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Ottavio Rinuccini was an Italian poet and the first opera librettist, establishing many conventions for operatic verse. He was a key figure in the development of opera in Florence at the end of the 16th century.1

Rinuccini collaborated with composer Jacopo Peri on La Dafne (1598), which is considered the first opera, though most of its music is now lost. He also worked with Peri on L'Euridice (1600), the first opera for which complete music still exists. These works were influenced by humanist ideals that sought to revive ancient Greek dramatic styles, emphasizing the primacy of the word and developing a dramatic style of singing known as recitative.21

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. Jacopo Peri
  2. opera - Civic humanism

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