Jacopo Peri, who died on 12th August 1633, was a seminal figure in the history of Western music. Often referred to as the “father of opera,” Peri’s work laid the foundation for an entirely new genre of music, blending dramatic narrative with musical expression. His most famous contribution, Dafne, is widely recognised as the first opera in history.
Peri, born on 20th August 1561, in Rome and raised in Florence, grew up in a cultural environment rich in artistic innovation. This was particularly true in Florence, where the Medici court was a hub for musicians, poets, and artists.
Trained as a singer and keyboard player, Peri soon became involved in the vibrant musical life of the city. He began his career as a singer and composer of madrigals and sacred music, quickly earning a reputation for his talent.
The Birth of Opera
The concept of opera emerged in the late 16th century as part of the broader artistic movement known as the Camerata Fiorentina. This group of poets, musicians, and intellectuals aimed to revive the dramatic and musical traditions of ancient Greece. They sought to create a new form of entertainment that would combine music and theatre in a way that could express the emotions of the human experience more directly than the polyphonic music of the time.
Peri, a member of this influential circle, became deeply involved in their experiments. His first attempt at this new musical drama was Dafne, composed around 1597. Ottavio Rinuccini, a prominent poet and fellow member of the Camerata, wrote the libretto.
Dafne: The First Opera
Dafne is the first work that we can definitively call an opera, though not known as such at the time. Unfortunately, only fragments of the music survive today, but its significance is undiminished. The opera tells the story of the nymph Daphne and her transformation into a laurel tree to escape the god Apollo, a tale derived from Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
In Dafne, Peri sought to create a musical form that allowed the text to be clearly understood and the emotions of the characters to be vividly expressed. He developed a style known as ‘recitative’, a speech-like singing that moves the plot forward, allowing for greater dramatic expression. This innovation was crucial in differentiating opera from other forms of musical entertainment and laid the groundwork for the operatic tradition.
Although Dafne was a private performance and not widely heard by the public, its success encouraged Peri to continue developing the new form.
Legacy and Later Works
After the success of Dafne, Peri continued to experiment with opera. His next major work, Euridice (1600), was the first opera for which the complete score has survived. Also set to a libretto by Rinuccini, Euridice was performed during the wedding celebrations of King Henry IV of France and Maria de’ Medici in Florence, giving it a much wider audience.
Peri’s influence on the development of opera is immense. His work inspired subsequent composers, including Claudio Monteverdi, who would bring opera to new heights in the early 17th century with works like L’Orfeo. The innovations Peri introduced, particularly in the use of recitative, became essential elements of the operatic form.
In 2023, Opera singing made the UNESCO intangible heritage list.
Want to know more about the history of opera? Our recommended book, A History Of Opera by Carolyn Abbate and Roger Parker, covers the 400+ years since opera appeared on the scene.
‘The best single volume ever written on the subject’ The Times Literary Supplement
Why has opera transfixed and fascinated audiences for centuries? Carolyn Abbate and Roger Parker answer this question in their scrupulous and provocative retelling of the history of opera, examining its development, the means by which it communicates, and its societal role.
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