# Who are your three favorite opera composers?



## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

I'm curious to know the preferences of the TC members about opera composers. Feel free to express who are your favorite opera composers, which are your favorite operas by them, which are your favorite recordings of these operas etc. here at the comments section.

You may change your vote later if you wish to.

*I've also created a poll about overall favorite classical music composers a few days ago. **Click here** to participate.*


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Please add Boito, Menotti, and Leoncavallo

My 3 favorites are: Verdi, Puccini and Tchaikovsky 
(Boito also)


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Wagner (Ring, Tristin und Islode, Pasiifal)
Puccini (Tosca, Madama Butterfly, La Boheme)
Britten (Peter Grimes, Death in Venice, Billy Budd)


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Mozart- I grew up in an Irish Catholic household where Mozart was the musical God. One of those gods was the beginning of a journey, the other was to remain on his throne through the years! 

Wagner - For most of my life this spot was Verdi. But, over time, harmony won out over melody! It moves me more.

Strauss - Harmony, melody and he was so consumed with the female experience.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Bellini
Verdi 
Wagner

I found this rather easy. Other than Puccini (who may be number four on my list) these are the only composers of whom I have recordings of all their operas other than composers who only wrote one or two operas.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

All I can say on the matter is that I'll listen to Mozart till my final moment.
But btw, in terms of memorability of harmony and counterpoint, there are no "throwaway numbers" in Haydn's opera imv.




Tu vedrai, tiranno infido




Qual mi sovrasta, o Ciel


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## Lisztianwagner (2 mo ago)

Wagner, Strauss and Mozart for me.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Donizetti, Verdi, Rossini and Bellini.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Wagner, Verdi, Strauss, Bellini , Rossini and Donizetti for me. Thanks for creating this well thought out contest.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I'll go with Handel, Mozart, and Wagner; Strauss and Weber are close.


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## RobertJTh (Sep 19, 2021)

Wagner, Strauss and Alban Berg.


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## Georgieva (7 mo ago)

Wagner, Tchaikovsky and R. Strauss.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Wagner and Puccini and one not on your list, Korngold. Can't imagine not being able to hear The Dead City, among others.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Wagner, Verdi, Strauss, Bellini , Rossini and Donizetti for me. Thanks for creating this well thought out contest.


The contest master CHEATED!!!


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

The "Other(s)":

Jean Prodromidès

Marcel Landowski

Mikis Theodorakis


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

Mozart, Verdi, and Wagner. Followed closely by Puccini and Britten.


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

I chose a boring bel canto combination of Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti. But if the question would be about my 3 most favourite operas, it would be Norma (Bellini) Carmen (Bizet) and The Bartered Bride (Smetana). It's just that I din't know enough other operas of the last two composers.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

How can you not include Rimsky-Korsakov for such works as Golden Cockerel, Sadko, Tale of Tsar Sultan and, of course, Prince Igor and Boris Godunov


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Becca said:


> ...Prince Igor and Boris Godunov


These are by Borodin and Mussorgsky, respectively. I'm agree about Rimski-Kórsakov. 👍


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

ColdGenius said:


> These are by Borodin and Mussorgsky, respectively. I'm agree about Rimski-Kórsakov. 👍


I am quite aware who originally wrote them, only commenting on R-K having done completions/rewrites of them, hence the smilie face.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Becca said:


> How can you not include Rimsky-Korsakov for such works as Golden Cockerel, Sadko, Tale of Tsar Sultan and, of course, Prince Igor and Boris Godunov


Ohhhh Becca....I love your "How can you not include".!!!!!!......  ....why the very idea?!?!?....where would the opera companies of the world have been all these years without "Tale of Tsar Sultan" for goodness sakes.........you did make that one up right???


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## Philidor (11 mo ago)

Mozart, Wagner, Verdi.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

Becca said:


> I am quite aware who originally wrote them, only commenting on R-K having done completions/rewrites of them, hence the smilie face.


The problem for the R-K is that at least in USA and most of Europe, those operas are essentially unknown. Casting them is a real problem. Boris hangs on at the margins. The Borodin, like the R-K operas, is known chiefly from the orchestral music. I thoroughly enjoy the R-K operas and spent a long time (and small fortune) getting each and every one on CD. Now if we could only have them all on DVD but using stage settings that R-K would have recognized. That recent Christmas Eve from Frankfurt was well-played and sung, but the staging was awful.


