Taught by Laura Gray. This course surveys the history of opera from its origins around 1600 to the present day. Topics include the elements of opera (aria, recitative, libretto, orchestra, chorus), Monteverdi and the birth of opera, Handel’s opera seria, Mozart’s dramatic innovations, the bel canto tradition of Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti, Verdi’s evolution from Nabucco to Otello, Wagner’s revolutionary music dramas and the Gesamtkunstwerk, Puccini’s verismo, and 20th-century opera. The course emphasizes close listening and the interplay between music and dramatic storytelling.