Jacopo Peri

Jacopo Peri 1561-1633 Was An Italian Singer Organist And Composer. He Is Credited With Composing Music For The First Opera. He Composed Music For Dramatic Works Songs And Ricercars. He Was A Member Of A Group Of Poets And Musicians Known As The Florentine Camerata. The Group Is Credited With Creating The Earliest Operas. In 1598 Peri Set The Poem Dafne By Ottavio Rinnucini To Music. It Is The First Opera. Only The Music For The Opera Survives. In 1600 Peri Set The Poem Euridice Also By Rinnucini To Music. Deviating From His Contemporary Giulio Caccini Who Also Set The Poem To Music Peri Sought A Kind Of Speech-Song A Style He Hoped Would Resemble The Ancient Greek Oratory Style. He Would Write A Vocal Line That Moved Through Consonances And Dissonances Accompanied By Basso Continuo. This Style Would Develop Into The Recitative Style Of Baroque And Classical Opera. read less