Dafne is the earliest known work that, by modern standards, could be considered an opera. JSTOR.org "Dafne", the First Opera. A Chronological Study ABC.net.au How the Quest Was Won NYTimes.com " TRAVEL ADVISORY; Opera's 400th Birthday Is Celebrated in Vienna" It was composed by Jacopo Peri in 1597, with a libretto by Ottavio Rinuccini. History Dafne is scored for a much smaller ensemble than Claudio Monteverdi's slightly later operas, namely, a harpsichord, a lute, a viol, an archlute, and a t… (More on Dafne)