Saturday, February 8, 2014

February 8th is Opera Day


Hamlet
Theatre de Vanves, Paris (2010)
If you have a passion for opera, then you probably know The Magic Flute by the famous Mozaert and Fiedelio by Beethoven. Or perhaps you're not really a fan of operas. But have you enjoyed watching Sweeny Todd, Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, or Les Misérables? Did you know that these musicals have been written with operatic structures? Operas have been entertaining the audiences since the late 16th century.  Opera Day is a chance for those who love operas to celebrate and an opportunity for other to begin to like opera too!

 No creator of the day or date of origin is found. However, the date has significance in music history. On February 8, 1735, the first opera was performed in the United States.  It was a popular English ballad opera entitled "Flora" and was preformed in Charleston, South Carolina. "Flora" was among the first operas to blend contemporary music with a contemporary theme.  The opera premiered in a makeshift theater that day. The theater became more popular leading to the building of the first opera house in the U.S. which opened a year later in Charleston.


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