Anyway, it’s a brilliant opera, musically and dramatically, and certainly among the Great Operas. I think that once we get to true greatness, order or ranking has no meaning. Recommended Recording:  Even though it’s cheating the system a little bit, it has to the Miles Davis/Gil Evans disc. But requires intense commitment, preparation, and a world class production, which is why it is last on my list. My top ten: The same is true of Mozart; and people in the twentieth century tends to appreciate what he did wonderfully more often. I’d rate Figaro a little higher than Don Giovanni. The Seducer loved Don Giovanni because both The Seducer and Don Giovanni (Don Juan) were lovers of (or slaves to) sensuous passion. He’s considered obvious and sloppy by many musicologists who have written about him, but that judgment just doesn’t hold up on real analysis. My point is that this type of ranking is so subjective and emotionally based as to be meaningless regarding rank. ( Log Out /  I think the fact that some virtually universal ranking is reasonable (which I would accept) leads people to think that complete universal ranking is possible (which I think is absolute nonsense). Does this ring a bell with anyone? Salome is based on the Bible by way of Oscar Wilde (that’s weird to type), and has everything you’d ever want in an opera, including nudity (which is great unless Birgit Nilsson happens to be in town), shield-crushing, veils, and King Herod. Facts on operas, famous opera houses, composer works, opera lauguage, opera terms, and more. And the same for Bizet. There’s no question that Don Giovanni is one of the greatest operas ever. At the beginning of the 20th century, when modernism began to undermine the basic grammar of music, some of the principles that underpinned the workings of opera … Russell Watson. About Fidelio is such a beautifull music piece, but a shame over the plot and libretto so it is not worthy of a top ten. As always, Mozart is fascinated by human relationships, and though much has been made of the tension between the Don and his servant Leporello, Mozart sees class not as determinative of human interaction but as a lens through which the nature of man can be better understood. ), and in its place were plots about all kinds of fucked up shit, with music to match. I have pretty much the same feeling for Butterfly. ), jealousy, insanity, adultery, and the inevitable struggles of literally just existing. But it’s too late…I’m already wearing the heavy-ass jewelry. But I think Wagner and Monteverdi were better composers than Vivaldi and Berlioz. I issue apologies to every Britten opera, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, Elektra, The Rake’s Progress, Lulu, Der Rosenkavalier, Ariadne auf Naxos, Rusalka, Tosca, Jenufa, The Golden Cockerel (the suite is one of my all-time favorite pieces, though), The Love for Three Oranges, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahogany, Moses und Aron, Antony and Cleopatra, Turandot, Die tote Stadt, and The Cunning Little Vixen. The Fairy Queen (Purcell) I am a diehard “Mozartianer”. The music for Carmen is the most seductive in the repertoire; we cannot blame Don Jose for being seduced by her, and we watch and listen in anguish as he hurtles inevitably towards his doom. Don’t let anyone persuade you there aren’t great 20th (and 21st) century operas in a range of idioms. Anyway, I could write a book (and sort of plan to) on why Puccini was a genius of a musical-dramatist. There is a broad arching key structure of F# moving to C and back to F# which some people apparently think represents darkness and light, and which, now that I think about it, makes perfect sense. Beethoven, Fidelio (the world’s most underrated opera), 8. 8. Recommended Recording: Karajan/Vienna Philharmonic and the only Jokaanan worth really sinking your teeth into…or cutting the head off of…Jose van Dam. Though it has dramatic lapses, a case can be made that L’Olimpiade, a love story that takes place during the ancient Olympic games, is the Red Priest’s greatest composition in this genre. Berlin Phil. My first listening on my Sony Walkman cassette player was until the quartet, “Bella fillia de l’amore” which I replayed over and over. But perhaps one of my favorite operas is Madama Butterfly simply because there are no wasted notes and it is all exquisitely beautiful. Based on what I’ve heard of these composers, I think Tchaikovsky comes close to Verdi. He listened to Pagliacci. Only if you think the 20th Century ended in the 1930s. Fidelio really really has to be in the top 5, if the criteria for selection are anything to do with how these works portray the human condition, and engage the human spirit. Giorgetta responds with “E ben altro mio sogno/my dream is something different,” about her desire to live in Belleville again, which is set to a soaring orchestral and melody line. . Debussy's elusive Symbolist drama is one of the most significant operas of the 20th century. His most memorable roles were Scarpia (in Puccini's Tosca) and Verdi's Falstaff, among dozens of Italian operas that he recorded. W.A. (Gifts may be made online or by check mailed to the Institute at 9600 Long Point Rd., Suite 300, Houston, TX, 77055. Mozart, only four out of ten you say? I also believe operatic tastes can be based on how you approach it. Exceedingly strange, but intriguing. No Wagner, no Monteverdi? Orchestra? Explore our best operas guide featuring the top 10 most popular operas of all time. W.A. French, German, and Italian opera are all different in many ways and these differences reflect the national trends and tastes of their countries. I frequently have to stop and just take a moment to absorb the incredible harmonies and progressions, the small melodies I find that I had never noticed despite listening a thousand times (and the piano reduction leaves plenty of things out, mind you). 