Who were the camerata?

The Camerata was a group of Florentine intellectuals, musicians, and humanists who met in the late 16th century to discuss music and the fine arts. The Camerata was founded by Count Giovanni de' Bardi, who was a patron of the arts and a musician himself. The group's discussions centered on the idea that music should imitate nature and that it should be expressive and emotional. The Camerata also experimented with new musical forms, such as the opera. Some of the most famous members of the Camerata included Vincenzo Galilei, Giulio Caccini, and Jacopo Peri. The Camerata's ideas had a profound influence on the development of opera and Western music as a whole.