So as my local track-count closes near 30,000 songs I realized I’ve never really “gotten” opera, never really gave it a chance. But now that the equipment is there, I was wondering if someone has any good live-performances to recommend to someone looking to cut their teeth on the genre?
Anything that truly stands above the rest, kinda like the Hans Zimmer’s Live In Prague-of-opera?
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I would recommend watching some opera blu rays since it will help you follow what’s going on. The Royal Opera House, the Met Opera and Glyndebourne issue their own performances. You can also try the Met Opera streaming app for access to their entire catalogue.
That said, if you just want to listen, I’d start off with some of the shorter Italian operas that are easier to digest.
Mozart: Don Giovanni, the Marriage of Figaro, Cosi fan Tutte Verdi: Rigoletto, Il Trovatore, La Traviata Donizetti: L’Elisir d’Amore, Don Pasquale
Bizet’s Carmen is also a great choice as other have mentioned.
I personally prefer studio recording. I don’t think live recording will make you get more into it like a rock concert would. Also, are you seeking an entire opera or concert arias?
Honestly in my opinion (and I’m definitely not an expert) but live( meaning in person, not “live” recording) is the only way to go if you are just starting out. It gives you visuals and you can connect what is going on even if you don’t understand the language it is being presented/sung in. My first was The Magic Flute many years ago and to this day I can still remember the amazing audio and visual experience. Madame Butterfly and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera (which arguably has many different “cuts” available, From the original London cast to the Broadway cast… To the recent movie soundtrack… You get what I mean)are also favorites of mine. Try anything/everything. You may prefer one version VS another don’t give up if “x” performance is not your thing… “y” may hit a cord and you instantly love it. One of the resources that I regularly use it PBS’s “Live at the MET”,It isn’t perfect but it is free and there are different performances to choose from. They are presented in a more “classical” format vs movie format though. Good luck, have fun and don’t take anything too seriously.
Seconded Madame Butterfly! Puccini is the best.
Lots of good points here, but Andrew Lloyd Weber is a magical theater guy, not an opera composer. Musical theater can be a good stepping stone to opera though. So much more accessible, especially because most are in English.
I agree, not a “classical” style Opera composer and even though all of his works are designed and originate as “Musicals” I specifically pointed to Phantom because of the songs and the fact that it is a good stepping stone. I should have been more clear/specific.
There is one person in the household that does like Opera.
After warming up to it for several years, I came to the realization that it’s like any other genre: some artists I like and some I can’t stand, and the rest are sitting in shades of grey between liking and hating a particular artist
Opera is still my least liked genre as a whole.
Maybe you should listen to various opera singers on Youtube or another streaming service before buying Opera music.
If you really want to give it a go, forgo audio streaming and CDs and get a subscription to the Met Opera’s streaming platform (which has a seven day trial period.) , They stream audio in 16bit 44.1, so not terrible. Opera is theater, so it should be seen.
I think a little bit of exploration as far as what classical eras and nationalities of composers you like will go a long way. Mozart is my one of my favorite Classical composers and also writes amazing operas; honestly the movie Amadeus could be a great primer and features opera as a plot device, with great studio recordings and execution.
I would try out some Wagner(Tristan und Isolde), Mozart (Don Giovanni), Puccini (Turandot). I love French composers but have never been much into French or English opera. In my opinion, overtures and ensemble movements over arias are the real audio ticket, but a track like Nessun Dorma from Turandot could very well be a track I might use to test out some speakers for a great mix.
Stick to the Italian operas.
“Live” is the way to go but Wagner’s Der Ring Des Nibelungen conducted by Sir Geoge Solti (Decca, 1965) is one of the most celebrated classical recordings ever. It was the first opera to be recorded in a studio and it took 9 years to record; we when to the moon in 8. It may be the best sounding recording in the history of recorded music and I am not an opera buff. I first became aware of it when I learned the it was Judge RBG’s favorite recording
Mozart’s Le Nozza di Figaro is one of the best operas period. Music is phenomenal. I have a few recordings but like James Levine and Metropolitan Opera. Mozart’s Die Zauberflote by Solti is a good one too. If your first experience with opera is at home, don’t get too caught up on the story. Just listen. If you enjoy it you can always take a deeper dive.
Watch this version of Pagliacci:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203048/?ref_=tt_mv_close
It showcases all that makes opera good while still being compact (80 min, shorter than most movies!). If this doesn’t sell opera to you, nothing will.
For me, it would be Carmen, for your last sentence.
I’d say Rossini’s Barber of Seville. It has some of the most famous arias, and you’ll probably recognize a bunch of the melodies.
Verdi is tough to beat. La Traviata and Rigoletto are both reasonable points of entry.
Sometimes it can be nice to start with an orchestral suite based on the opera so you can get familiar with the basic themes first.