12 October 1935, Italian . .” I addressed the question of personal taste in determining what is greatest/truest/most beautiful above in my reply to Mr. Masty above. Is there any difference here between “greatest” and “which I like the most”? My favourite opera is La Traviata. my thoughts exactly, any list without Wagner is just no list. I feel redeemed and whole when I hear those soaring inversions of E major on the “redenzione.”. During the early 20th century, many composers experimented with rhythm, gained inspiration from folk music and assessed their views on tonality. When I think of opera it is “grand opera” on my mind, and among the grandest of the grand I would have to name Don Giovanni, Aida, Carmen, Boris Godunov, Die Meistersinger and Tristan und Isolde as the most outstanding for me. 8. The next morning I went to the library and checked out the only familiar sounding name in the opera cassettes, “Rigoletto”. Here is the scene in which Tatiana pours out her love for Onegin in a letter. An excellent performance of Iphigenie may be better than a poor performance of Don Giovanni. >Baby Doe And were it not for No. Turandot, Puccini’s last masterpiece, is, of course, unfinished, but it is still very great. Although Porgy & Bess is an incredible composition, as well. Technically the Purcells listed are semi-operas. Sincerely, what would our wonderful world of music be had the fellow lived another five years? Marie is anxious to leave, but Wozzeck restrains her. . 3. I’m surprised that no one has mentioned Rigoletto. “Ravel’s musical gods were Schumann and Weber, but when I told him that I disliked Puccini he became angry. Considered by many to be the greatest composer who ever lived, his operas are also often held to be his supreme achievement. She cries out that she wants forgiveness. VERY interesting and educational comments. Comments that are critical of an essay may be approved, but comments containing ad hominem criticism of the author will not be published. I think this is outrageous! But I object to leaving out Così fan tutte. The opera has sparked debate since its premier. >Samson & Dalila Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Traviata is as good as it gets although I prefer Rigoletto and even Trovatore from that period of Verdi’s. I can’t personally imagine a list without Eugene Onegin, Lucia, or Norma. Genius. 2 onstage characters, 1 large set, 1 act, 1 hour. As SONiC: Sounds of a New Century takes over New York with over 100 works written in the last ten years, blogger Olivia Giovetti names the finest operatic achievements of the past decade. An Apprentice delivers a drunken sermon, then an Idiot approaches Wozzeck and cries out that the scene is “”Lustig, lustig…aber es riecht …Ich riech, ich riech Blut!”” (“joyful, joyful, but it reeks…I smell, I smell blood”). The doors and rooms all have colors associated with them, as follows: Blood stains everything she sees, and her mind begins to piece everything together. So I would not say that Kierkegaard thought that Don Giovanni was the best ever, but rather that The Seducer did, as a practitioner of the purely aesthetic (as opposed to ethical or religious) life. When the blood-red moon appears again, he wades into the pond and drowns. Splendid. Indeed, Vivaldi spent much of his career as a traveling impresario, staging often-hastily-assembled operas across Europe (and traveling with two young sister-singers who starred in his productions and who became the subject of lascivious rumors about the middle-aged priest/composer). I really wish the met would perform it and broadcast it… once they find a tenor who can sing it. He makes an advance on her, to which she first rejects but then gives in. Scene 2 (Invention on a Single Note (B)): Wozzeck and Marie are walking in the woods by a pond. Facts on operas, famous opera houses, composer works, opera lauguage, opera terms, and more. I think that these personal estimates of the “greatest opera” or “the greatest composer” have both their reasonable and unreasonable side The reasonable side is that there are indeed comparisons which nearly everyone agrees with – for example, that Mozart’s mature operas are better than Gounod’s, and there are some pretty compelling reasons to give for these sorts of judgments. Gotterdemmerung, Boris, Moses und Aron and La Boheme would be on my list. To agree, or disagree, is pointless. Recommended Recording: Istvan Kertesz/London Symphony with Christa Ludwig as Judith and Walter Berry as Bluebeard, and also Walter Berry looking VERY suspiciously like a modern day Bluebeard taking women back to his apartment and acting inappropriately on the Decca Legends cover photo. What exuberance set free! And you may as well know it, I find Britten unlistenable. We make our choice of the ten best operas so far this century (not in any particular order). She sings, but then notices blood on his hand and elbow; everyone begins shouting at him, and Wozzeck, now agitated and obsessed with his blood, rushes out of the tavern. Monteverdi was, imo, better and more innovative than lesser composers such as Halévy. The first opera of the three, Il tabarro, begins with a brief, gorgeous prelude that is my favorite tone painting of water in all classical music (and there’s some incredible competition there). Manuel Rosenthal, Maurice Ravel’s student, wrote the following in his memoir: Along with a Mozart or two, Verdi, Carmen, possibly a Handel or Dido and Aeneas. 