Five Best Operas for Beginners - The Operas You Should See First - Keep It Classical

Here are the five best operas for beginners. If you're not sure what operas you should see first, this list is for you. Opera can be intimidating when you're just starting out, but it doesn't have to be.
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Rachel Willis-Sørensen - Mimì
Jonas Kauffman - Rodolfo
Elina Garanca - Carmen
Diana Damrau - Queen of the Night
Michael Fabiano - Alfredo
Venera Gimadieva - Violletta
Hubert Zapiór - Figaro
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About me: I am a conductor, published composer, professional singer, sound engineer, and producer based in Los Angeles. I love classical music and want to help as many people as possible learn more about it.
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Sources:
A History of Western Music (amzn.to/2VfIzCi)
Renaissance Music: Music in Western Europe, 1400-1600 (amzn.to/3jevvVB)
Choral Repertoire (amzn.to/3locFhJ)
Choral Music of the 19th Century (amzn.to/3jwiLdp)
Choral Music of the 20th Century (amzn.to/3xliG0W)
Music of the 17th and 18th Centuries (amzn.to/3zZXj75)
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Intro Music: Short Ride in Fast Machine (John Adams) - www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJvni...

[@KeepitClassical]

"No good opera plot can be sensible, for people do not sing when they are feeling sensible." - W. H. Auden

[@monizdm]

A word of caution on helping someone go to their first opera: don't underestimate them. My brother wanted to try opera and I thought Carmen would be a good choice. He was generally unimpressed, but a week later told me he watched "Akhnaten" on TV and loved it. I got him a ticket to the Met production and he is now a bit of an opera fan. I never would have guessed that Akhnaten could be an introduction, but his interest in ancient history and the creative staging appealed.

[@DoctorWu23]

Perhaps it helps how modern it feels?

[@philipebbrell2793]

I had to wait 30 years to see a production of Akhnaten at the ENO that transferred to the Met. StunnIng, absolutely stunning. My wife who is not a Philip Glass fan, was impressed. My first opera was the Magic Flute, which I thought of as a concept album. Cosi Fan Tutte is my favourite opera along with Akhnaten.

[@Kyle-ur4mr]

In my opinion you have to start with an opera whose story you are interested in

[@JacobMinger]

@@Kyle-ur4mr my first opera was Don Giovanni followed by Madame Butterfly and then I watched The Ring Cycle.

[@jrock2720]

I took my family to see Akhnaten at the Met last year. It was our first trip there and the first live opera for my children (20/17). For my wife and I, it was our second opera (The Abduction from the Seraglio being our first). We all found the performance to be mesmerizing. In some ways, a modern opera with clear storytelling is a wonderful introduction to opera. And let's face it, I have never ever ever seen staging like the end of the second act.

[@clara7517]

I would add that The Magic Flute is not only a good first opera for adults but hands down the best first opera for kids. I watched it for the first time when I was ten and my little brother was eight. We were well prepared by our parents, who listened to some of the highlight arias with us ahead of time, and read the synopsis to us so we wouldn't get lost if the subtitles went too fast. We both loved it and ran around the house singing pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pageno for weeks. The following year we named our new kitten Papageno and he became the best bird catcher. ;)

[@enkiitu]

I’ve sung Magic Flute and always considered it incredibly boring. It has, as many Mozart ‘s operas do, wonderful music, but it is too long to be considered entertaining. My two cents.

[@Marienkaeferisback]

For kids, in my opinion, hänsel und gretel is a fantastic starting point. Especially in comparison to the magic flute as a German opera. The tunes are very singable and many of them turned into popular children’s songs. But of course magic flute is wonderful, every child loves papageno

[@enkiitu]

I’ve been a professional singer for the past 35 years and have sung all of the operas mentioned here, some of them many times, especially La Boheme. But if I had to name the best opera for beginners I would have to say Turandot. It’s short with spectacular music all throughout. I really recommend it.

[@SiusaidhMac]

Turandot was my first. I loved it! ❤

[@otyliaostrowska-jouie5455]

I would say the same: Turandot = love at first sight

[@hughjohnston]

I'm a real philistine , ignorant, stupid and narrow minded, but I found many opera arias are just banging good ! Unfortunately the very limited education I had did not teach me Italian or French so I don't have a bloody clue what the hell they're going on about but wow what an incredibly powerful sound, you would have to be dead not to be moved by opera and the fact that only posh rich people can appreciate is yet another reason its better to be posh and rich than poor, ignorant and stupid .

