The Early Development of Opera Essay by Master Researcher

This paper explains that the return to Greek drama within the musical trends of the end of the 16th century and into the early part of 17th century resulted in a multifaceted musical and theatrical combination, which is now called opera. The author analyzes composers, such as Caccini, Peri and Monteverdi, to reveal how this musical idiom developed from the medieval music tradition and Greek Classical revival of the Baroque period. The paper relates that, in the late 16th century, various forms of music were beginning to combine theatrical productions, arias and extended recitative verses, which would invariably be termed opera.