This documentary is abundant with lots of intriguing information about the creation of opera. It does a good job of showing the evolution of the genre and the numerous effects it had (and still has) on society. A few things were quite interesting, such as the Florentine Camerata. I had no idea that was how opera initially came about. The fact that amateur musicians and intellects came together, and it led to such a massive culture of art is truly amazing. Poets, artists, philosophers and even scientists conversed and decided to collaborate to create a revolution in music. The thought of all of these presumably interesting people gathered around in one room is so inspirational. What is even more inspirational is the fact that they succeeded.
Something else I found interesting was the fact that opera became the catalyst for revolution in some instances. Beginning with the rescue operas which were a response to the storming of the Bastille to Auber's "La Muette de Portici", opera became a tool for societal change. Rescue opera's offered comfort and inspiration to people who felt oppressed. Often times, the themes of liberation and change were prevalent. "La Muette de Portici" was the story of fishermen who revolted against oppression. A duet in the opera was so inspirational to the audience that afterwards a riot began, as they sought out to defeat their own oppressors. The fact that an opera could have such an effect is extraordinary. This riot led to the revolution which gave way to the country of Belgium. The composer Verdi had a similar effect in Italy, though his
works became centralized around intense nationalistic pride which Mussolini used to his own advantage. This is not necessarily a positive effect, though it is extremely interesting to see the various directions the power of this genre can take.
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