4 The beginning of the new century was marked by the emergence of opera serie, a “serious” opera that soon became the standard Italian style. The works were characterized by a lack of chorus and coherence, as the individuals performing possessed separate and distinct styles and the order of the subjects they performed seemed sporadic and haphazard. However, with its dramatic interpretations of various historical and mythological themes, opera serie was thought to possess content suitable only for royalty and quickly became a favorite of nobles and aristocrats. As such, it was the main attraction during the ever-popular carnival season. In less than a century, however, as serious opera was considered too rigid, extravagant, and expensive, fewer and fewer in-demand sopranos, of whom possessed the vocal range necessary for dramatic operas, became opera singers as their occupation he moved to the church in the last decade of the century. Their talent had previously earned them the highest salaries of all musicians, allowing those at the top to live lavishly and comfortably, but the decline of serious opera in Italy forced them to change their paths and career choices. Furthermore, the change emerged in the second half. of the century within the composers themselves, namely the widely influential works of Apostolo Zeno and his contemporary Pietro Metastasio. Zeno worked to strip opera serie of any unnecessary fanfare and theatricality and to simplify the plot in which the characters "became symbols of specific human virtues and vices... plots tend[ed] to revolve around noble characters faced by the Destiny with the need to create an impossible choice between love and duty, or between...... middle of paper ......and vocal distinction, the French felt obliged to offer their audience a pleasant interpretation vocal and visual and, in turn, they included the classical ballet within the opera in Lully's characteristic style. Naturally, these segments took from the main tone of the piece, since it was a relaxed period between one act and the other of "serious", many were not engaged. with dance.However, with its starkly contrasting features, such as a central plot with limited characters and a main location of short, but plausibly realistic action, French opera nevertheless continued to compete with its Italian counterpart well into the next century , as it is widely spread. believed that "the French have historically been more concerned with safeguarding the purity and quality of their language than any other nation (Downs, 106)" and attached themselves to the French language of Lully's works.