The 5 Best Operas

September 01, 2010, By 10 comments

Carmen

Composed by Georges Bizet, premiered in 1875.

One of the most popular operas of all time, this is a pretty good starting point for a novice. It’s set in Seville, Spain, but it’s sung in French. Bizet died soon after this opera took to the stage, but it’s said this opera bridged the gap between drama and comedy in a way that no other composer/librettists had accomplished before. Plus, Act 4 in front of the bullfighting ring is pretty sweet.

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Comments (10):

Jason S. wait: you like La Boheme (one of the most famous - yes- but also one of the best operas EVER written) because of Rent?!? why someone like you is allowed to write about opera is beyond me. your '5 best' reads like a freshman music orientation class listening list. insulting, really. - 01/06/2011
Jason W. After years trying to get dozens of friends and siblings to listen to Opera I find, for good or bad, that the response to the music from Turandot is received the most positively with Don Giovanni second. Turandot seems to have "catchy" music throughout for most new listeners, (that's the word I heard used three or four times) while Leporello and The Don's big arias are enjoyed on their own more than the opera as a whole. - 12/22/2010
Jane L. Interesting that the photo accompanying the article is almost surely from the second act of Puccini's Tosca. - 10/10/2010
Todd N. @AI K Actually, R. Strauss did write 2 symphonies. No. 1 in D minor (1880), and No. 2 in F minor (1883). No. 2 is my favorite. I suppose you could argue Domestica and Apline aren't "technically" symphonies, even though it is in the name. Other than that, none of the Johann Strausses ever wrote a symphony. The author looses his classical music credibility right out of the gate. Oh, and it is not news worthy to announce Carmen the most popular opera ever. - 10/07/2010
Al K. Johann Strauss' symphony? Neither he nor Richard Strauss wrote one--unless you want to include R Strauss' Alpine Symphony or Sinfonie Domestica--bothof which are tone poems. - 10/01/2010
Peter D. Don Giovanni is considered by most musical critics to be the single greatest human achievement in music. It's also a nasty good time, ending with an unrepentant Don Juan going to hell! You also seem to have neglected the great Verdi dramas, Don Carlos and Otello, not to mention Falstaff, which may be my personal favorite Verdi. - 09/29/2010
John S. Nope.... Carmina Burana.....It's not an opera. Not even close... - 09/29/2010
George T. I love these lists of the whatever-the-most. They tell so much about the designer of the list By one criteria, the best place to live is Missoula. Montana. Come on now! If best means most loved, ask how many can hum tunes from any of these, other than Carmen. - 09/27/2010
Jeff K. I'm currently dating a woman in her late 20s who loves opera, and I agreed to go. The thought of dressing in a nice suit and heading to an old theater sounds appealing, and besides, I really like this girl. But I realized belatedly that opera lasts between 3 and 5 hours. Whoah. I already have a difficult time with long movies, and I cannot fathom five hours of one show. - 09/11/2010
Phil C. Dude... yer missing one... Carmina Burana by Orff... If O Fortuna doesn't wake you up reminding you of countless car commercials and video games, then someone is going to need to get the defibrillator out for you. - 09/07/2010

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