... recitative and aria. While the recitative was more speech like, the arias were melodious, though some were on 'ground basses'. The recitative, dissonance and new musical effects created a more expressive, melodious vocal line often with regular phrases and triple meter (bel canto). Music started to become more important than the words. Some melodic sections with recognizable melodic form (aria) evolved from the recitative. In the early Baroque operas, the recitative and aria were not separated to the extent that the late Baroque composers did. The opera tradition gradually moved to venice. Monteverdi's last two operas and his student Cavalli's operas were written for Venice. The first commercial opera house was opened in Venice in 1637 (Teatro S. Cassiano) which would be run by Cavalli after 1639. Before that opera was only for the enjoyment of the musical elite. In these last two operas of Monteverdi, there was another innovation ...

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