The prohibition of secular theatrical performances during Advent was to some extent circumvented by the performance of azioni sacre, operas on religious themes, often with elaborate staging. Numerous world premieres have taken place in Italy on that day, although all were on secular subjects and unrelated to Christmas. The opera season customarily recommenced on St. At various times well into the 19th century, public theatres in Italy and other Catholic countries were closed during the season of Advent, the four weeks up to and including Christmas Eve. The first Christmas operas, dating from the early 17th century, had librettos based on the Nativity of Jesus and were privately performed. Fezziwig's Ball, from the first edition of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella A Christmas Carol, the inspiration for numerous Christmas operas In the 21st century, composer Kevin Puts' Silent Night (2011) achieved critical success and won the Pulitzer Prize for music in 2012. Initially written for television performance, Menotti's opera has become the only modern Christmas opera to earn an enduring place in the live opera performance repertoire. The story of the Magi has also been the basis of several operas, including Gian Carlo Menotti's 1951 opera Amahl and the Night Visitors. Several operas have been inspired by Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, including works by composers Bernard Herrmann and Thea Musgrave.

By the mid 19th century the ban on secular operas during Advent had ceased, and operas based on a wider array of Christmas themes, such as Santa Claus and King Wenceslaus, emerged. Because of the ban on secular theatrical works during the season of Advent, these early Christmas operas, while elaborately staged, were based on religious themes relating to the Nativity. The earliest Christmas operas appeared in the early 17th century, not long after the creation of the art form.

The Metropolitan Opera at Christmas time with a large poster for Humperdinck's opera Hansel and Gretel displayed in the windowĬhristmas operas are operas which are thematically based on either the Nativity of Jesus or secular Christmas stories.

Best christmas opera music