Monteverdi composed his influential L’Orfeo just a few years later in 1607. Peri included an instrumental “ ritornello” at the beginning of the opera with that ritornello came the first hints of the parts of an opera that would eventually become the full-blown overture. The roots of the opera Overture begin with the first surviving opera, Peri’s L’Euridice in the year 1600 (it should be noted that Peri composed an earlier opera, Dafne, but manuscripts of the music have not survived). Surprisingly, one-act operas are not necessarily shorter–Wagner’s Das Rheingold has only one act but it runs for two and a half hours! Example: in a four-act opera, there may be an intermission only after the second act. In a live performance, intermissions will occur between acts, but not necessarily between every act. The number is generally from one to five. Operas are made up of “Acts ” the composer decides how many acts, or sections, are in the opera. Considering the origins of the word, it comes as no surprise that “overture” is often used to describe the instrumental opening of an opera prior to the beginning of Act 1. The word “overture” comes from the Latin word “apertura.” You may be familiar with the English word “aperture,” which refers to an opening or a hole. Parts of an Opera: The Early History of the Overture Thanks to guys like Peri, Caccini, and Monteverdi, operas and overtures were able to get off the ground. Instruments were different back then (think gut strings and the violoncello), the symphony hadn’t been invented yet, and opera was just getting started. The history of the opera overture goes back to the very beginning of the 17th century. If you get lost, let us know in the comments below! You’ll be glad you did, and we’ve included lots of examples. So grab a cup of coffee and spend some time with these parts of an opera. If you don’t get to know the genre at all though, opera will probably look strange and unapproachable. The more you know about opera, the more interesting it becomes–you may even find yourself buying tickets to a performance soon. Opera is a huge undertaking, made up of many different parts: overtures, acts, arias, and recitatives just to name a few. Can there really be MORE to learn about the parts of an opera? If you read our previous opera post, “ Opera Voice Types,” then you might be shocked to see another opera-centered article.
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