In a previous post I talked about how, during the Renaissance, composers sought to re-capture the ideals of Greek music that classic writers described, and which seemed to be missing from from European music up to that point. The culmination of that quest came in the form of opera: “a form of theater in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers” (Wikipedia). Let’s learn some terminology, shall we?
Opera is typically created by a librettist, who writes the words to be used and then hands them to the composer, who sets those words to music. The idea is that whatever power the words have, they are enhanced through the music. So if Andrea Boccelli says the words “time to say goodbye,” they will never have the same emotional impact as when he sings those words:
Checking Your Mom's Drawers for Hope&Change since March 2009 
