What is opera? Opera is a staged dramatic work that is almost entirely sung.

Some opera facts:

Dafni ,the first opera ever, composed in 1597 by Marco Da Gagliano; libretto by Ottavio Rinuccini. Some say it was written as a means to revive classical Greek drama. The music is now lost.

The Deliverance of Thesus, the shortest opera ever was composed by Darius Milhaud. It lasts seven minutes.

The longest opera ever is Wagner`s Ring Cycle, lasting 18 hours.