[@vesakaitera2831]

@enkiitu, I have been interested in the classical music for the last 60 years and my pick for the number one opera is also Turandot. Although Pucini was a great composer, who had made several famous operas earlier, I still have the feeling, that in this opera he reached his absolute peak. He also used a choir in this opera for the first time and he did it very skillfully. His ability to describe the happenings and the mood of the people and the changes in it by different orchestral sounds was suberb. It is sad, that he died before he had created a suitable ending for this masterpice. I have two operas, which I also like very much: Mozart's Don Giovanni and Borodin't Prince Igor. Borodin is earning an extra bravado point from me, because the is treating the Polovitsian people with a great respect, a greater respect than he is showing to the Russians. That is a lot from a Russian composer.

[@jorgaba2865]

One thing I particularly like about this list is it covers the bases really well -- comedy and tragedy, fantasy and realism, the 3 most common languages (italian, german, french), several of the big-name composers, and a 105-year span of time (1791-1896) across opera's heyday of popularity. It seems safe to say that if a newcomer will like opera at all, they'll like at least one of these.

[@akvavit0]

You really can't go wrong with any of the 4 famous Puccini operas. Tosca, La Boheme, Madame Butterfly, and Turandot.

[@valerietaylor9615]

I love Turandot. It’s Puccini’s masterpiece.

[@sandiburgess5902]

Agree with these choices. As a retired operatic singing/performer, now voice teacher ... these are excellent choices with simple explanations. Thank you. Sharing with new students to opera.

[@ovh992]

The best opera for beginners is The Barber of Seville. Everyone should know it from the Bugs Bunny Elmer Fud cartoon. And the best part is that the best part of the opera is in the very beginning. So if you can't sit for a 2 or 3 hour opera, you can leave early (as many people do) and not miss the best part!

[@lilliedoubleyou3865]

Good pick. And if they're "Seinfeld" fans, they may like it even more :D

[@teacherlee3102]

I don't know about Barbiere as a first opera. It was my first and I didn't like it much: it wasn't a great production and the humour left me flat. What won me over totally was Don Giovanni! All the others seem to me to be great first operas. (I now think Barbiere is hilarious: I start laughing before it starts!)

[@herrgoldmann2562]

We just saw Mozart`s "Zauberflöte" in the Vienna opera. It was my first time visiting an opera and it was an amazing experience.

[@subrismygoal8051]

I just saw my first opera at the Met. I saw Aida and it was absolutely breathtaking!!

[@lefinlay]

I’m so gutted they’re ending that particular production! It looks stunning

[@samueljaramillo4221]

We’ve attended that spectacular Met Aida 4 times and never get tired of it.

[@1967AJB]

Thank you so much, I’ve been hoping to find this kind of information for years, but didn’t know where to look. Brilliant, subscribed.

[@jburgess9578]

This is an excellent video! Thank you for making it. The singing was so good in the performances you included that I'm now on a mission to see these exact productions (provided they have english subtitles) and obtain their soundtracks.

[@birdmanben27]

I always feel like L'elisir d'amore is underrated as a first opera--it's so funny and the plot is super accessible! Also, Rachel sings the pants off Kaufmann every time they collaborate and I love it.

[@KeepitClassical]

True! L'elisir is a great opera, and it was tough to not include it. And yeah! Rachel is killing it!

[@mariedrapalova7365]

This was my first opera❤

[@aaguero]

My first exposure to opera was "Rigoletto," which I saw when I was 16 years old. It took my breath away and made me an inveterate opera lover for life! That was 40 years ago, and over time I've developed a love for Baroque opera. I recently also discovered Philip Glass through his opera "Akhenaten," and was entranced. The journey never ends - there is a world of operatic delights out there!

[@LJB103]

My first was Aida. I took a friend to his first opera (La Gioconda) and not only created an opera fan but a fanatical lover of Eva Marton. Two other friends had Boris Godunov and Parsifal for their first: talk about kill or cure!!!! Very good choices.

[@davidalen2590]

Wonderful. Thank you for sharing!

[@KeepitClassical]

Fun fact: I share a birthday with Puccini.

[@ethan8338]

woah!!

[@triciadawnreynolds9498]

These videos are such great resource material for me as a Music Teacher hoping to teach kids to love and appreciate all kinds of music. The kids love the content and I am learning quite a lot too! Thank you!

[@drekfletch]

I am giving this video a thumbs up solely for introducing me to Hubert Zapiór. My first opera was Il Trovatore, and I don't think it gets enough appreciation. I bought the cd just for the Anvil Chorus, and discovered Stride la vampa and Di quella pira (curse my baritone range, taunting me with that aria).

[@shannonluster5083]

Very encouraging, thank you!

[@jorgaba2865]

I saw this vid and wondered if you would recommend the same 5 that I would...and you did, exactly!

