The birth of opera

After a trip to Florence in 1817, the French writer Stendhal had gorged so thoroughly on Renaissance art that he became ill. Giotto’s frescoes were the trigger: ‘Everything spoke so vividly to my soul… I had palpatations of the heart.’ His response was later dubbed Stendhal Syndrome, a nervous malady that afflicts tourists who become overwhelmed by art, particularly in Florence. Well, our Opera Choice might need to come with a health warning this month. It’s a lavish and heady exploration of the birth of opera in that Italian city, then dominated by the powerful Medici family, who helped foster the art form. Like the Uffizi Gallery, this set is stuffed with treasures. Enjoy, with care!