8. My problem with the list is that my favorite opera isn’t on it: Madame Butterfly. Mozart, Marriage of Figaro. >Carmen That’s a relief! And, to add a point…no one writes for baritones quite like Verdi, and the Gemont / Violetta duet is something of a legend. With exception of Tosca, I find his work underwhelming, especially given his inflated reputation. I heartily agree with the top listing for many reasons, one relating to the full title (“The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni”). Wozzeck protests that it is difficult to be virtuous when he is poor, but entreats the Captain to remember the lesson from the gospel, “”Laßet die Kleinen zu mir kommen!”” (“Suffer the little children to come unto me,” Mark 10:14). But I “overlistened” to it and now have a hard time listening to it, except in performance. I am aghast at the absence from this list of Nixon in China and Madame Butterfly. The “Aria of the Wind” sung by the two women as they conspire is one of the most enchanting creations ever penned by a composer (and was memorably used to illustrate the power of beautiful music in the film, The Shawshank Redemption.) than Mozart, who’s music was claimed, I read, to be very good and often his performances were advertised as being Mozart’s music. But that's a story for next week. Vile villain. Based on Prosper Mérimée’s novella, the plot centers on the eponymous character’s seduction and corruption of Don Jose, a Spanish officer who abandons his family, his duty, his virtue, his reason, and at last his soul in favor of his all-consuming desire to possess the beautiful gypsy. I’m not sure how to include Entfuehrung but leave out Walkuere? A story of the human condition, good and evil. There you go. Once there, Judith wants some natural light and begs Bluebeard to open some doors, but he refuses. Here is the beautiful trio, “O mon bonheur, vous que j’aime” in which the lovers Cellini and Teresa express their mutual love and plan their escape together, with interruptions from the conniving Fieramosca, a rival for Teresa’s hand. There was another composer, slightly younger? Also, comments containing web links or block quotations are unlikely to be approved. Scene 4 (Passacaglia): The Doctor scolds Wozzeck for not following his instructions regarding diet and behavior. This list is heavily weighted to the Romantic period, with six of ten operas being from that period, if you include The Barber of Seville in the Romantic period. The featured image (detail) is provided by the Serbian National Theatre and is free and may be used by anyone for any purpose. Verdi, La Traviata. Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro (Figaro’s Wedding). Tons of fun. My Lord is it good. In regard to Wagner, I am no Wagner-hater and indeed admire some of his orchestral music. Classical Features Best Operas: Top 10 Greatest Operas Ever Written. Get an e-mail each and every time I do literally anything, no matter the low attendant value! Greatest piece of music produced for voice and orchestra of all time. ( Log Out /  Scene 2 (Rhapsody and Hunting Song): Wozzeck and Andres are cutting sticks as the sun is setting. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? The “Dance of the Seven Veils” is one of the great pieces of music, evidenced by the fact that it’s excerpted all the time, and the final scene is the craziest soprano lunacy this side of Brunnhilde taking a perfectly good horse with her into a huge fire. Janáček's first great success, a naturalistic depiction of Czech peasant life. But they’re usually performed or at least recorded just in the musical portions. I don’t think Mozart was better than Wagner, although Wagner was not greater than Mozart either. This suggests that I know nothing about opera at all. Sportin’ Life is one of the all-time great opera characters (conceived for Cab Calloway as if it weren’t already cool as hell). After many years away from Tatiana, Onegin realizes that he indeed loves her. Perhaps a listen to the rollicking “Abduction” will serve as a balm for your grumpiness? I do, regularly, and even with my mediocre playing I’m stunned. Prepare yourself to become an aficionado of the Aria. Onegin is a cautious man, however, and is unable to return Tatiana’s love. Vivaldi is well-known today because of The Four Seasons and a handful of other concertos. Perhaps the most performed opera today, this tragic and sexually-charged tale of the young courtesan Violetta’s love for the nobleman Alfredo scandalized mid-nineteenth Victorian audiences in Europe and America, even more so than had Mozart’s Don Giovanni the previous century. Cellini is clearly a guise for Berlioz himself: an artist who overcomes all obstacles, including those posed by the Church, to find his true love, prove his superiority to his peers, and demonstrate that man is indeed the measure of all things. He says a melody from the love duet in Act II of La fanciulla del west appears in the chase scene in Act III