Opere at the Opera

A night at the Opera

Whether you’re backstage celebrating the performance of your life or in the auditorium watching a story being told, a bottle of Sparkling Wine like Villa Sandi’s Opere would be a fantastic partner to take to the Opera.

I am a lover of the theatre, having both been an actor and audience member, seeing or being part of bringing a world to life, whether it’s dark and gritty or fun and enlighting, but I haven’t enjoyed too many Opera shows.

Opera tells a story in way of song, singing their lines and displaying their emotions with music, for the novice Opera goers, you may sometimes not fully understand the words being sung, but that need not matter, in Opera the words are no more important than the emotion they sing them in, sometimes all you need to appreciate Opera is the sublime acting talent of the Opera singers, being able to display more emotion in song than most of us can in words.

The Opera may appeal more to the older generations, those who can gift their time to appreciate the art. For the younger viewer, a 3 hour plus show of people singing in a more serious, versatile array, leaving deeper emotion that makes you think and truly feel on the stage, over the typical joyous and fun musical way, which either showcases happy or sad emotions, may not garner to much interest for the fast paced Generation Z.

The World of Opera dates back to the end of the 15th century.

The word ‘Opera’ has been in use far before the meaning it has now obtained, before its use in the theatre and arts world, if you heard the word Opera in Italy, it would refer simply to ‘Work’.

It wouldn’t be until 1639 when the word Opera started to be used in the artistic world, the first time it was used was to describe the following ‘composition in which poetry, dance, and music are combined’.

The English didn’t start using the word Opera in this sense until 1648, just under 10 years after the Italians, which in the course of history, with how long new ideas and concepts spread, was on the quicker side.

Despite the word Opera coming into play in the 1600s, the composition considered to be an opera snuck in during the last few years of the 1500s.

Entitled, ‘Dafne’, this is considered the very first Opera to have been written. Around 1597 an Italian composer and singer by the name of Jacopo Peri put pen to paper and with his knowledge and passion, created the first Opera, like many of the greats, he was before his time. He was born on the 20th of August 1561 in Rome, and died on the 12th of August 1633, at the age of 71, he didn’t live long enough to see the Opera being used for what is known as today.

Dafne was written by Jacopo to try and revive the classical Greek drama, unfortunately, any Opera goers wishing to see a performance of the first Opera will sadly have to be disappointed, as the Dafne was lost through the progression of time.

His second piece, however, entitled ‘Euridice’ written in 1600, is the oldest piece of Opera to have survived, and you are in luck if you wish to experience his work, as it is performed in these modern times, but just not very often.

The oldest and most regularly performed Opera is ‘L’Orfeo’, written by Claudio Monteverdi and first performed on the 24 of February in 1607, it was also the first Opera to feature an Opera Singer who would be recognised for her talent, her name was Europa Rossi, but she is more commonly known by her nickname, Madama Europa.

Villa Sandi

The Iconic Prosecco

Villa Sandi has the gift to be able to produce Prosecco and Traditional Method Sparkling Wines in a sophisticated way that can be enjoyed by everyone, from a small gathering of friends, all the way up to the Opera.

No matter who you are, who you’re with, or where you are in life, Villa Sandi can be by your side in ways of encouragement and celebration.

I’ve chosen this bottle from Villa Sandi not just because of the name, I could have easily picked the Villa Sandi – Opere Trevigiane Serenissima DOC Brut which won the World’s Finest Glass of Bubbly in 2018, the secondary reason I chose this bottle was because of the sophistication that this label displays, this bottle is dressed for the Opera, in its dark rosy red dress, cherry lipstick, standing in Dorothy’s ruby slippers, wearing a solid gold necklace around her flawless neck.

This is the kind of bottle that catches your eye and keeps it just long enough to make it impossible to explain it away as anything other than desire.

If you can break away from the looks for just one moment, you will remember that there is more on the inside, and you’ll be delighted to know that doesn’t disappoint anymore than the image your eyes are displaying in front of you.

Villa Sandi – Opere Trevigiane Riserva Brut – Tasting Notes

Aroma 👃 “The aroma displays creamy lemon and wild yellow floral notes.”

Flavour 👅 “A soft zesty character greets you at the start, with yellow fruits and yellow floral joining the show on the palate.”

Silver Medal Winner in the Zesty & Zingy Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2021

Villa Sandi is one of the most famous and loved Prosecco Houses in Italy, they have had a foothold in the region since 1622 thanks to the Moretti Polegato family, but offer so much more than just Prosecco.

Discover The Sparkling Wines of Villa Sandi and so much more about the world of Prosecco and Sparkling Wine here at Glass of Bubbly.

Information Credit: Jacopo Peri – Opera

Image Credit: Opera