The art form of the opera (18) ________ during the 1590s. At the time a group of composers and artists known as the Camerata were interested in injecting storytelling into music. They were inspired by the belief that the great tragic plays of ancient Greece had been sung rather than simply acted. Another motivation may have been the desire of the composers to find an alternative to the production of music for the Church, (19) ________. This is supported by the selection of material for the opera. Early composers took their material from the mythologies of ancient Rome and Greece, which was full of plot twists, betrayals, and love affairs. From the very beginning, the sobriety of the Church had little place in opera.

(20) ________. Composers quickly embraced the new art form for the opportunities and creative freedom it offered. Wealthy nobles supported the opera because its elaborate and expensive performances allowed them to display their wealth as well as their sophistication. The early years of opera were marked primarily by experimentation. (21) ________, everything was new and untested. Early composers experimented with the structure, subject material, and organization of the opera. They tried different placements for the orchestra, as well as different sizes. By the early 1600s, however, (22) ________.