# What should someone completely new to opera listen to?



## blonnam (May 5, 2011)

I've been interested in opera for a long time now, but I've never gotten the chance to actually sit down and listen to one. Mostly because it's so intimidating. But I've decided now is the time to listen to one.

I do love musicals, especially the ones composed by Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin.

So, what should I listen to? I am a completely newbie, but I'm open to all suggestions.


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## jhar26 (Jul 6, 2008)

blonnam said:


> I've been interested in opera for a long time now, but I've never gotten the chance to actually sit down and listen to one. Mostly because it's so intimidating. But I've decided now is the time to listen to one.
> 
> I do love musicals, especially the ones composed by Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin.
> 
> So, what should I listen to? I am a completely newbie, but I'm open to all suggestions.


I would suggest listening for starters to a few operas that make it easy to bridge the gap between musicals and opera. Gershwin's "Porgy & Bess" is a good choice. It is first of all in English - the language you're used listening to from musicals and it has spoken dialogue between the musical numbers. Go for this recording.....










Also try Mozart's "Die Zauberflote" (the Magic Flute). It also has spoken dialogue and plenty of 'hit tunes.' There are many good recordings of this opera, but you can't go wrong with this one.....










"Carmen" is also a great one to get you started. You will no doubt recognize plenty of tunes from this one. The Karajan recording is pretty spectacular....


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I think Puccini might also be good.

Try la Boheme, or even La Fanciulla del West (which was shamelessly raided by Lloyd Webber for Phantom of the Opera)


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

blonnam said:


> I've been interested in opera for a long time now, but I've never gotten the chance to actually sit down and listen to one. Mostly because it's so intimidating. But I've decided now is the time to listen to one.
> 
> I do love musicals, especially the ones composed by Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin.
> 
> So, what should I listen to? I am a completely newbie, but I'm open to all suggestions.


May I suggest that you go for DVD's or blu-rays instead of recordings? I'm passionate for the visual aspects of opera (thus my signature) and I think you may like it even more if you also see the action.

Gaston's suggestions (jhar26) are great but in my opinion you'd enjoy them even more if you got DVD's instead (which are equivalent in price to CD boxsets).

In our thread about most recommended operatic DVD's and blu-ray discs you will find a recommended one for each of the operas that have been suggested to you here so far.

Click on this link and it will take you to the thread:

http://www.talkclassical.com/12300-talk-classical-most-recommended.html

Another idea is to try operettas, if you like musicals.

Some of the most recommended operettas are Die Fledermaus, Der Zigeunerbaron, Die Lustige Witwe, Orphée aux Enfers, and La Vie Parisienne; they all have a lot of the characteristics you may like in musicals. For recommendations on those, you won't find recommended DVDs in the above thread because when we made the list we decided to exclude operettas. But you'll find recommendations in the Opera on DVD and Blu-Ray subforum, by consulting the thread Operettas and the thread for Offenbach.

Also, Italian 19th Century opera Bel Canto style is very accessible and if you go for the comedic sub-genre, opera buffa, you'll have lots of fun, especially with works by Donizetti and Rossini.

Titles include L'Elisir d'Amore, La Fille du Régiment, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Don Pasquale, Rita, La Gazzetta, L'Italiana in Algeri, Il Turco in Italia, La Pietra del Paragone.

Mozart's lighter operas are also a phenomenal entry point, especially his top four, the already mentioned Magic Flute, and also the three Italian-language operas he composed with librettist Da Ponte, which are spectacular masterpieces and crowd pleasers: Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Così fan Tutte. Again, you'll find DVD recommendations for most of the above either in the thread I've linked you to, or in the individual threads for each composer in the subforum.

Enjoy, report back on your findings and hopefully your pleasure, and welcome to the forum!


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

blonnam said:


> I've been interested in opera for a long time now, but I've never gotten the chance to actually sit down and listen to one. Mostly because it's so intimidating. But I've decided now is the time to listen to one.
> 
> I do love musicals, especially the ones composed by Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, and George Gershwin.
> 
> So, what should I listen to? I am a completely newbie, but I'm open to all suggestions.


There's nothing intimidating about opera other than your own perception of it. I would approach it no differently to any other classical music genre. The only tricky is to pick which one(s) to start off with.

I would suggest Georges Bizet's opera, _Carmen_. It's a popular piece, has plenty of fine music and it's not a complicated serious opera. Study its libretto or at least be familiar with the story (read the synopsis), and think a little about the characters' role in the plot, so it might help you understand the music's particular mood at that particular time in the plot as the story and opera unfolds. Enjoy!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen


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## KJohnson (Dec 31, 2010)

It's amazing that a lot of musicians find operas intimidating. Even some great composers have felt this way. Stavinsky is quoted to say he thought operas are against human nature (R. Taruskin: "Stravinsky and the Russian Tradition")...