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

ScottK said:


> Ohhhh Becca....I love your "How can you not include".!!!!!!......  ....why the very idea?!?!?....where would the opera companies of the world have been all these years without "Tale of Tsar Sultan" for goodness sakes.........you did make that one up right???


 
I would say that with_ Le Coq D'Or_, R-K is at least as deserving as Rameau or Delibes


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

mbhaub said:


> The problem for the R-K is that at least in USA and most of Europe, those operas are essentially unknown. Casting them is a real problem. Boris hangs on at the margins. The Borodin, like the R-K operas, is known chiefly from the orchestral music. I thoroughly enjoy the R-K operas and spent a long time (and small fortune) getting each and every one on CD. Now if we could only have them all on DVD but using stage settings that R-K would have recognized. That recent Christmas Eve from Frankfurt was well-played and sung, but the staging was awful.


Many years ago I saw a good televised video of _Christmas Eve_ done from the University of Indiana music school, now if only it was preserved somewhere.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Becca said:


> Many years ago I saw a good televised video of _Christmas Eve_ done from the University of Indiana music school, now if only it was preserved somewhere.


The now threatened English National Opera did a wonderful production back in the 1980s, but I don't think it was ever revived.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

_Sadko, Tsar Saltan, The night before Christmas, The Pskov girl _are in a repertoire of Mariinsky in nice traditional stagings. _The Cockerel _and _The Snow maiden _are modern productions (previous edition of _Snow maiden_ was watchable). I'm impatiently waiting for a new production of _Kitezh _at December 24th (instead of frightening one of last decades). The cast, nevertheless, is often a problem.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Tsaraslondon said:


> The now threatened English National Opera did a wonderful production back in the 1980s, but I don't think it was ever revived.


Why is it threatened?


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Monteverdi, Handel, Gluck. Yes, I'm a museum rat.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

ColdGenius said:


> Why is it threatened?


Arts Council England have suddenly withheld all their funding with immediate effect unless they up sticks and move to Manchester. 

English National Opera Loses Arts Council Funding; Leaving London - OperaWire


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Arts Council England have suddenly withheld all their funding with immediate effect unless they up sticks and move to Manchester.
> 
> English National Opera Loses Arts Council Funding; Leaving London - OperaWire


😱 I will never more blame Mariinsky theater and Gergiev.


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## composingmusic (Dec 16, 2021)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Arts Council England have suddenly withheld all their funding with immediate effect unless they up sticks and move to Manchester.
> 
> English National Opera Loses Arts Council Funding; Leaving London - OperaWire


Indeed, quite a travesty. London Sinfonietta has had their funding cut drastically as well, and Britten Sinfonia's funding has been completely withdrawn too.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Becca said:


> I would say that with_ Le Coq D'Or_, R-K is at least as deserving as Rameau or Delibes


I actually began my teasing with Le Coq d'or but realized it had a little too much name recognition. And I do feel that Rimsky Boris and Non-Rimsky have such different impacts that they are distinct pieces. And most definitely YES to your point above!!


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Returning to the poll, I chose three composers. Verdi, because I love almost all of his operas, even those of his galley years (though I struggle with *Alzira*) and Britten because the more I get into his sound world, the more I appreciate his work. I still find *Death in Venice *and *Owen Wingrave *difficult. I also chose Berlioz, though he didn't really write that much opera. *Les Troyens *is a masterpiece of course and *Benvenuto Cellini* is a joy. *Béatrice et Bénédict *is a bit problematic but has some gorgeous music. 

Tchaikovsky wrote two of my favourite operas (*Eugene Onegin *and *Queen of Spades*) but I'm not so impressed with the others, I also love Debussy's *Pelléas et Mélisande *but, as it's the only opera he wrote, I can't really call him one of my favourite opera composers.

I could have included Bellini, Rossini and Donizetti, but it strikes me that, unless their operas are being sung by great singers (Callas mostly, but sometimes Caballé or Janet Baker) I don't really listen to them.


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

composingmusic said:


> Indeed, quite a travesty. London Sinfonietta has had their funding cut drastically as well, and Britten Sinfonia's funding has been completely withdrawn too.


