Opera, a Western theatrical art form, fundamentally integrates music with dramatic roles sung by performers. It's a collaborative creation between a composer and a librettist, blending performing arts like acting, set design, costumes, and occasionally dance or ballet. Performances typically occur in opera houses, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble, usually led by a conductor since the early 19th century. While closely related to musical theatre, opera maintains a distinct identity.
1902: Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande Premieres
Claude Debussy's unique opera, Pelléas et Mélisande, premiered in 1902. It featured a prominent role for the orchestra, no traditional arias, and a mysterious, understated drama that contrasted with Wagner's style.
1904: Janáček's Jenůfa Premieres in Brno
Leoš Janáček's opera Jenůfa, often called the "Moravian national opera," premiered in Brno in 1904.
1909: Schoenberg Composes Erwartung
Arnold Schoenberg composed Erwartung in 1909, showcasing his early exploration of operatic modernism with heavy use of chromatic harmony and dissonance.
1911: Stravinsky's Petrushka
Igor Stravinsky composed the music for the ballet "Petrushka" in 1911.
1913: Neoclassicism in Opera
In 1913, Ferruccio Busoni wrote the libretto for his neoclassical opera "Arlecchino," and Igor Stravinsky composed the ballet "The Rite of Spring."
1914: Stravinsky's The Nightingale
Igor Stravinsky composed "The Nightingale" in 1914, inspired by Rimsky-Korsakov.
1916: Stravinsky's Renard
Igor Stravinsky produced "Renard," a burlesque in song and dance, in 1916.
1916: Jenůfa's Prague Premiere
The successful Prague premiere of Janáček's Jenůfa in 1916 brought him international recognition and access to major opera stages worldwide.
1917: Premiere of Arlecchino
Ferruccio Busoni's neoclassical opera "Arlecchino" was first performed in 1917.
1918: Stravinsky's The Soldier's Tale
In 1918, Igor Stravinsky produced "The Soldier's Tale," described as a piece "to be read, played, and danced."
1922: Stravinsky's Mavra
Igor Stravinsky composed "Mavra" in 1922.
1924: Erwartung Premieres
Schoenberg's Erwartung premiered in 1924.
1925: Berg's Wozzeck Premieres
Alban Berg's opera Wozzeck premiered in 1925.
1927: Stravinsky's Oedipus rex
Igor Stravinsky's opera-oratorio "Oedipus rex" premiered in 1927, marking a culmination of his neoclassical period.
1935: Porgy and Bess
"Porgy and Bess," influenced by jazz, premiered in 1935 and later became part of the opera repertory.
1935: Berg Dies, Lulu Incomplete
Alban Berg died in 1935, leaving his opera Lulu incomplete.
1937: Koroğlu Premieres
The Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov's opera Koroğlu premiered in 1937, representing one of the new national operas emerging in the early Soviet Union.
May 1939: Ai-Churek Premieres in Moscow
The first Kyrgyz opera, Ai-Churek, premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in May 1939.
1945: The White-Haired Girl Premieres
The White-Haired Girl, a Chinese contemporary classical opera in the Western style, premiered in 1945.
1945: Arshak II Fully Staged
The first known Turkish opera, Arshak II, composed by Tigran Chukhajian, was fully staged in Armenia in 1945.
December 1951: Amahl and the Night Visitors Broadcast
On December 24, 1951, the live broadcast of Gian Carlo Menotti's "Amahl and the Night Visitors" marked a milestone for opera broadcasting in the U.S.
1951: Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress
Igor Stravinsky composed the 18th-century-style opera "The Rake's Progress" in 1951.
1952: The Most Happy Fella
The quasi-operatic "The Most Happy Fella" premiered in 1952 and was later revived by the New York City Opera.
1956: Candide
"Candide," with its lyrical passages and opera parodies, opened on Broadway in 1956 and later entered the opera repertory.
1967: Roudaki Hall Opens in Iran
The construction of the Roudaki Hall in Iran in 1967 paved the way for staging a wider range of works, including operas, and contributed to the growth of opera in the country.
1969: Tommy
The rock-influenced musical "Tommy," employing operatic conventions, premiered in 1969.
1971: Jesus Christ Superstar
"Jesus Christ Superstar," a rock opera using operatic conventions, premiered in 1971.
1980: Les Misérables
"Les Misérables," employing operatic conventions, premiered in 1980.
1983: Messiaen's Saint François d'Assise Premieres
Olivier Messiaen's lengthy sacred drama, Saint François d'Assise, premiered in 1983 and garnered significant attention.
1992: Tosca Broadcast
In 1992, a live broadcast of "Tosca" from its original Roman settings and times of day marked another milestone in opera broadcasting.
1996: Rent
"Rent," using operatic conventions, premiered in 1996.
2004: Disparity in Opera Houses
As of 2004, Germany had about 80 year-round opera houses, compared to none in the U.S., highlighting a disparity influenced by public funding in Europe.
2005: La Scala Funding
In 2005, La Scala received 25% of Italy's total state subsidy for the performing arts, highlighting the role of public funding for opera houses in Europe.
2006: Spring Awakening
"Spring Awakening," using operatic conventions, premiered in 2006.
2006: Live HD Broadcasts Begin in Opera Houses
In 2006, a number of major opera houses started offering live high-definition video transmissions of their performances to cinemas worldwide.
2006: Metropolitan Opera HD Transmissions
The Metropolitan Opera began live high-definition video transmissions to cinemas worldwide in 2006.
2007: Met Performances in Cinemas
In 2007, Met performances were shown in over 424 theaters in 350 U.S. cities.
2007: Tristan und Isolde Download
The Glyndebourne Festival Opera's 2007 production of "Tristan und Isolde" was the first opera made available for online digital video download.
March 2008: San Francisco Opera Video Transmissions
San Francisco Opera began prerecorded video transmissions of its performances in March 2008.
June 2008: Expansion of Video Transmissions
As of June 2008, approximately 125 theaters in 117 U.S. cities carried San Francisco Opera's video transmissions.
2009: Opera Performances Go Digital
By 2009, complete opera performances became available for download and live streaming online.
2009: Glyndebourne Online Download
In 2009, the Glyndebourne Festival Opera offered its first online digital video download of a complete opera production.
2011: Aging Opera Audience
In 2011, the Metropolitan Opera reported an average audience age of 60, reflecting a trend of older audiences for classical music.
July 2012: Free Will Premiere
In July 2012, the first online community opera, "Free Will," premiered at the Savonlinna Opera Festival.
2012: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
"Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812," employing operatic conventions, premiered in 2012.
2012: Arts Council England Funding Analysis
Between 2012 and 2015, the Arts Council England analyzed its funding for major opera and ballet companies, setting recommendations and targets.
2013: Glyndebourne Online Streaming
In the 2013 season, the Glyndebourne Festival streamed all six of its productions online.
February 2015: English National Opera Funding Threat
In February 2015, the Arts Council England threatened to withdraw public funding from the English National Opera due to concerns over its business plan.
2017: English National Opera Funding Deadline
The Arts Council England set a 2017 deadline for the English National Opera to address its business plan concerns or risk losing public funding.
2018: Efforts to Attract Younger Audiences
By 2018, efforts to attract younger audiences resulted in a slight decrease in the average age at the Met (58), while Berlin State Opera and Paris Opera reported younger average ages of 54 and 48, respectively.