Operas are sung in many different languages, but (sadly) opera isn’t a language itself. Some of the most popular languages for opera are: Italian, German and French.

The first operas originated in Italy and were born out of older, often medieval forms of courtly or religious entertainment.

Read our History of Opera

Opera was invented in the early 17th Century during the Renaissance period and soon spread from it’s origins in Italy across the rest of Western Europe.

The word ‘aria’ comes from the Italian for ‘air’ and is a piece of music written for one singer which may or may not be accompanied by the orchestra.

Watch our YouTube playlist of popular Opera Arias

The text sung in an opera is called the ‘libretto’ -, which literally means ‘little book’ in Italian – and is written by a librettist. Unlike the typical lyrics of a song, the libretto also contains stage directions.

Meet Emma Jenkins, a librettist and translator for ENO, to find out a bit more about what her job entails.

Yes, very much so! There are opera houses located in major cities across the world. And there are various new operas being composed all the time, that taking inspiration from contemporary themes and issues.

• Meet Tazewell Thompson, writer of the opera Blue
• Meet Annilese Miskimmon, director of the opera The Handmaid’s Tale
• Find out about the composer Philip Glass

An opera can last anywhere from one to five hours, however there are some exceptions – including Wagner’s Ring Cycle, which has around 15 hours of music split over four operas (Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung).

Operas are most commonly often staged at an opera house or theatre, such as the London Coliseum, home to ENO.

Opera houses have been designed specifically for performances on a grand scale. The large stage (where the singers perform), sits in front of the backstage area (which is used to house the set). Below the stage, you’ll find the ‘pit’, designed for the orchestra.