Class of Sept 2

Today was the first real day of class and we're beginning the semester by studying opera.
The idea behind it is that the opera is the initial example of a form of multimedia entertainment. This is something I never would have thought of, but after watching a video opera movies in class, I can see why. Technology was used to create elaborate scenery pieces, costumes, and special effects. Music was also integrated so that opera was differentiated from a standard play. So many forms of entertainment all merged together for the first time; art, the theater, and music.
The films we viewed were mainly used to demonstrate the hard work that went into these productions both off and on the stage. All this effort was made possible by the the gold and money that was flowing into Europe from America. This wealth helped usher in the baroque era, which featured a lot of gaudy and highly decorative ornaments. What I'm primarily interested in is following the evolution of this form of multimedia entertainment to the modern forms.