[@olliemartinelli4034]

As a child my parents would bring me and my sisters to see operas all the time, to the point where we always hated it because (obviously we were fucking children) we didn’t understand the music. However, I am so grateful now, it’s insane how those few years of exposure shape so much later on. The first opera I saw that I genuinely remember and loved was Porgy and Bess. Also the first time I ever cried at a live performance of anything was a year ago seeing Cavalleria Rusticana. Shame there’s so much stigma around opera only being for snobs. So many people don’t even realise what they’re missing out on

[@jackasotarex]

Thanks for doing this!

[@lauriethompson740]

Yes those are all good choices. I guess one simple way of approaching this might be to say 'not Wagner!' :) Although no doubt something before 'The Ring' might be a good option? In terms of the best Mozart choice, mine would be Don Giovanni, because in my view its the perfect combination of engaging story and beautiful music. You could argue Cosi fan Tutte has the most beautiful arias, but the story is so lame that it's not really a complete package in my view.

[@arthurcrosby5755]

Thank you for presenting your choices of opera for beginners. I love them. I particularly like the Bird Catcher’s (Vogelfänger) song in the Magic Flute. I am trying to learn to sing it in German!

[@cathykrueger4899]

I just happened on this while looking up the different voices and listening to each one. I’m in my seventies and found this video to be a welcome relief from today’s political scene. I will now spend time bathing my brain in opera. Thank you.

[@tommyward3950]

Rigoleto was my first opera and I loved it, completely over the top and hilarious even though its a tragedy

[@malashukla9292]

Many thanks for the understanding

[@zsuzsanna227]

I know it's not really an opera, but my first experience was Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio) as a kid, and I loved it, and kept singing songs from it. I think it can be a good idea to move gradually from musicals through singspiel to opera. After that it was la Traviata with Andrea Rost, and it was beautiful, but I think I needed the gradual introduction. I haven't seen Carmen as a real opera yet, but turned into a skating film, Carmen On Ice with Katarina Witt, Brian Boitano and Brian Orser (world champions, Olympic champions and silver medalist), three of the greatest skaters of their time). It was a passionate performance and brought the music closer to me, as it was connected to my favourite sport.

[@melissas4874]

I tend to think of the Magic Flute as more of a fantasy-comedy which may be more accessible to those newer to Opera as well. It's a bit silly, but that's a good thing to me.

[@richardrose2606]

Another good opera for beginners would be Strauss' die Fledermaus. A bit of a cheat because it's an operetta - still a simple, funny plot with great music.

[@potion27]

I always said, La Boheme would be a great introduction to experience opera!

[@DarlingMartyr]

I had my first introduction to Opera a couple of days ago: Dvorak’s Jacobin. It was so lovely.

[@claudiasantananunez7555]

I’d say Elisir is another good one. My school played parts of it for kids and they loved it!

[@LeiaThePrincess1]

My first opera was Pagliacci. Still love more it more then many other.

[@hannahchristinah]

Great choices! I guessed what the operas might be before I started the video, and I thought you'd pick Rigoletto over Traviata. But yup, these are solid picks.

[@KeepitClassical]

Thank you! Rigoletto is a great choice, but Traviata I think it's just a smidge more accessible. I almost chose it; it was a tough call.

[@user-gt7xs1fc6g]

My first was Rigoletto with Rena ta Scotto in the role of Gilda in 1966 when she such a glorious lyric voice. Your selections are certainly rational and reasonable. I little story about Jonas Kaufman here. I have a very good friend who over the years had listened to me rave about various operas I had seen and the great singers. Although she liked classical music, she never understood my opera passion. One time I visited her, I had a Kaufman CD in the car radio and had forgotten to turn it off. When I started the car the CD started playing and she said "take to Borders so I can buy my own copy of that.

[@mikeobrien1559]

The first four I agree with. Magic Flute is a better choice than most of the rest of the Mozart operas because it has dialogue instead of recitativo. For that reason, I'd take Paggliacci over Barber. It's also shorter, and as a bonus, it ends with a murder.😻 My parents' first date was Tristan. My mother had never seen an opera before. Can you imagine that?😳

[@KeepitClassical]

I can't imagine that! Although, I heard a story that Ralph Vaughan Williams and Ursula Wood fell in love after they saw Tristan together.

[@mikeobrien1559]

@@KeepitClassical At least, it wasn't Wozzeck.

[@JacobMinger]

I love the idea of Pagliacci as an intro opera simply because the music is great, it’s short, and the plot MOVES.

[@Ariadne-cg4cq]

@ mike obrien Obviously the experience didn’t put your mother off! 😮

[@nicholasprakash3411]

I would also include Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. It's sung in English, it's usually a 2 act opera, and most people know "Summertime" and "Bess, you is my woman now." It's the greatest American opera of all time.

