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?
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.