Top 5 Operas?

Question

What, in your opinion, are the top five operas a person should listen to?

Answer 1

Opera is as varied in style and content as modern film (which includes all that is fantastic and forgettable of the foreign variety). Here are a few that I think are significant examples of their particular styles and periods.

1. Don Giovanni - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

2. Ariodante - George Frederic Handel

3. Tannhäuser - Richard Wagner

4. Eugene Onegin - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

5. Peter Grimes - Benjamin Britten

As anyone commenting after me could probably tell you, this is a terribly incomplete list that doesn't include any French, Italian, or American composers. A longer list would include all of the previously mentioned operas (with the exception of "Phantom" - no, it's not an opera - and I would also take issue with Gilbert and Sullivan creeping in there), as well as many others. Some additional personal favorites are: Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck (not the pop singer), Cold Sassy Tree by Carlisle Floyd, and Tosca by Giacomo Puccini. Hope this helps!

Just a couple of quick corrections - One aforementioned opera is actually Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi, De Niro is listening to I Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo, and Don J(o?)uan, I'm guessing, is likely referring to Don Giovanni.

Answer 2

1) The Magic Flute by W.A. Mozart
2) The Pirates of Penzance, Gilbert and Sullivan
3) The Abduction from the Saraglio by W.A. Mozart
4) La Bohem (I forget the composer)
5) Don Giovanni by W.A. Mozart

I can't think of some others that are really good right now, but also any Gluck operas are really good to see, and I'm sure all of Mozart's.

Oh yeah, Bizet's Carmen is good too. By the way, Phantom of the Opera is a musical, not an opera. Just because it has "opera" in the title doesn't make it so. This is a common misconception that is really starting to bug me.
Andrew Loydd Weber's "Phantom of the Opera" is a musical, not an opera.

Answer 3

I love the opera! Wow, it's gonna be hard for me to pick just 5, but here goes:

1. La Boheme by Puccini
2. The Magic Flute by Mozart
3. Lakme by Delibes
4. Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti
5. Manon by Massenet

These are 5 of my favorites.

And Phantom of the Opera is most definitely not an opera!

Answer 4

1. Carmen
2.Pirates of Penzance
3. La Traviata
4. Madama Butterfly
5. Faust

With honorable mentions going to Rigoletto, Lakme and Don Giovanni.
And that other poster is right, The Phantom of the Opera is a musical NOT and opera. ALW said so himself.

Answer 5

The Five Top Operas in the world, I mean, those are always perform in every Opera season are:

Puccini: La Boheme
Verdi: La Traviata
Bizet: Carmen
Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro
Puccini: Madame Butterfly

I think you need to listen to those because they are alway perform. ALWAYS. And They Considered the Top 5 in the world.

Answer 6

1. La Traviata - Verdi
2. Lohengrin - Wagner
3. Il Barbiere di Siviglia - Rossini
4. Rigoletto - Verdi
5. Maria Stuarda - Donizetti

Though I only put down those five, some honorable mentions are: Giulio Cesare - Händel, Götterdammerung - Wagner and Le Nozze di Figaro

Anything by any of these composers (well not anything) is genius!

Answer 7

1. Rigoletto
2. Carmen
3. Tannhauser
4. Phantom of the Opera
5. Lohengrin

Answer 8

The RING
Parsifal
Der Meistersinger
Tannhauser
Der Fliegende Hollander

Answer 9

1. Carmen
2. Barber of Seville
3. Der Fleidermaus
4. M. Butterfly
5. I Palliachi

Number five is the 'crying clown' one that DeNiro is watching in the movie the Untouchables, hehe.

Answer 10

Oooohhhh....
That's hard. And extremely not fair.


1) A TIE!!! Die Fledermaus/The Magic Flute
2)Einstein on the Beach
3)Samson et Delila
4)La Traviata
5)Akhnaten