[@louisc.gasper7588]

Certainly a very accessible opera, except that it's seldom performed, due to the restriction put on it by George and Ira Gershwin, who specified that only blacks could sing the parts aside from the sheriff.

[@nicholasprakash3411]

@@louisc.gasper7588 The Atlanta Opera has performed it twice. I think it should become a staple for them. I've seen more companies do it including the Met. Plus with more African-Americans entering the opera singer field, it could be performed moe. Also Broadway.

[@wotan10950]

You’re right about Porgy. But keep in mind that it’s very long, especially in the edition I saw at the Met many years ago. Everything about it was great, but it seemed as long as Tristan.

[@loudspeakers3469]

Nice video. I have watched all of them except Il Barbiere di Siviglia. I agree though, great choices!

[@joeherald7319]

Kudos for this. Good job for those us (like me) trying to learn about opera. La Boehme is the easiest for us. Real people, no dragons, demons, executions, curses, spells or poison. Just four guys, like we all may know, and the women in their lives. Kudos also for the Roy-G-Biv bookshelf arrangement.

[@abeadeolu5144]

Thank you for bringing this information to the world, its really informative for Africa study of Western opera because of inability to reach interactive and simplified information like this other than literatures.

[@FLOJo83]

I think Donizetti’s Daughters of the Regiment is a great beginner opera! Great video!

[@wotan10950]

I’d agree with that! But unfortunately, as in almost all bel canto operas, you need a GREAT soprano and tenor to make the opera come alive. Have you ever seen a bel canto opera with lousy singers? I have. And it just laid there like a flat pancake.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

I love opera. On both sides of the pond. In my university days I became friends with My Hero, who not only sang the National Anthem, but also worked at the sandwich shop called my hero, and also was third place in the Metropolitan Opera contest. He put me in several of his student plays, and encouraged me to try to get a stage voice. Haha, I still love him. Here in the Old Country, I met another opera singeer, and though we didn't see each other as much, I still considered him to be a close friend. And I bought tickets to the local opera, Die Fledermaus, and we had horrible seats in a horrible theater. But we were right next to the stage. My date was impressed that during the opera he winked at me!! I love opera. La Traviata was my first, probably is my favorite, but Aida is not bad either.

[@laurahodgson6531]

Going to see my first live opera tonight at the ROH - Madama Butterfly :)

[@KeepitClassical]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@wotan10950]

My first opera was Roberto Devereux with Beverly Sills! Although I came from a musical family, and play piano myself, I thought opera was just a bunch of women screaming in Italian! After seeing Sills, I suddenly thought it was magical. I’ve since seen 300+ live performances around the world and, back in the day, I saw all the names we associate as the greats of that era. Some deserved the title, some didn’t. When my kids were young, we saw Magic Flute and Hansel at the Met. They were very impressed then, but they wouldn’t dream of seeing an opera now. I agree about Boheme. And I love the subversive color scheme of your books!

[@lou626]

I watched Carmen when i was 14 (my mom was a big fan of Pavarotti) and i loved it so much i made design for all the costumes

[@SomeMisterMGuy]

The first Opera I Saw LIVE was Don Giovanni and it was a Nice experience.

[@malindley]

Thank you

[@rogerhardy6306]

Thanks! Great video and good advice although I've rarely managed to get any of my friends or partners into opera. I think I'd have added Cavalleria Rusticana or Pagliacci instead of the Rossini but that's just me. Brevity is probably an advantage for beginners and the Barber of Seville is really a bit long, even for me.

[@littlebigjohn69]

yes i agree but the one the gets me all the time is madam butterfly, puccini was a genius. im a spaniard and love all italian operas is because i understand some words but its the music , italians have such compassion in their music.

[@guygalt1102]

Good selection. By purest chance, I'm going to see The Barber of Seville AND La bohème AND Handel's Julius Caesar - on 3 consecutive days next June 2024 in St. Louis. Was just there for Così fan tutte and Joplin's Treemonisha. Fantastic venue - not a bad seat in the house that I could see. I know this is a controversial subject, but they also do all of their operas in English, which is useful for a beginner. I especially look forward to seeing these after your recommendations! 😎

[@danielmark4869]

When I decided to give opera a try I googled to find the shortest opera I could find so that if I found I didn't like it I'd at least know that the experience wouldn't last too long. I settled on the 1995 film adaptation of Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas' with Maria Ewing and Karl Daymond. It runs for just under an hour and it's in English...perfect! I found I actually enjoyed the experience...Dido's Lament towards the end still counts as one of the most hauntingly beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard. From there I felt confident enough to try longer operas and discovered Verdi's 'La Traviata' and Wagner's 'Lohengrin', my two favourite operas even to this day. My recommended operas for beginners depends on how much time a beginner is prepared to dedicate to giving opera a try. If they're intimidated by the average 2 and a half to 3 and a half hours duration of most operas then I'd recommend 'Dido and Aeneas'. If the beginner is more adventurous then I'd recommend 'La Traviata'' and 'Tosca' as introductions to Italian opera, 'Carmen' as an introduction to French opera and 'Lohengrin' as an introduction to German opera.