I never understood this. I liked opera upon my first listening experience, and it wasn't an easy one (like Carmen)... It was Wozzeck, of all operas.


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## Sieglinde (Oct 25, 2009)

Just about any popular Verdi or Puccini, or even Mozart (he's a bit trickier but awesome). But if you love Sondheim, you'll probably love modern operas too.


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## Meaghan (Jul 31, 2010)

If you want to be able to follow the story without reading a translation while you listen, Benjamin Britten wrote some wonderful English operas. His best known is Peter Grimes. Possibly the most accessible to someone who doesn't have a lot of experience with 20th century classical music (I don't know whether you do or not) is his Midsummer Night's Dream, which uses the original Shakespeare text and is a lot of fun. Another enjoyable, though lesser-known, English opera is The Wreckers, by Ethel Smyth. 

I second Almaviva's recommendation about watching opera. I think it's a lot easier to get into and follow that way, especially when it's in a language you don't know. I didn't begin to enjoy opera until I watched one for the first time, because before that it didn't really make sense to me.

Also, I love Sondheim.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Hello blonnam and welcome to the forum.

Everyone starts their journey in a different way & none of them is 'best' but La Traviata is a good one to start with. The story is very easy to understand & there are some great recordings/DVDs available.










This is a box set which has a libretto containing a brief history of the opera, a synopsis and translation.










A recently released DVD from a performance at Covent Garden which I can recommend.

Some of our opera journeys.



KJohnson said:


> ... I liked opera upon my first listening experience, and it wasn't an easy one (like Carmen)... It was Wozzeck, of all operas.


 respect


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

Hi, Blonnam, and welcome!

If you decide to go with a DVD instead of an audio recording for your first taste of opera, I'd definitely recommend taking a look at some of the threads on the Opera on DVD sub-forum. Some of the available videos are of performances that featured non-traditional stagings. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but if one is seeing/hearing an opera for the first time, it could be puzzling. You may actually prefer a more avant-garde staging -- but at least, by reading through some of the posts on the sub-forum, you'll have some idea of what a particular video is like before you make a purchase.


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## CaptainAzure (May 2, 2011)

Maria Callas. All day, every day


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

Get the most outrageously dissonant, unmusical thing you've ever heard of that is still somehow called opera, let alone music, by a small majority, with no plot (nor even any generic musical structure). Listen to it several times in a row.

Then listen to Tristan und Isolde. You'll be hooked for life.

To be completely serious, though, start at the deep end. It only looks intimidating, and it isn't.


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## CaptainAzure (May 2, 2011)

Do NOT listen to Wagner. No matter what these devilishly handsome crackers say


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

CaptainAzure said:


> Do NOT listen to Wagner. No matter what these devilishly handsome crackers say


You've no idea how much this just made my day.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

This is a little weird. The original poster never came back to read the answers. Very strange.


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## blonnam (May 5, 2011)

Almaviva said:


> This is a little weird. The original poster never came back to read the answers. Very strange.


I posted yesterday! Please, I've been very busy, and although I've read all the posts, I still haven't got the chance to thank anyone. I'll say it now - thank you. I'm listening to Carmen right now, and still haven't decided what I'll listen to next.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

blonnam said:


> I posted yesterday! Please, I've been very busy, and although I've read all the posts, I still haven't got the chance to thank anyone. I'll say it now - thank you. I'm listening to Carmen right now, and still haven't decided what I'll listen to next.


OK, OK, sorry! Enjoy Carmen!

L'amour est un oiseau rebelle que nul ne peut apprivoiser...:guitar:


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

blonnam said:


> I posted yesterday! Please, I've been very busy, and although I've read all the posts, I still haven't got the chance to thank anyone. I'll say it now - thank you. I'm listening to Carmen right now, and still haven't decided what I'll listen to next.


blonnam - please don't mind our Alma. He even hassles the regulars if we haven't posted for a while (we ignore him ). It's just that he's nuts about opera & loves it when a potential convert joins in.

I think he'd convert the whole world if he could.


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## CaptainAzure (May 2, 2011)

Almaviva said:


> This is a little weird. The original poster never came back to read the answers. Very strange.


Then what are we all doing here?
He's done us up like kippers. Unwitting marionettes in his theatre of haughty chuckles.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

CaptainAzure said:


> Then what are we all doing here?
> He's done us up like kippers. Unwitting marionettes in his theatre of haughty chuckles.


S/he is listening to Carmen for the first time. Shhhhh.


