In mid seventeenth-century Venice, opera first emerged from courts and private drawing rooms to become a form of public entertainment. Early commercial operas were elaborate spectacles, featuring ornate costumes and set design along with dancing and music. As ambitious works of theater, these productions required not only significant financial backing, but also strong managers to oversee several months of rehearsals and performances. These impresarios were responsible for every facet of producti...

• Part 1: The Business of Opera
• 1:Introduction to the Business of Opera in Seventeenth-Century Venice: People and Finances
• 2:The Boxes: A Major Source of Income
• 3:Marco Faustini and His Companies
• 4:Case Studies: Companies and Opera Production at Four Venetian Theaters
• Part 2: The Musical Production
• 5:The Libretto
• 6:The Composition and the Production of the Opera Score
• 7:Singers
• 8:Dancers, Extras, and the Orchestra
• Part 3: The Physical Production
• 9:Scenery and Mac...