[@kidslumpiid6713]

Hey I remember you you were in my school today Mike Davis and I wrote on my paper that I love that you have a KZbin channel

[@jamesbrianengay3010]

The Magic Flute is my first opera 😊

[@mikemer79]

Thanks

[@wordscapes5690]

I always recommend people start with the light comedies - Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti…. Then move toward the Romantic and late Romantic composers. I disagree that Mozart is bad for beginners. They need to know only two things: recitative and aria. That is all. Le Nozze is the quintessential beginner’s opera. Every aria is a hit, the libretto is pure genius, and it contains everything: romance, comedy, and tragedy. My grandmother, a dyed-in-the-wool Wagnerite, started me with Der Ring des Nibelungen. Not an easy start. But I’m glad that she did.

[@Lymarg]

I also think Mozart is excellent for beginners. Le Mariage de Figaro is highly entertaining. Also would recommend Don Giovanni, wonderful music throughout the entire performance ❤.

[@btat16]

The Vivaldi operas are also full of energy and lovely, but I can definitely see why you chose these for your top 5!

[@KeepitClassical]

Vivaldi definitely has its own special electricity.

[@ricardoyupanqui806]

La primera ópera que de Richard Wajner vi completa (video) fue "Lohengrin" de Richard Wagner. Y he seguido viendo más y más. Gracias por compartir.

[@lefinlay]

My first ever opera was also Lohengrin!

[@wotan10950]

I love Wagner’s operas. Yes, even Parsifal, Tristan, and Meistersinger. But I surely wouldn’t recommend one of them to a beginner. No, not even Lohengrin.

[@minnami778]

I think Puccini n Rossini are friendly for beginners. I love both of them and Donizetti also 😄

[@LuisSierra147]

Other strong point for Zauberflöte and Carmen as Opera for beginners is that they have spoken dialogue (For Carmen only if you're watching Bizet's original version)

[@johnhickey4784]

The first opera I saw was Madama Butterfly in in 1984 in Leningrad as St. Petersburg was then. From that time on i loved opera.

[@RechtmanDon]

I was 12 when I saw my first opera. It was at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, and the top half of the swan was not even visible, as it was the Met's production and the Fox stage had less than half the vertical height of the Met's! Yes, my first opera was Lohengrin, probably the least likely to be placed on the beginner's opera list! Fortunately for me, music was already my passion and I had no problem identifying with Wagner's bombastic (so-called) style. The two operas I've always recommended for beginners, especially children, were selected based on the very transparent connection of music expression with the story's emotion content, as well as lots of catchy tunes, action, and familiar stories. My two are Humperdink's "Hansel and Gretel" and one of yours, "The Magic Flute." Well, the Magic Flute may not be that familiar a story, but after its catchy overture it does immediately start with dramatic action that is certain to grab a child's attention: a monster chase! After these two to lure in new opera fans, I would gladly follow the rest of your list.

[@LJB103]

Two friends had Boris Godunov and Parsifal for their first operas. Lohengrin was my first opera at the Met.

[@brianshoman1723]

The 70's TV show "Gilligan's Island" had an episode where they transformed Shakespeare's "Hamlet" into a musical with the music from "Carmen".

[@CurtisKeyser]

My 5 operas for beginners. 1. Carmen 2. Turandot 3. La Traviata 4. Madama Butterfly 5. Cavalleria Rusticana

[@RaymondHng]

Mimi of _La Boheme_ is one of the most passive heroines of an opera. I prefer Floria Tosca from _Tosca_ . _La Cenerentola_ by Rossini is a good opera for beginners because most people know the story of Cinderella, so they don't have to spend time trying to figure out the plot of _Cenerentola_ .

[@Warp75]

The first one I liked was Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle, It’s only a hour long & it’s dark. I then moved on to Les Troyens by Berlioz which is 4 hours.

[@wotan10950]

I’ve been an opera fan since 1973, and have now seen 300+ performances onstage around the world. And yet, I first saw Les Troyens only ten years ago. I thought, where has this masterpiece been all my life?! It really is one of the great monuments of western art. But I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to a beginner. I mean, even Berlioz never saw an entire performance!

[@user-sr4ke8ln2v]

wonderful choices. Might have added Cavalleria Rusticana. Lush, breathtaking music. And also, Gianni schicci for fun and of course that wonderful aria.