ENO I'm not too fussed about but London Sinfonietta is a really important ensemble for contemporary music and cutting it's funding has no justification at all.


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## composingmusic (Dec 16, 2021)

Op.123 said:


> ENO I'm not too fussed about but London Sinfonietta is a really important ensemble for contemporary music and cutting it's funding has no justification at all.


Britten Sinfonia too, they also do quite a lot of important work in East Anglia


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## Orfeo (Nov 14, 2013)

Wagner
Tchaikovsky
Massenet

Honorable mentions:
Schreker
Puccini
Merikanto
Strauss
Prokofiev
Rimsky-Korsakov
Mussorgsky


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## IgorS (Jan 7, 2018)

Why Giacomo Meyerbeer, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov , Umberto Giordano, Ruggero Leoncavallo , Amilcare Ponchielli are not on the list?


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## Dimace (Oct 19, 2018)

Wagner, Strauss, Donizetti (he could be also Bellini in his place) I have voted. From the ''others'' I missed Arrigo Boito. His Mephistopheles (Prologo in Cielo) is maybe (with Tannhäuser) my favorites opera works. (Despite the fact that Beethoven has composed only one opera, the Fidelio, (Leonore is another story...) his absence from the list is an omission. Fidelio alone has the value of many operas together from other composers. It is an opera to perfection or an almost perfect opera.)


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## Dimace (Oct 19, 2018)

Prodromides said:


> The "Other(s)":
> 
> Jean Prodromidès
> 
> ...


Electra, Antigone, Medea. The 2000 release (for the 75th birthday of Mikis) of all three works (9xCD's Set) is a VERY good addition to any collection.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

IgorS said:


> Why Giacomo Meyerbeer, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov , Umberto Giordano, Ruggero Leoncavallo , Amilcare Ponchielli are not on the list?


They are. Under Other. Haha


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Tsaraslondon said:


> They are. Under Other. Haha


Hahaha. Boito made i there too!


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## IgorS (Jan 7, 2018)

Tsaraslondon said:


> They are. Under Other. Haha


Whatever. Enjoy yourself.


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## Open Book (Aug 14, 2018)

Prodromides said:


> The "Other(s)":
> 
> Jean Prodromidès
> 
> ...


Has Theodorakis written many operas? I know him only for the music from one movie, "Z".


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Impossible to pick just three. 

Mozart, Verdi, Wagner are not enough. If I don’t pick Bellini, I’d leave off some of Callas’s greatest performances. Same with Donizetti. What about Cherubini, or at least, *Medea*?
So, my favorite composers? Whatever Callas is singing is the best I can do.


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

Open Book said:


> Has Theodorakis written many operas? I know him only for the music from one movie, "Z".


I'm familiar with 3, but according to Wikipedia Mikis T. wrote 5:





__





Loading…






en.wikipedia.org


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## PeterKC (Dec 30, 2016)

Xisten267 said:


> I'm curious to know the preferences of the TC members about opera composers. Feel free to express who are your favorite opera composers, which are your favorite operas by them, which are your favorite recordings of these operas etc. here at the comments section.
> 
> You may change your vote later if you wish to.
> 
> *I've also created a poll about overall favorite classical music composers a few days ago. **Click here** to participate.*


For me: Wolf-Ferrari, Puccini, Menotti


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## Hoffmann (Jun 10, 2013)

Regardless of how inconsistent it may be, I have to go with Wagner, Rossini and Bellini.

Wagner rules dramatically above all others in live performance - even if the production isn't great and voices not ideal, but find recordings of the Ring, Tristan, Meistersinger, et al., require too much focus to sit and listen to recordings - unlike Lohengrin and Tannhäuser (and with the exception of Das Rheingold). 

The melodies of Bellini in I Puritani and Norma - with a nod to the breathtaking duets in Norma, rule. Rossini, I think, is vastly underrated - and, while I agree that it's sometimes difficult to assemble a cast (Armida and 5 outstanding tenors...) for live productions, I especially love his serious operas Semiramide and La Donna del Lago.

I feel guilty leaving Mozart off the list. Marriage of Figaro is close to the top of my list of all time favorite operas - as is Die Entführung aus dem Serail. 

A tip of the hat, also, to Korngold and another of my favorites Die tote Stadt.


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