Famous Operas

Opera is a form of performance art in which the performers tell a dramatic story through song. Operas are generally accompanied by live music, usually in the form of an orchestra.

 

Opera is generally placed in the category of classical music, though operas contain many of the same aspects of theater, including actors, costumers, scenery and more. However, actors in an opera, most often referred to as opera singers, must have strong singing voices.

 

Male opera singers can generally be classified by voice type as:

Some of the more famous operas have been performed countless times over hundreds of years. They often have many different versions or have been modified over time.

 

Operas can be performed in a number of different languages, but generally an opera is performed in the language in which it was composed. Some of the most famous operas have been composed in:

The first known opera, "Dafne," was composed in 1597 by Jacopo Peri, though the first great opera composer is widely thought to be Claudio Monteverdi. Many of Monteverdi's works are still performed today.

 

Some of the most famous operas include:

Our articles cover all aspects of these famous operas, including their history, their music, their story lines, how they have been received over the years and more.

Classified as the most popular of all operas, "Carmen" is a blend of romanticism and realism. Composed by Georges Bizet, "Carmen" is a French opera that premiered to highly negative reviews in 1875.

 

The opera follows the story of Carmen, a beautiful gypsy woman. Though it did not receive instant praise, "Carmen" is now one of the most widely known and appreciated operas in the world. Opera aficionados worldwide go to theaters each year to see "Carmen."

"Don Giovanni"

The opera "Don Giovanni" was written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and opened in 1787.

Known for its depth and complexity, many consider the best work of Mozart to be "Don Giovanni."

"Boris Godunov"

"Boris Godunov" is an opera written by Modest Mussorgsky that is based on the life of a 16th-century ruler. The work was first performed in 1874 and is Mussorgsky's only completed opera.

While it was not well-received originally, it is now performed around the world, and many now consider "Boris Godunov" to be a prime example of Russian opera.

"La Bohème" is an Italian opera that premiered in 1896. Composed by Giacomo Puccini, "La Bohème" is the second most widely performed opera in North America.

 

In 1897, composer Ruggero Leoncavallo released an opera of the same story but different libretto as "La Bohème."

"Madame Butterfly" is another Italian opera by Giacomo Puccini. The opera was based in part on a short story and in part on a novel and premiered in Milan in 1904.

 

Like so many of today's famous operas, "Madame Butterfly" did not receive instant praise.

 

The opera is said to be based on events that actually took place in Nagasaki in the 1890s. "Madame Butterfly" is mainly performed in two different versions today: an Italian two-act version and an American three-act version. The most widely performed opera in North America is "Madame Butterfly."

 

 

The Metropolitan Opera (2007). The Met. Retrieved December 10, 2007 from the Metropolitan Opera Web site: http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/.