The world of high art fascinates contemporaries. The opera and the theater help for several hours to break away from everyday problems and enjoy the combination of vivid images, a beautiful story, and a great musical component. It is not surprising that some concepts have left the stage and become available to the average man: “prima donna” is one of the most common terms that have gained new meanings in a conversational style. How did the word appear and develop?
Comedy del arte
The sonorous definition came directly from the Italian language by transcription. Prima donna is the "first lady". A performer with a beautiful voice and / or charming appearance, to whom the director gave the first parts in opera, in operetta or in a folk theater. The prima donna is the one who collects large halls and receives the most magnificent bouquets from fans. Usually her role is longer than that of her rivals.
There is no strict attachment to the timbre of the voice, only the significance of the artist for a particular troupe is taken into account. Or the incredible love of fans. The closest analogue of the term is “diva”, although they say so, pointing to the universal recognition of merit, the legendary status in one form or another of art. A male counterpart is called primo uomo or "first singer."
Term evolution
Gradually, the meaning of the “prima donna” became wider, indicating both professionalism and the ability to attract the attention of an audience. The word went beyond the opera and spread to specialists from other fields. And now they call people who consider themselves indispensable, and therefore make excessive demands on others. They expect a special relationship from the boss, look down at their colleagues, expect their customers to fully agree with their position.
Such a shift in concept occurred due to the frequent vagaries and expressive behavior of theatrical divas. After all, initially a diva is a status. Directors and scriptwriters could not refuse the famous actress, even if she plagued the rest of the team. Sometimes the performance became popular solely because of the talent of one performer, her name on the posters.
The relevance of the concept
How appropriate would it be to call your favorite artist a diva? This word is considered obsolete. However, the theater environment literally lives on as a classic, which is why traditional titles and compliments remain in use. A very refined, delicate definition. Just don’t forget about the context, because today the term is often used in a negative way: they also call vain, hot-tempered people with high self-conceit!