<P> Opera took an important new direction when it reached the republic of Venice . It was here that the first public opera house , the Teatro di San Cassiano , was opened in 1637 by Benedetto Ferrari and Francesco Manelli . Its success moved opera away from aristocratic patronage and into the commercial world . In Venice , musical drama was no longer aimed at an elite of aristocrats and intellectuals and acquired the character of entertainment . Soon many other opera houses had sprung up in the city , performing works for a paying public during the Carnival season . The opera houses employed a very small orchestra to save money . A large part of their budget was spent on attracting the star singers of the day ; this was the beginning of the reign of the castrato and the prima donna ( leading lady ) . </P>
<P> Opera took an important new direction when it reached the republic of Venice . It was here that the first public opera house , the Teatro di San Cassiano , was opened in 1637 by Benedetto Ferrari and Francesco Manelli . Its success moved opera away from aristocratic patronage and into the commercial world . In Venice , musical drama was no longer aimed at an elite of aristocrats and intellectuals and acquired the character of entertainment . Soon many other opera houses had sprung up in the city , performing works for a paying public during the Carnival season . The opera houses employed a very small orchestra to save money . A large part of their budget was spent on attracting the star singers of the day ; this was the beginning of the reign of the castrato and the prima donna ( leading lady ) . </P>
italian term to describe an opera 's female lead
italian term to describe an opera 's female lead
prima donna
prima donna