Today, like most other kinds of theater and music, the musical drama of opera enjoys a myriad of different forms and interpretations. Operas can exhibit both comical moods as well as the most tragic ones while the actors may be of the highest caliber or simply part-time novices. But it has not always been this way. Since its inception in Italy around the year 1600, the opera has experienced a number of shifts and trends. In the beginning, it was heavily influenced by classical Greek drama and attempted to adhere to its heroic subject matter and theme. Yet, by the eighteenth century, two distinct forms were beginning to branch out from the original operatic base in Italy. Italian audiences were able to witness two fundamental styles: the opera seria and the opera buffa. Their distinct styles reflected the social mentality of the era and its ability to morph and grow in a new direction, which later influenced further alterations in modern opera. The first half of the eighteenth century was dominated by the opera seria, which most closely resembled the earliest form of the opera. Its characteristics were heavily influenced by the Enlightenment, a period in Europe which put human reason at the forefront of thought. In turn, clarity and structure became the foundation of the opera seria. In many ways, simplicity and rational thought, which were further major characteristics of the opera seria, go hand in hand. It eschewed imagination and improvisation in favor of familiar storylines, most often Greek, which was easier on the audience and did not tax their mental capacities too much. However, some operagoers felt slighted by the fact that the operas failed to challenge them, and though it remained a popular form of entertainment, it displayed a number of other limitations. Some members of the audience found further difficulties with the opera seria. First, the organization of the opera never deviated from the usual norm. It was always composed of three acts, and, within each act were its fundamental components: the recitatives and the arias. Recitatives are the singing of the cast, which pushes the action of the opera forward. Arias usually followed as a climax and revealed the emotion or internal conflict of the actors. The main issue was that such a rigid structure made the opera bland and at times predictable. If there had been more flexibility, the operas would have been more vivid and alive, yet the composers were bound by the predominant philosophical constraints of the early 1700s. The stage, then, was ripe for change in the form of the opera buffa, which was beginning to manifest itself within the opera seria itself through the intermezzo. The intermezzo was already an integral part of the opera seria in that it was a short performance break between acts and was less predictable than the major production. Over time, the style of the intermezzo caught on and was eventually put on separately, eventually being dubbed the opera buffa. This type of opera was characterized by a light, even comic, motif. More importantly, it was less constrained and displayed elements of free emotion and subject matter that mirrored everyday life, not, for example, heroes from Greek tragedies. Further, music began to play a greater role in the opera, was spontaneous, and often mirrored the emotions of the characters. Because the themes were more true to life, the audience could relate more closely with the opera buffa. As it developed, the opera buffa also began to take on more serious subject matter yet retained its free flowing manner. By the late 1700s, the influence of the Enlightenment was beginning to lose its luster, and the two predominant forms of opera began to merge into one. The opera seria started to display more elasticity in its form and structure and even included some dancing in its performances. Likewise, the opera buffa began to engage in more sophisticated themes. By the end of the century, even the most sensitive opera enthusiast could hardly distinguish between the two. More importantly, as each form changed, they were able to provide the audience with the best of both worlds and a more complete opera experience, as they were composed with intellectual integrity, stimulation sprinkled with lightheartedness, and humor. From this, the modern form of opera was born.
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