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All of Italy's a stage
Opera, theater, and concerts in Italy
The interior of La Scala opera house in Mila.Italy invented opera. It's true: The first stage play set to music with the lines entirely sung was Dafne by Jacopo Peri and Ottavio Rinuccini, performed in 1589 in Florence's Boboli Gardens on the occasion of a princely wedding between Ferdinando de’ Medici and Christine of Lorraine.
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Everyone who's ever plinked their way through Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or clumsily plucked out the opening riff to Stairway to Heaven using sheet music has Italy to thank for that, too. (No, not the Zepplin; the sheet music.) In addition to inventing opera, Italy also devised the modern musical notation system we still use today to copy down tunes so everyone can play on the same page. The musical scale was the brainchild of a monk from Arezzo named Guido, born way back in 995. Rock on, Guido. Rock on.Sadly, that work is lost. (Peri and Rinuccini's sophomore effort—Erudice, premiered in 1600—is the world's oldest surviving opera score.) Italy, however, persevered.
Over the ensuing centuries, it produced such musical Titans as Giacomo Puccini, Gioacchino Rossini (whose William Tell Overture will forever be hummed by Lone Ranger aficionados), Boccherini, and Giuseppe Verdi.
Italy also gave us the first primadonna (this less than flattering nickname was originally assigned to the "first lady"—in Italian, prima donna—of the company at Naples' famous Teatro di San Carlo, the one who would get all the choice roles and killer arias.)
And let's not forget the world's most exquisite violins, violas, and cellos crafted by the artisans of Cremona whose names are still household words after more than 300 years: Stradivarius, Ruggeri, and Guarneri.
The ancient Arena amphitheater in Verona is the setting for many a summertime opera performance.Oh, and Italians invented the piano, too. ("Piano" is actually short for the Italian name pianoforte, which means "softloud," describing how this revolutionary instrument could be played in anything from a airy whisper to a teeth-chattering boom.)
In other words, all those great things you've heard about Italian art, food, and wine? That goes for Italian music, too.
Whether it's rock concerts or church concerts (most modestly priced; many free of charge), piano recitals in the local cloisters or chamber orchestras in a Renaissance palazzo, there's always something musical going on in Italy.
Top of the heap, however, belongs to that most stylized of musical performances, a night at the opera.
Top opera venues in Italy
Every Italian town worth its salt has a local theater, and opera is a part of life in Italy. From the grand ol' opera houses of Milan, Naples, and Venice to ancient Roman amphitheaters and bath complexes (not to mention Greek theaters) converted to serve up performances al fresco under the summer stars, here are some of the best venues across Italy.
- La Scala in Milan - Arguably the greatest (and certainly the most famous) opera house in the world.
- Teatro di San Carlo in Naples - The 18th century opera house that gave us the world's first primadonnas.
- La Fenice in Venice - "The Phoenix" of Venice has—appropriately enough—been reborn from the ashes (twice) of devastating fires.
- The Arena in Verona - Roman amphitheater from AD 30, now putting on Aïda and pop operas instead of gladiator battles.
- Baths of Caracalla in Rome - The ancient Roman baths frequently serve as an opera stage in the summertime.
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This material was last updated December 2010. All information was accurate at the time.
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