[@LorenzKerscher]

Smetana's Bartered Bride could be added to the list. Recently this was performed in Munich in German translation as a high speed comedy and the audience was enthusiastic.

[@caterscarrots3407]

My first ever opera, if you don't count the hundreds of times I've listened to just the overture by itself(in which case The Marriage of Figaro would technically be my first even though for over a decade, it was just the overture I was hearing), was not by any of the composers on this list. And, it wasn't even by a composer I had much exposure to. It was so long that I had to split up the opera into a few listening sessions. I'm sure that I pretty much gave the composer away with that last one, but in case I didn't, it is Wagner, specifically Das Rheingold. And then, no opera exposure for many years afterwards. Then, one time, somebody recommended me Fidelio because they knew that 1) I wanted to listen to more opera and 2) that I really love Beethoven's music. This was back in 2020. And, I loved how dramatic the opera was, like, I was expecting like Beethoven's Fifth Symphony level drama and Fidelio was like next level from that. But in my opinion, it had no real memorable melodies to speak of, not the overture, not the arias. And then came a spurt of opera listening soon afterwards. Well, I say spurt, but it was like 1 listening session of 1 full opera a month for 3 months. And these operas were all somewhat familiar to me, especially their overtures, which I have heard since I was a little kid just starting to get into classical music and really falling in love with it. Especially one particular composer, who I still very much love today and who brings me this sense of childhood nostalgia. I bet you probably already guessed that I'm talking about Mozart based on the childhood love of classical and the sense of nostalgia. But yeah, in 2021, I had a Mozart opera spurt. January, The Magic Flute. February, The Marriage of Figaro. March, Don Giovanni. I loved all of them, though I think I'd have to say The Marriage of Figaro if I had to pick the Mozart opera I loved the most. It's the one I had more overture exposure for. Like, I had been hearing the overture to The Marriage of Figaro for much longer than either the overture to The Magic Flute or the overture to Don Giovanni. And it's the one where I immediately had a melody from it stuck in my head after the opera was over. That didn't happen with The Magic Flute or Don Giovanni, I didn't like hum an aria or whatever after those 2 operas were over. But with The Marriage of Figaro, I had the Non piu andrai aria stuck in my head after the whole opera was over. And, I just found everything in The Marriage of Figaro so catchy that I didn't even notice the fact that it was 3 hours long, I was just enjoying the music and the acting.

[@franciscovelasco9550]

Very good recommendations BUT, The Magic Flute DOES have a Great Plot but you have to know Kabbalah (Or at least about Tarot's Major Arcana) to get it

[@meropale]

Great choices, all great operas. Other options: Il trovatore, L'italiana in Algeri, L'elisir d'amore.

[@patrikforsman1516]

The first list that i agree with. Like to add two if performed well might be on this list. L'elisir d'amore by Donizetti has a really nice tempo, not unlike The magic flute, and it's quite funny aswell. Les contes d'hoffman because of the surreal story wich in the hands of a good director can be really special, and the hitparade. Kleinzack, le barcarole, Olympias aria, Antonias aria, the diamond aria and a lot more good music, fairly easy listening.

[@wotan10950]

Hoffmann is a GREAT opera, but underrated. The only reason I wouldn’t recommend it to beginners is that it’s very long, especially in the latest editions.

[@hoot2416]

Diana Damrau's Queen of the The Night is, IMO, the greatest of all time.

[@TheJPCatholic]

I would agree with Die Zauberflöte and Bohémè for sure, but Hänsel und Gretel is another choice that sadly is left out (I believe it’s performed more than Zauberflöte in Germany). It’s fast, relaxing and familiar all at the same time. L’elisir definitely is another one that should be at least in the top 10 because it’s extremely funny and not that hard to follow. I’m surprised Rigoletto has not been mentioned simply because it’s plot is more or less simple, still Verdi, and very recognizable songs.

[@shelleywalsh1500]

I would have included Die Fledermaus, simply for its sensual value and all that waltz music.

[@brianjackson8394]

I'm new and looking to try an opera.

[@_MrPinto]

My personal favorite is I pagliacci that’s a very solid one to start on too for plot and music

[@cbungaro]

I agree with La Boheme, La Traviata and Barber of Seville, but not Magic Flute or Carmen, as much as I personally love both and concur that they have recognizable music. The problem I have found with both of them for first-time opera goers is that they are too long. I would substitute Tosca and Rigoletto. Just my opinion, but think both are more “manageable” for beginners. And while Barber is longish, it’s a comedy that just seems to move along more quickly.

