POST #6 – LECTURE BAROQUE – MODERN OPERA

The Baroque era combined architecture, religion, and performance into a single experience. In Baroque architecture, buildings such as the St. Peter’s Basilica Dome by Michelangelo and St. Peter’s Square by Bernini were constructed to evoke feelings of awe and the power of the Catholic Church during the Catholic Reformation, which was a reaction to Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. This feeling of grandeur continued into Baroque Theatre and Baroque Opera, where dramatic sets, emotional storytelling, and contrast were used to engage and entertain. The Cesky Krumlov Theatre is an example of Baroque theatre design that has been preserved, demonstrating aspects such as movable scenery and perspective stage design. In contrast to more modern theatre, which focuses on the “fourth wall” between actors and audience, Baroque performance was often immersive. Moving forward into the modern era, composers such as Cathy Berberian and John Cage took opera and musical theatre and made them experimental, rejecting traditional conventions and challenging the boundaries of performance.