A Brief Look at the Origins of Opera

An accomplished financial advisor and organizational administrator, Marc David Broidy has a long-held interest in the theatrical arts. One of Marc Broidy’s specific areas of interest is opera.

The plural form of the Latin “opus,” the word “opera” literally means “work.” It has deep roots in the 16th-century aristocracy of Florence, Italy.

Throughout the Renaissance, the Italian cultural elite was deeply interested in the mythology and art of ancient Rome and Greece. As part of this preoccupation with antiquity, theaters regularly revived and restaged classic Greek plays for upper-class audiences.

However, many aristocrats found these plays to be overly long and difficult to sit through. To combat this problem, theaters began staging intermezzi: short performances between the acts of longer plays. Intermezzi generally featured elaborate staging with ornate sets, costumes, lighting, and special effects. Most significantly, these productions entertained through song and dance.

To mark the wedding of the Grand Duke in 1589, the Medici court of Florence presented a particularly lavish intermedio about the Greek god Apollo and the Pythian dragon. Composer Jacopo Peri subsequently expanded this work into a full-length musical drama, Dafne, which debuted in 1597. Experts widely consider Dafne to be the first opera.

Marc Broidy was honored to have been asked to create the Lighting Design for a one night production of an opera ‘Fay Yen Fah’ by Templeton Crocker at the Salle Garnier in Monte Carlo.