Acoustics of Opera Houses

Abstract

Opera is said to have originated in Italy in the royal courts at the end of the fifteenth century, but opera as we know it came to life a hundred years later in a Florence palace, evolving from a collection of short vocal pieces with melodies that were accompanied by instrumental chords (recitativo). The first “opera” was staged in Florence in 1598—Dafne by the poet Rinuccini, set to music by Jacopo Peri. The first opera house, built for the purpose, was the Teatro di San Cassiano that opened in Venice in 1637. For the first time the orchestra was placed between the stage and the audience. The oldest opera house in use today is the Teatro di San Carlo, which opened in 1737, burned in 1816, and was restored exactly as before in 1817. Verdi suggested the addition of the orchestra pit in 1872. The second-oldest standing opera house in Italy is the Teatro alla Scala that opened in August 1778. Every great singer and conductor of opera since that time has appeared in the beautiful La Scala.