[@mannyrud9208]

Die Zauberflöte is one of my favorite

[@johnbrock5633]

Couldn't agree more about Boheme, Carmen & The Barber, but for my Mozart I'd sub Il Seraglio for Magic Flute. And you've left out THE ABSOLUTE BEST 'first-time' opera, which is Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel! (I'd probably try to get Gluck's Orfeo in there somewhere, too - tho' Offenbach's take on the same story might possibly be more fun...) And if you're talking opera for beginners, what about G & S ??

[@godehardbrysch7905]

Good evening John, greetings from Cologne where Jacques Offenbach was born, not far away from Bonn, Beethoven's birthplace (opera: Fidelio) and Siegburg (Google Earth), the birthplace of Engelbert Humperdinck. First I intended my comment to be addressed to "Classical Music" but we two have something in common. The word "Beginner" is a bit crucial and leads to subjectivity. But I think "classical Music" knows much better what a beginner is than many experts on YT. Maybe we Europeans, some speak several languages, can find more examples. However, the choices have nothing to do with the German language. 1. Zar und Zimmermann by Lortzing (with the famous clog dance), on YT 2. Der Freischütz by Carl Marian von Weber (advantage: All major motifs appear in the ouverture) on YT 3. The abduction from the Seraglio (Die Entführung aus dem Serail, plays an importantpart in the award winning film AMADEUS) on YT 4. The Magic Flute (extraordinary, Classical Music is right, the plot is quite confusing,) on YT 5. Rigoletto (it's heartbreaking how Gilda dies - on YT. Maybe in some months my list will be altered, in discussions with beginners it has always been the same. All love Die Zauberflöte. To remember me, watch "Brüderchen komm tanz mit mir" (Guberova - Fassbender) - When Hänsel Gretel is performed there are always crowds of children in the audience, however, it is not an opera for children basically.

[@anthony3557]

I tred to predict what your recommendations would be and came swiftly unstuck! I had ‘Figaro’ rather than ‘Zauberflöte’ (which is let down by acres of spoken dialogue, especially once the trials get underway), ‘La Bohème’, ‘La traviata’ and ‘Flying Dutchman’ (reasoning that if you have Verdi, you have to keep the Wagner faction happy) and, so it’s not all pre-20th century and to show opera isn’t all romance, ‘The turn of the screw’.

[@ovh992]

Watch the movie AMADEUS with Tom Hulce about Mozart. This movie explains classical music and opera perfectly. After watching this movie, I promise you, you will appreciate opera so much more. And of course it has a scene on the amazing Magic Flute / Queen of the Night aria!

[@samueljaramillo4221]

My first opera was Carmen, fifty five years ago. The Barber of Seville is by Gioachino , not Gioachimo Rossini. I think That staging you showed was a poor choice for Barber. Gianni Schicchi by Puccini is another good first opera. It’s a short comedy with great music. Pair that up with Pagliacci. Easy plot to follow, also great music. If you really want to wow someone take them to the Mets Aida. I would also add Tosca and Rigoletto. Both have beautiful music and drama. Although at this point in my life after hundreds of performances I really enjoy Baroque operas and Wagner’s Ring cycle, that has 4 operas and 17 hours of glorious music.

[@abdullahyalcin5875]

For beginners Donizetti is a no brainer. Beautiful music that would appeal to anyone.

[@Altonahh10]

I think it's all a matter of taste. If my first opera had been The Magic Flute, I would never have gone to the opera again. A good friend of mine went with me to Jenufa - and it was actually his first opera. Another was absolutely amazed by Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and then totally bored by Turandot. And neither of them likes La Bohème, but Tosca and especially Verdi's Rigoletto.

[@yonekosirchio2637]

This is a great video. I actually came here because I was trying to find out which operas are good for beginner artists. I'm writing a story where the protagonist is a soprano, but I only know the opera world from the perspective of a listener and I have no idea of which operas would work best for debut/early career. Can anybody give me some advice?

[@diesalonniere7227]

Have a look at some sopranos' CVs. This might be insightful. I guess Gilda and Pamina are quite common. Also Gretel or Sandmännchen. It depends on the kind of voice ("fach"). Be careful to not mix them up in your story. The fach might change over the years, but a singer sticks to one for a couple of years and also gets her theatre engagements according to it.