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## CaptainAzure (May 2, 2011)

mamascarlatti said:


> S/he is listening to Carmen for the first time. Shhhhh.


And I should think so too.


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## CaptainAzure (May 2, 2011)

blonnam said:


> I posted yesterday! Please, I've been very busy, and although I've read all the posts, I still haven't got the chance to thank anyone. I'll say it now - thank you. I'm listening to Carmen right now, and still haven't decided what I'll listen to next.


I feel I am qualified to direct you to what you should listen to next. It's really very simple..._Tosca: Vissi d'arte Vissi d'amore_
and it HAS to be Maria Callas anything else is just a lack of propriety.


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

It's ironic that Stravinsky thought that opera "was against human nature" or whatever, because he was the son of a once famous Russian operatic bass, Fyodor Stravinsky ,a star of the famous Mariinsky opera in St. Petersburg , now run by Valery Gergiev.
Puccini's Tosca is a very taut and exiciting opera, full of non-stop action and chock full of great melodies,plus sex and violence. The classic EMI performace with Callas, Giuseepe DiStefano and Tito Gobbi with Victor De Sabata is generally considered the ultimate one, despite its dated mono sound. 
But there are other which are still excellent, such as the ones with Leontyne Price, Renata Scotto, Mirella Freni, Montserrat Caballe etc as Tosca.
Also try Don Giovanni , Le Nozze Di Figaro (the marriage of Figaro), the Magic Flute,The Abduction from the Serraglio, and Cosi Fan Tutte by Mozart , 
Rigoletto, Il Trovatore , La Forza Del Destino, Un Ballo in Maschera,Don Carlo, Aida,Oteello and Falstaff by Verdi , Fidelio by Beethoven(his only opera), 
Der Freischutz)The freeshoter) by Carl Maria von Weber , Manon, Werther, and Thais by Jules Massenet, Boris Godunov by Mussorgsky, Eugene Onegin and Pique Dame (Queen of Spades) by Tchaikovsky, Les Contes D'Hoffmann (the tales of Hoffmann) by Jacques Offenbach, The Bartred Bride by Bedrich Smetana, Russalka by Dvorak,
Jenufa by Leos Janacek, etc,just for starters.
For CD sets, make sure you get ones with a booklet with the synposis , plus the libretto in the original language with an English translation next to it. Most have this,but not all. You can also get some of these translations at the Naxos website.


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

sospiro said:


> blonnam - please don't mind our Alma. He even hassles the regulars if we haven't posted for a while (we ignore him ). It's just that he's nuts about opera & loves it when a potential convert joins in.
> 
> I think he'd convert the whole world if he could.


Oh no, not the whole world!!! This would drive up ticket prices and DVD/blu-ray prices!!!


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## blonnam (May 5, 2011)

Well, I've listened to Carmen. I love it. I was surprised by how many tunes I recognized. The singing style is different than what I'm used to, but it's not totally different. It kind of reminded me of the style in songs like this:






Only, it's more... opera-ish? I don't know what I'm trying to say. There must be a better term for this.

I'm listening to Tosca right now.

This is so exciting!


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

Yep, the above is not bad, and lyric tenors/baritones and lyric sopranos do sound a little like it. You'll soon realize that there are other singing styles/ranges/fachs in opera, though. Opera can sound quite different from this, and then it may be more shocking to the novice's ears, but soon enough you'll get used to the other styles and they will grow on you.


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

An article I read recently (in the latest issue of "_Gramophone_," I think) claimed that Darwin believed human singing to be simply sublimated mating calls. Sure enough, I found this on the web:
http://www.bec.ucla.edu/papers/miller_mating_mind.htm

I wonder what this says about all of us who are passionate about opera!:lol:


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## Almaviva (Aug 13, 2010)

MAuer said:


> An article I read recently (in the latest issue of "_Gramophone_," I think) claimed that Darwin believed human singing to be simply sublimated mating calls. Sure enough, I found this on the web:
> http://www.bec.ucla.edu/papers/miller_mating_mind.htm
> 
> I wonder what this says about all of us who are passionate about opera!:lol:


That's interesting, because for me, opera and boobs is a wonderful combination!
And I've always wondered how it is to make love to a soprano. Does she hit a high E at that special moment?:lol:


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## rgz (Mar 6, 2010)

If I were forced to choose just one to start with,it would unquestionably be the Natalie Dessay version of Orphee aux Enfers. Though technically an operetta,as a newcomer the difference won't be of any consequence for you. Nonstop comedy, dancing,one great (nd instantly catchy) tune after another. After that, try La Fille du Regiment (again starring Ms. Dessay).


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