The B&L of O

According to the documentary, opera "burst explosively onto the scene." Opera was born in Florence, Italy, and was, and still is, considered a way of life. The combination of music and story can be a very powerful force which has drawn people to shows since its beginning. The Camerata were a group of artists and a culmination of various brainiacs. They first combined music with poetry and dance in 1598 with the Greek tragedy titled Dafne. Their second opportunity came up in a Royal wedding. Unfortunately, the setting was inappropriate for opera, so its explosiveness would have to wait. Luckily, 2 wedding guests, Vincenzo Gonzaga (Duke of Mantua) and his secretary, found it (the style of opera) to be worth exploring. Claudio Monteverdi then composed the third and actually popular opera, L'Orfeo, which is now known as opera's Big Bang. The story is about a musician who travels to the Underworld to get to his dead wife. This then sparked the growth of opera into what it is known as today. 

The film goes on to discuss how politics and nationalism have influenced and uplifted opera to the public. Opera is also known to have given rise to modern day musicals, however, they have not been abandoned. In recent years, opera has found more popularity and broad appeal to the world. American composer John Adams is widely considered, whose opera Nixon in China is massively popular. The emotional subtext of operas still invokes powerful feelings in all generations exposed to its beauty.