“I have never seen an opera so where should I start?”
Our initial response to opera, whether we experience it as children or adults, is so unique for each one of us that it is impossible to predict. To quote Richard Gere’s character in Pretty Woman: “People’s reactions to opera the first time they see it is very dramatic; they either love it or they hate it. If they love it, they will always love it. If they don’t, they may learn to appreciate it, but it will never become part of their soul.”
Suggesting where to begin is a subjective and delicate matter. The opera as a musical work is, of course, the essential factor—and we can always listen to recordings. But in order to experience an opera as a total spectacle, it is best to see it. Then the reaction will also be determined by staging, sets, costumes, acting, special effects. Add to this, streaming and film, and everything visual is intensified. Spectators get flooded all at once by the music, by the intensity of emotions and dilation of time as well as by the visual aspects that could either enrich or distort the operatic experience.
My personal belief is that, for a first opera, it is best to see a production in which the staging and sets are not too far removed from the time and place of the story. Still, there are some productions of 18th and 19th century operas transplanted into 20th or 21st century scenarios that can be very effective. To begin I would suggest either a comedy or a compact theatrical drama rather than a direct dive into a five-hour long Wagner opera. Then, again, first reactions can be surprising, and the Ring Cycle might just get someone hooked instantly. Nevertheless, it has been my experience that opera newbies making their debut as spectators have reacted more favorably to shorter works.
So until we can have the ideal live operatic experience in the theatre, here are a few suggestions of operas to start with—these productions are free to watch on YouTube and have English subtitles.
Il barbiere di Sivigila (The Barber of Seville) by Gioachino Rossini
One of the most delightful operatic comedies in the entire repertoire, famous for its wily title character, the barber Figaro. The opera is based on the play by Pierre Beaumarchais – available on Amazon in English translation. To discover more, check out the opera study guide (free with Kindle Unlimited). You can purchase on Amazon the DVD of the 1972 film of the opera directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle and starring baritone Hermann Prey as Figaro, tenor Luigi Alva as Count Almaviva, and mezzo-soprano Teresa Berganza as Rosina.
L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love) by Gaetano Donizetti
Another very popular operatic comedy, composed in six weeks by the master of bel canto (beautiful singing) style, Gaetano Donizetti. Watch a Met production with Luciano Pavarotti available on DVD from Amazon.
La bohème by Giacomo Puccini
One of the most frequently performed operas around the world, La bohème is based on Henri Murger’s collection of stories Scènes de la vie de bohème (Scenes of Bohemian Life) set in Paris’ artistic Latin Quarter (read or download it in English on Project Gutenberg). A film of the opera is available on DVD from Amazon, starring Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón, directed by Robert Dornhelm.
La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi
The tragic story of the Parisian courtesan is based on the play adaptation of the novel by Alexandre Dumas, the younger: La dame aux camélias (literal translation “The Lady with the Camellias,” known in English as Camille—which you can download for free from Project Gutenberg. On Amazon Prime, watch Mario Lanfranchi’s 1968 vintage film of the opera starring soprano Anna Moffo as Violetta, tenor Franco Bonisolli as Alfredo, and baritone Gino Bechi as Germont.
Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
This opera is known as a “Singspiel” (the literal translation from German is “sing-play”) as it includes both singing and spoken dialogue. It is a love story with fantastical, comedic, and philosophical elements. Watch a fun and colorful production from the Met directed by Julie Taymor, available on DVD from Amazon.
Tosca by Giacomo Puccini
One of the most highly-charged, theatrical melodramas in the operatic repertoire. The love-lust-politics triangle of an opera diva, her artist lover, and Rome’s secret police chief, Baron Scarpia, leads to torture, murder, and suicide. This opera is based on the play La Tosca by Victorien Sardou. Discover more in the opera study guide (free with Kindle Unlimited). Watch a 2000 film starring Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, and directed by Benoît Jacquot, available on DVD from Amazon.
Part IV – operas that are ideal introductions for newcomers to the operatic universe.
Top photo: Bigstock
