La Iopera yaseRussia iingcambu zawo zazendele ngokuqinileyo ngenkulungwane ye-18.
Enkosi kubaqambi bamanye amazwe ababekhonza kwinkundla yasebukhosini yaseRussia, baqala ukubhala iiopera zaseRussia. Nangona kunjalo, bekungekho kwi-1770s xa abaqambi abazalelwe eRashiya benza iinzame zokuqamba ii-opera ze-Russian librettos.
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AmaRussia anike incasa yokuqala ye-opera ngonyaka we-1731. UKumkanikazi wase-Russia u-Anna wayecele uKumkani wase-Poland kunye no-Elector wase-Saxony Agasti II i-Strong kwinkampani yakhe ye-opera yase-Italiya, ukuba babhiyozele umsitho wokubekwa kwakhe e-Moscow.
UGiovanni Alberto Ristori wabonisa i-opera yokuqala, iCalandro, eRashiya, phantsi kolawulo lukayise kunye naye. Oku kwavula indlela yamaqela e-opera ase-Italiya eRashiya. Iqela kwiminyaka emine kamva, oko kukuthi ngo-1735, umqambi uFrancesco Araja wakhokela i-opera yase-Italiya kwaye wamenywa ukuba adlale eSaint Petersburg esenza njalo ngoFebruwari 1736.
Imbali ibalisa ukuba ukubekwa kukaKumkanikazi uElizaveta Petrovna eMoscow yayingumnyhadala omkhulu kwaye ukubhiyozela umsitho, kwakhiwa itiyetha entsha. Kumsitho, i-opera eyalelwa nguJohann Adolf Hasse, uTito Vespasiano (La clemenza di Tito), yenziwa. Kunyaka olandelayo, iopera yaseRussia yaqhubela phambili. Iholo elincinci, uComédie et opera, kwi 'Zimnij Dvorets' (iWall Palace eSaint Petersburg), yaguqulwa yenziwa i-opera entsha, enokuthi ibambe abantu abamalunga newaka.
Ngomnyaka we-1744, isikhumbuzo sokubekwa kuka-Elizaveta Petrovna kunye nokupheliswa koxolo kunye neSweden kwakubhiyozelwa nge-opera, eyenziwa ngu-Araja Seleuco. Iminyaka emithandathu apho, okwesihlandlo sokuqala, imvumi yaseRussia yathatha inxaxheba kulo mboniso.
Ngo-1755, okokuqala ngqa, i-opera eyenziwa eRashiya, uTsefal i Prokris, yaboniswa. Kwiminyaka emibini kamva, inkampani yabucala ye-opera yamenyelwa eSt. I-opera yayiququzelelwa veki nganye, yenkundla, ngemidlalo emibini okanye emithathu yoluntu evulekileyo ngeveki. Abanye babantu abadumileyo base-Italiya abanyukela kwi-opera yaseRussia ngeentsuku zokuqala yiVenetian Galuppi, Manfredini, Traetta, Paisiello, Sarti, Cimarosa kunye neSpanish Martín y Soler.