All posts tagged: Ovid

A Living Requiem | Anahid Nersessian

A Living Requiem | Anahid Nersessian

In 1598 the world’s first opera, Dafne, was composed by Jacopo Peri and Ottavio Rinuccini, who based his libretto on an earlier one: “Combattimento di Apollo col serpente Pitone.” The “Combattimento” had been performed nine years before as an intermedio during the marriage celebration of Ferdinando I de’ Medici and Cristina di Lorena in Florence. Intermedii—lavish theatrical performances staged on extravagant sets—were a favorite entertainment of the aristocracy, particularly on special occasions. They involved song, speech, and music, but not all at the same time. With Dafne, Peri found a way to keep his performers singing throughout the performance, using a new style called stile recitativo, or recitative. Peri’s goal, in his words, was “to make a simple test of what the song of our time was capable of.” The dynamics of recitative, however, are far from simple. They involve producing a calculated dissonance between the vocal melody and its musical accompaniment. Instead of following the composition’s melody, the singer recites the libretto according to the rhythms and accents of spoken language. By playing with …