for “no very good reason.” He fails to notice that the melody occurs, sung by Johnson, in act II on the words “Io non ti lascio piu/I will leave you no more,” as he promises Minnie to stay with her forever, and that the later reminiscence Osborne finds inexplicable occurs as Johnson is being captured **while trying to leave**. >Die Meistersinger von Nuremburg Act I of La boheme is perfect, and a wonderful composition; I don’t really need the rest, although there are some great moments, such as the orchestra snowing parallel fifths in Act III, or Musetta interrupting the bohemians playful sword fight in Act IV with a dying Mimi. and their extended scene at the beginning of act II is a great piece of orchestration. So, so many operas are great. This exercise by its nature is a personal one that inherently raises the question as to where the line between personal taste and the objective judgment of beauty lies. ), Pierre Cardin: The Death of a Man Who Destroyed Fashion, Cancelling the Classics? I am ranking these based on good performances of them. Divine music and sublime story. The last scene still gives me the chills. 13 Birgit Nilsson. Duke Bluebeard's Castle - by Bartók Salome - by Strauss The Fiery Angel- by Prokofiev Tosca - by Puccini … 3) Ring Cycle BUT nothing in musical life can possibly compete with the opening prologues (and cacophony of bells), the stunning death scene, and the potent scene of a simpleton, singing for the sorrows of Russia while snow falls. On a related but slightly different theme, what are your favourite BAROQUE operas or oratorios? Your very eyes! Wagner, Der Ring des Nibelungen (actually four operas, but it is so united musically that I shall count it as one), 7. Many of you will know (and many won’t) that I spent a number of years studying opera and performing professionally as an opera singer. A toughie. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Opera Songs. The recordings with Gergiev on Philips and Jarvi on DG are hard to find,as well as the DVD, but worth looking for- if you dare !!! It’s a shame (really) that the only available production on DVD has robots and is hideous. After debuting as a baritone in 1948, Bergonzi’s international career as tenor took off in the 1950s, when he began long-term associations with the Metropolitan, La Scala, and Covent Garden. >Rusalka To Mr. Tuckfield: Thank you for your illuminating comments re Kierkegaard. I stand by my choices, sir, including that of placing four operas by Mozart first on the list. Are you familiar with what must be the sickest and creepiest opera ever, Prokofiev’s “The Fiery Angel”. No Wagner? When I’m reading War and Peace it’s the greatest thing I’ve ever read and nothing can compare to it. Die Meistersingers von Nurberg (Wagner) In my years in the field I was always most moved by classical music of the 20th century. Monteverdi better than Purcell? Opera in the 20th century would continue to adapt and transform itself in the face of new musical trends, social revolutions and world turmoil. The beauty lies in the simplicity (that’s fucking ingenious if I understand it correctly, Walter…it’s a Swiss fucking watch). Very sad indeed! Then also possibly a Janacek opera. 4) Lulu The first performance of Puccini's now-popular opera was a disaster involving … The orchestration is a masterpiece, as Anton Webern declared: “Webern wrote to Schoenberg after hearing La fanciulla del West: ‘A score that sounds original in every way. I have been suspicious of Steve’s taste in opera ever since he took all of us in his conference to a performance of Don Giovanni filled with black leather, in which Donna Elvira wielded a whip. Susanna and the neglected Countess, for example, team up to play a prank on the Count, foiling his attempt to have a clandestine rendezvous with his wife’s maidservant. There’s something about the shock value that occurs when the story unravels…no matter how many times you see it, and you know what’s coming, you still feel completely repulsed, terrified, and enthralled all at once. I have a question that I cannot find the answer to: Her Turandot and her Bruunhilde, Isolde, Salome or Elctra... She har something that all others lack - she was never a diva. Bizet, Carmen. But Verdi’s Don Carlos, Rigoletto, and Aida are wonderful too. In particular it was part of the “Either” (first half) of the book, written in the voice of “The Seducer,” the person who lived the purely aesthetic life. One point about Kierkegaard and Don Giovanni: I believe that Kierkegaard’s endorsement of Don Giovanni was a part of his book Either/Or. By the time she sees the pool of tears, she knows what’s up, but demands to see the 7th door opened. In the early part of the 20th cent. In this famous aria,  “Finch’han dal vino,” Giovanni orders his servant, Leporello, to gather all the girls he can find for a wild drinking party: 1. ! ) another because you find it more pleasing to your particular ear or taste picking just is! Considered by many to be meaningless regarding rank Drum-major gave her a )! ( yet ) and will check our library ’ s the opera cassettes, “ Remembering French... Were hooked and started listening to the wisdom of the best voices of the eponymous Renaissance who. Pong trio steals the show I do put first Elektra ( Borhk, Bohm, Dresden,! Trembling ] to this opera is often quite bawdy, at least in some respects, than Dido &.... 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