Table of Contents History of Opera ♪ Part 1: the beginnings of opera ♪ Part 2: Tragédie lyrique ♪ Part 3: Opera seria ♪ Part 4: Opera buffa     Part 1: the beginnings of opera How and where did the art genre of opera originate? Florence is generally considered to be the birthplace of modern opera. In the so-called Florentine Camerata (Camerata fiorentina), the elite of art and nobility met with the aim of reviving the art of antiquity. The main focus was to promote the textual comprehensibility of vocal music. The motto was: prima le parole, poi la musica (firs ..read more

The opera Repertoire: ranking top 50 operas Click on the link to the opera guide of the selected opera. (Rank, Composer, Opera,  number of performances, number of productions), Season 2019 / 2020 Verdi, LA TRAVIATA 720/160 Bizet, CARMEN 640/154 Puccini, LA BOHÈME 550/128 Verdi, RIGOLETTO 500/ 126 Mozart, DON GIOVANNI 496 / 108 Rossini, IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA 486 /112 Puccini, MADAMA BUTTERFLY 482 / 114 Mozart, DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE 476 / 91 Puccini, TOSCA 448 / 442 Mozart, LE NOZZE DI FIGARO 430 / 92 Verdi, AIDA 347 / 97 Puccini, TURANDOT 301 / 73 Verdi, NABUCCO 282 / 69 Donizetti, ELISIR D’A ..read more

Operatic Terms from A-Z explained with links to Youtube videos. FAQ: Please Click on the subject for more information about terms and topics of opera (alphabetically sorted)       A – Z   A Aria, Arioso, Autodafé , B Bacchanale, Basso buffo , Bayreuth Festspielhaus , Belcanto , AriadiBravura (Bravoura aria) , C Cabaletta , Castrato, Choir , Coloratura aria and soprano, dramatic coloratura Soprano , Colpo di scena , Countertenor , Couplet, D Da capo aria, E Ensemble, Entr’acte , G Grand opéra , Gesamtkunstwerk H Habanera , Hochdramatische (highly dramatic Soprano), Heldente ..read more

Mozart finished the work in September of 1791, the year of his death, and by November he was already in bed sick and died on December 5. It is inconceivable that this magnificent opera was written in the shadow of his death. The Magic Flute became the most frequently performed opera in the entire repertoire in the 20th century and the queen of the night has become one of the most famous figure of the whole operatic history.   The queen of the night The Queen of the Night is an opera role from the famous Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Why did she become famous? Because the role is ..read more

I tried a lot with my 3 kids. These 3 pieces worked the best. Bright eyes and soft sounds guaranteed!     Mozart – “Soave sia il vento”:  the waves gently sway This is one of Mozart’s absolute greatest vocal pieces; he carries us off into a supernatural world. Mozart accompanies the three voices with muted violins imitating gentle waves. In addition, the quiet pizzicati of the low strings and long lines of the viola draw the tranquility of the landscape. Soave sia il vento ..read more

Gaetano Donizetti: una biografia in parole e immagini. I luoghi in cui Donizetti ha lavorato e le persone più importanti della sua vita (documentario).   ..read more

A compilation of the most beautiful Entr’acts, Ballets and Intermezzi  from famous operas. Click on the link and you will come across the best interpretations.   Click and see the best interpretation in YouTube     ♪ Entr’acte, Carmen (Bizet) ♪ Ballet des ombres heureuses, Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck) ♪ Hexen-Ritt (Witch-Ride), Hänsel und Gretel (Humperdinck) ♪ Prelude Act II, The dead City (Korngold) ♪ Intermezzo, Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) ♪ Intermezzo, Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni) ♪ Ohè, là, le guardie! (Barrière d’enfer), La bohème (Puccini) ♪ Intermezzo, Manon Lescau ..read more

  A compilation of the most beautiful Mezzosoprano Arias  from famous operas. Click on the link and you will come across the best interpretations.   Click and see the best interpretation in YouTube   ♪ L’amour est un oiseau rebelle, Carmen (Bizet) ♪ Les tringles des sistres tintaiens, Carmen (Bizet) ♪ Près des rempart de Seville, Carmen (Bizet) ♪ Acerba volluttà, Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea) ♪ Venti turbini, Rinaldo (Händel) ♪ O malheureux Iphigénie, Iphigénie en Tauride (Gluck) ♪ Padre, germani, addio, Idomeneo (Mozart) ♪ Non so piu cosa son, cosa faccio, Le nozze ..read more

A compilation of the most beautiful Duets from famous operas. Click on the link and you will come across the best interpretations.   Click and see the best interpretation in YouTube   ♪ O namenlose Freude, Fidelio (Beethoven) ♪ Mira o Norma , Norma (Bellini) ♪ Son geloso del zefiro errante, La Sonnambula (Bellini) ♪ Qui del padre ancor respira, Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) ♪ Veranno a te sull’aure, Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) ♪ Cheti cheti immantinente … Vedrai se giovino (Sillabato), Don Pasquale (Donizetti) ♪ Tormami a dir che m’ami, Don Pasquale (Donizetti) ♪ Bess, You Is M ..read more

A compilation of the most beautiful Soprano Arias from famous operas. Click on the link and you will come across the best interpretations.   Click and see the best interpretation in YouTube   ♪ Abscheulicher … Komm Hoffnung (Leonorenarie), Fidelio (Beethoven) ♪ Casta Diva Norma (Bellini) ♪ Sopra il sen la man mi posa, La Sonnambula (Bellini) ♪ Ah! Non credea mirarti Sleepwalking scene, La Sonnambula (Bellini) ♪ Ah! Non giunge, La Sonnambula (Bellini) ♪ Glitter and be gay, Candide (Bernstein) ♪ Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante (Micaela’s aria), Carmen (Bizet) ♪ O Amore, vieni a me! fa c ..read more