Opera is a type of theatrical performance where the plot and dialogue are expressed through music and song. Opera is different from musical theater in that it is a collaboration between a composer and a librettist.

Opera was created in late 16th century Italy and began to spread to the rest of Europe. Even though it spread to and became popular in places like Germany, France, and England where they developed their own styles of opera, Italian opera was still the most widely practiced version. During the 18th century, composers like George Frideric Handel, Christoph Willibald Gluck, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began to write original compositions for operas. During the 19th century there was some experimentation in format, composition, language, and style. During the 20th and 21st century, the rise of television, movies, and streaming services allowed opera to be shown to the masses and people who would typically not attend the opera in movie theatres and their own homes.