Opera

I've never attended an opera. I'm going to do so but I haven't chosen which one that will be, however, I want to avoid one that only seasoned opera fans would appreciate. Which entry level, super-popular opera would you recommend for a newbie?

• Europeras 1 and 2.

  Pierre%20Boulez

• La Traviata or La Boheme.

• You can't go wrong with Tosca, La Boheme, or Carmen. If you want a comedy, start with The Barber of Seville.

• Carmen, hands-down. LOTS of hit tunes, structure more like a musical and all the gushing dramatic themes that make grand opera fun to attend.

• La Boheme- most Puccini, actually. Carmen Are you in NYC? if so, try and go to NYC Opera. They like shirtless guys.

• Handel every time.

• Tales of Hoffmann

• Damn, not a stellar line up.

  http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/season/index.aspx

• I second the Tales of Hoffman. or Carmen.

• "Tosca" not only has fabulous music, it's very fast-paced and dramatic for an opera. Seconding "La Traviata", but "Tosca" would be my #1 pick.

• OP, why don't you tell us what upcoming operas are going to play in your town, and we'll tell you which to attend? Ditto if a local theater has opera simulcasts.

• r11

  http://www.florentineopera.org/

  OP

• Too late for Carmen. Of that list, Carmen would be best. Skip the next too (DEFINITELY skip Albert Herring) and go see The Marriage of Figaro. It's a lot of fun.

• OP, it's too bad you missed Carmen. I agree, wait until Marriage of Figaro.

• Thank you, r13, r14.

  OP

• Marriage of Figaro, only choice.

• indeed, Albert Herring is witty and can be well-done but Carmen or Figaro are mainstays probably with better casts and production values.

• For all its virtues, Carmen is LONG. I'd go with Turandot or Tosca or Traviata.

• Thanks to all who posted,too.

  OP

• Are you going with a date, R14? If so, is he an opera fan?

• Aida, the food opera.

• No, r20. I'm going by myself. I'd prefer to do that.

  OP

• La Traviata. The lighting at the Met is top notch. My favorite is when they replicate sunlight. Their scenery is chock full of decorating ideas for your own home. The bedroom scene in MOF has billowy white canopy and window treatments. Mesmerizing sets.

• No question about it: The Marriage of Figaro. My favorite opera. The music is absolutely stellar.

• Marriage of Figaro, most definitely. It would have been my recommendation for a "starter opera" even if it were not upcoming for you.

• How about the opera used to introduce children to opera.......The Magic Flute

• I'm no opera queen (that would've been my ex's best friend), but stay away from "The Girl in the Golden West"- why waste time reading surtitles of English-speaking American characters singing in Italian!

• I despise the magic flute almost as much as the ballet, the nutcracker.

• It really depends on what kind of music you like. If you like Baroque music, see anything by Montiverde, Scarlotti, Purcell or Handel. If you like Classical music see anything by Mozart but especially Don Giovanni, Cosi Fan Tutte or Le Nozze di Figaro. Rossini's Barber of Seville and La Gazza Ladra can be fun. If you like Romantic and more modern music, which I do not, see anything by Verdi or Puccini. Wagner is a special case. In the wrong hands (Seattle, Berlin, London and the Met, I'm talking about you) it's the elevator music of the opera world, but if you can see it at Bayreuth, go!

• Rigoletto's not my favorite. But while I was at the Met HD broadcast of 'Les Troyens' this past Saturday, they showed a rehearsal for Rigoletto, coming up in February. They're setting this production in Las Vegas, complete with Rat Pack references. Looked like it might be fun and fairly approachable to someone new to opera.

• Aida, especially if they use a live elephant for the procession scene. Saw it once when the elephant got spooked, and all the nelly half-naked spear-carriers freaked and ran offstage.