[@yonekosirchio2637]

@@diesalonniere7227 thank you so much, I didn't think about looking at CVs and it's the best solution. The story has already been written and edited, soon it's going to be published in a magazine. I omitted mentioning the debut roles of the protagonist, but next time I'll have more reference🙏

[@lilliedoubleyou3865]

Die Zauberflote is a great choice for beginners, along with La Boheme and Turandot (Puccini), the Ring Cycle and The Flying Dutchman (Wagner), The Barber of Seville (Rossini), and some fun Russian operas for extra measure: Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov and Glinka's Ruslan & Lyudmila. I don't agree that Mozart's other operas would be inappropriate choices, and I actually think The Marriage of Figaro & Don Giovanni would be great beginner operas, the latter especially for its entertainment value. Although strongly disagree that Die Zauberflote doesn't have a great story - it's one of the few "plot-driven" operas, rather than character-driven, and the weird but engaging (and philosophical) plot is one of the things I've always liked about it. P.S. my first opera was "Das Rheingold."

[@perfectblue8443]

I recommand L'enfant et les sortilèges

[@diesalonniere7227]

Absolutely! I also think that French opera, or music theatre, respectively, with their great ballet music and sound effects are underestimated: from Lully's Le Bourgeois gentilhomme and Rameau's Les Indes galantes or Platée to Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots and Berlioz' Les Troyens to Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges and Honegger's Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher. Though the length of the Baroque tragédie en musique or the Romantic grand opéra might be challenging for newbies, I'm convinced that a great mise-en-scène and, most of all, a vivid musical interpretation will not fail to make an impact.

[@biomuseum6645]

If you ask me, i'd recommend the earliest opera surviving, L'Euridice, also, I think going inmidiately after the most famous ones may not be a good thing for a complete beginner

[@guidoroemer81]

I Agree 5 great opera's I Would have added Wagner's Fliegende Hollander and Skipped Rossini

[@KeepitClassical]

Interesting...

[@allonszenfantsjones]

I know you can't do two Mozart's but I would take Marriage of Figaro over Magic Flute. Mostly because , well, beautiful music and it is funny. Actually no. Can't choose, do both.

[@andybaker2395]

Good choices though consider Rigoletto over La Traviata owing to more and better (almost but not melodrama if directed and acted sincerely) drama and more well known(more hummable? 😊) arias, duets and the ensembles

[@sandradiaz4366]

I always tell people to start with the operas Mozart wrote with Lorenzo da Ponte--Le Nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosi Fan Tutte. Should dispel the notion that Wagnerian screaming is all there is to opera.

[@brucealanwilson4121]

For a child or adult, I'd suggest HANSL & GRETL or LA CENTAROLA.

[@michaelruffin5294]

Aida, is a Wonderful first opera, the plot Is simple, the settings are magnificent so visually its breathtaking as the music and much of the music is familiar, any student who has graduated from school will immediately recognize the procession march, and as an aside, as a black listener of 12 years old, the interracial aspect of the story made me see realize that opera is not just for white audiences.

[@cerealbowl7038]

The first opera I ever watched was The Ring of the Nibelung. Was that a mistake?

[@brucealanwilson4121]

My first was COSI FAN TUTTE. SImple plot, three men, three women, every character has one aria.

[@ethan8338]

i love cosi fan tutte!!

[@oddviews]

For real beginners, I would choose at least one of about 60 minutes duration. It is my opinion; to watch and listen to something for two hours to discover if opera might be for them or not is too long, And while 60 minutes of any of the five you have chosen could easily persuade some, it might not for many others. So I would choose something like Cavaleria Rusticana by Mascagni, not a popularly known Composer, but this opera is high up in the performed repertoire, In fact the Cav and Pag (I Pagliacci) concerts of two operas of about one hour each and quite different in character offer some really great music and drama. One of the most famous operatic arias is "O mio babbino caro" that few are aware is from the opera, Gianni Schicchi by Puccini and usually only performed when combined with two other one hour operas (Il Trittico) as a full concert. But I am in general agreement with the five you chose - one cannot be all things to all men with subjective matter.

[@hernanalvarado4260]

I think Aida should be in the top 5 for beginners, fun, entertaining and beautiful music by Verdi

[@wotan10950]

I have to disagree with you on that one. Aida is indeed a great piece. But the thrilling Triumphal Scene is only about 15 minutes. The rest of the opera, while beautiful, lush, and evocative, can be a colossal bore for a newcomer.

[@hernanalvarado4260]

I have to disagree with you. It could be because my father was an Opera fan and I started going to the Opera as a kid (I am 75 now) Aida is more than the triumphal scene, arias like Celeste Aida, Oh Patria Mia, Morir si pura e bello are beyond beautiful. One more thing is that the libretto is very easy to follow and entertaining even for a kid.@@wotan10950

[@amolitacia3506]

This video is very interesting, but I wonder... is The Phantom of the Opera.... considered as an Opera ? The one frome Webber I mean ! :) Because it's the only thing that gets me interested in the "opera universe" but if it's not one... ^^"

[@LJB103]

I've seen both the New York City Opera and the Lyric of Chicago give performances of Sweeney Todd. So, give it time.