The Opera Music You Must Hear Before You Die

If you’re an opera fan, then you know that there are certain pieces of music that are essential to your collection. Here is a list of the opera music you must hear before you die.

The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi

The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi is a set of four violin concerti that give musical expression to the seasons of the year. They were written in 1723 and published in 1725. The concerti are now among the most popular pieces of Baroque music.

The Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the most popular operas ever written. It tells the story of Count Almaviva’s attempts to Exercise seigneurage, or “lord’s right”, over his servant Figaro, and the countess Rosine. The opera is set in Seville, Spain, in the late 17th century.

The music of The Marriage of Figaro is some of the most beautiful and moving ever written for the opera stage. Mozart’s genius is on full display in this work, and the result is an opera that is both funny and touching. The Marriage of Figaro is one of the best-loved operas of all time, and it is well worth a listen.

Carmen by Georges Bizet

Carmen is an opera in four acts by French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on a novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875, with a libretto in French. Bizet died suddenly after the 33rd performance, before completing the last act.

The title role of Carmen was originally written for a mezzo-soprano. However, since there were no suitable mezzo-sopranos available at the time of the opera’s premiere, the part was instead sung by a soprano (Pauline Viardot). In modern performances, Carmens are usually sung by mezzo-sopranos or sopranos with a dark timbre.

La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini

Considered by many to be Puccini’s best work, La Bohème is an opera in four acts set in Paris in the mid-19th century. The story follows the lives of a group of young bohemian artists as they navigate love, loss, and poverty. The music is beautiful and heartbreaking, and the opera has been adapted for film and Broadway countless times. If you’re new to opera, this is a great place to start.

Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the most popular and well-known operas in the world. The story is based on the legend of Don Juan, a Spanish nobleman who is notorious for his womanizing ways. Mozart’s opera tells the story of Don Giovanni’s downfall, as he attempts to seduce the woman of a man he has recently killed.

Don Giovanni was an instant success when it was first performed in 1787, and it has remained one of the most popular operas ever since. The music is some of Mozart’s best, and the opera features several famous arias, such as “La ci darem la mano” and “Dalla sua pace.” If you’re new to opera, or if you just want to experience some of the best that the genre has to offer, then Don Giovanni is a great place to start.

Aida by Giuseppe Verdi

Aida is an Italian opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a story published by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette. He found it in the margins of a copy of a French translation of a work by the 12th-century historian Al-Tabari.

Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was first performed at Cairo’s Khedivial Opera House on 24 December 1871. It had its La Scala premiere in Milan on 8 February 1872 and its premiere at the Metropolitan Opera in New York on 23 February 1873.

Since the late 20th century, Aida has been one of the most frequently performed operas. It received its premiere at La Scala in Milan on 8 February 1872.

Turandot by Giacomo Puccini

First performed in 1926, Turandot is the final opera by legendary composer Giacomo Puccini. The story, set in China, is based on a ancient fable of a princess who agree to marry any man who can answer three riddles correctly. When no suitor is able to do so, she has them all executed. But when a handsome prince comes along and solves the riddles, he not only wins her hand in marriage – he also melts her icy heart.

Filled with beautiful melodies and unforgettable characters, Turandot is one of the most popular operas ever written. If you’re new to opera, this is a great one to start with – you’re sure to be swept away by its passion and drama.

The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini

The Barber of Seville, also known as Figaro’s Wedding, is an opera buffa in four acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais’s comedy Le mariage de Figaro, which was itself based on the seventeenth-century play of the same name by Molière.

The work was first performed in Rome in 1816 and has been one of the most popular operas in the repertoire ever since. It remains Rossini’s best-known work, and is one of the most frequently performed operas worldwide.

The music of The Barber of Seville showed Rossini at his most spontaneous and inventive, as well as setting new standards in speed and brimstone energy.

La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi

One of the best-loved operas of all time, Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata is a story of love, loss, and sacrifice set against the backdrop of the glamorous world of Parisian high society in the 19th century.

The opera tells the story of Violetta Valéry, a beautiful courtesan who falls in love with a young man named Alfredo Germont. Despite their love for each other, their relationship is doomed from the start due to their different social backgrounds and Alfredo’s father’s disapproval. Violetta knows that she can never be truly happy with Alfredo, and so she makes the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that he can have a future without her.

La traviata is one of Verdi’s most popular operas, and it has been performed hundreds of times all over the world since its premiere in 1853. The opera’s timeless story and Verdi’s beautiful music continue to captivate audiences today.

Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini

Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini is one of the most well-known and beloved operas of all time. The story of a Japanese geisha who falls in love with an American naval officer, only to be left heartbroken when he returns to the United States, has been captivating audiences for over a century.

Puccini’s score is filled with beautiful melodies, including the famous ” Humming Chorus” and “One Fine Day.” The opera is also notable for its poetic and sometimes humorous libretto, which was written by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.

If you’re new to opera, or just looking for a classic to add to your collection, Madama Butterfly is a must-hear.