• You should listen to hip hop, because otherwise you are just an eldergay and out of touch with real music!

  http://www.datalounge.com/cgi-bin/iowa/ajax.html%3Ft%3D12306951%23page:showThread%2C12306951%2C1

  The%20asswipe%20that%20started%20the%20linked%20thread

• OP, what is your taste, dear? Because just because something is an "opera" doesn't mean it's like everything else that is an opera. Meaning do you like classical or romantic music? Does contemporary music turn you on or off? I'd suggest The Marriage of Figaro, but some people get antsy with the sense of flippancy and superficial polish they hear. And I loathe "Carmen." But that's my taste. Better yet, drive down to Chicago and see "La Boheme." THAT'S a good place to start.

  http://www.lyricopera.org/calendar/index.aspx

• WHY has no one mentioned "Madama Butterfly"? Un bel di, baby...

  Puccini Opera Queen

• I love CARMEN & TURANDOT

• FOLLIES!

• r33, you ask very good questions. I think, I'll know how to answer them after I've seen at least a few performances.

  OP

• Try to find Léo Delibes' Lakmé. The Belle Song and Fleur Duet is universally loved. See the Youtube vids. It's set in India so the costumes are usually beaded works of art in themselves. The coloratura soprano lead role requires a voice that can closely mimic a bell. Voice control that takes decades to master. You know the Flower Duet from old British Airways ads and Bowie's The Hunger. It's a classic introduction work. Follow up with Mozart's Nightingale.

• Porgy and Bess

• OP, I wish you well in exploring a new genre and like the fact that you are willing to try out new things and expand your interests. I hope that, as someone suggested earlier, if you like it, you travel to Chicago for a performance. You seem to have an independent mind, willing and preferring to do things on your own.

• R38 makes a good point. youtube stuff form the above mentioned works and see for yourself.

• definitely Tosca

• Always begin with your ABCs! Aida La Boheme Carmen

• "The Ballad of Baby Doe" is a good place to begin.

• AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!! JKELCGREKJBXERGFBHSLBEXÑRN!!!!!! AaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaAaA!!!!!!!! I'LL CUT YOU!!!!

  Lady%20Lucia%20Ashton

• You may consider starting with operetta. The Merry Widow, Paul Bunyan, or The Student Prince are fun.

• Carmen, hands down. My dad was really into opera, that was the first one he took me to because he knew it has the most 'hit' songs that you'll recognize. Plus, if you live in NYC, the Met usually makes the production very colorful & lively. Trust me, you'll be whistling the tunes for a month afterwards.

• Last night I watched both "Carmen" and "La Boheme" on youtube. Now, I can't wait to attend a performance!

  OP

• My mother was an opera nut. She took me to see Carmen when I was 3 (I was a good sitter as a child). I loved it and still have some memories (it was a local production in LA. (BTW My mother taught me some old timey kiddie song version of the famous Toreador song--"To-ray-a dor-a, don't sit on the floor-a, Use the cuspidor-a, that's what it's for-a. Sort of like a song in a Marx Brothers movie.) I also saw Tosca at a young age and Madame Butterfly and loved them (especially when Tosca falls off a balcony--it's not a comedy, it's an ultra-melodrama). Also Hansel and Gretel (which is a kid's opera by Humperdinck, but it has really lovely music and is very charming). I think you will love Marriage of Figaro. The music is breathtakingly beautiful. All Mozart operas have gorgeous music IMO. Rossini's comic operas (like Italian Girl in Algiers (Italiana in Algeria and Elixir of Love (L'Elisir d'Amore") are a lot of fun to watch and have really great music. Gianni Schicchi (sounds like Ski-Key) is a short opera and is often performed with another short opera. Very enjoyable and are frequently performed all over. Have a great time!

• Gianni Schicchi is by Puccini, not Rossini (of cawse!)

  49

• What about Madame Butterfly? Great story and music...

• Some of you who want to send the OP to The Marriage of Figaro as his first opera are insane! Without a doubt The Marriage of Figaro is an operatic masterpiece, but sending a novice, unexperienced person to a 4 hour opera is not good advice, no matter the great music. I would rather have him attend Albert Herring. Its a delightful story, and shorter, and its original language is English! Carmen would have been a great choice but its too late.

  Ethan, DLs resident opera lover

• Sweeney Todd