twentieth century, opera found itself in a position similar to that of the symphony at the beginning of the century. It was considered by many to be a relic of a bygone era,interesting only to a small group of adherents. Nevertheless,a number of innovative composers continued to write operas,and many new productions were staged both in traditional opera houses and in nontraditional venues such as warehouses and lofts.

Some composers experimented with new forms of opera, such as multimedia operas that incorporate film, video, and other visual elements into the performance. Other composers sought to return to the more traditional forms of opera, writing works that featured large orchestras and emphasized melodies that could be easily understood by audiences.

One late twentieth-century composer who bridged the gap between traditional and experimental opera was Philip Glass. His 1976 work Einstein on the Beach was one of the first operas to make use of minimalist techniques. In this work, Glass used repetition and gradual changes in tempo and harmony to create a meditative effect. The success of Einstein on the Beach led Glass to compose a number of other operas, including Satyagraha (1979), Akhnaten (1983), and The Voyage (1992).