Enjoying Opera: Getting the Most Out of an Operatic Performance

Opera, being rather far removed from being a popular art form nowadays, may seem intimidating to those who have never tried it. But one really doesn't need much more than a sufficient sense of hearing and an appreciation for music and drama to enjoy an operatic performance. It is essential, however, to keep an open mind and withhold your judgment about opera until you have sampled enough works to decide whether you would like to continue to explore this musical theater genre or not. Below are a few tips for those who haven't had much experience with opera yet and would like to explore further:

1. Sample widely. Opera is a very vast music genre containing very different music styles. Everyone has his/her own different taste or preferences, so what one person finds 'divine' might sound 'hellish' for another. I would never recommend a dark and dissonant work like Elektra or Salome to any newcomer to the opera, but I have known a few people who actually enjoy them from the get go. So... It is important to form your own ideas based on first hand experience rather than on others' opinions.

Those who enjoy lighthearted and fun music should probably try the many operettas by Offenbach, Lehár, Zeller, Johann Strauss (II), or Millöcker first. The lovers of heavy drama would likely enjoy the German, French, and Italian verismo opera (works by Wagner, Richard Strauss, Massenet, Berlioz, Verdi, or Puccini) more, while the lovers of virtuoso classical music would find a lot to cheer about in the Baroque and the bel canto opera of Händel, Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti. And then there are the marvelous Mozart opera that appeal to just about everyone. If you find dissonant free-form music delightful, then you probably would eat up the 12-tones compositions by Berg & Schoenberg, Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, and the modern opera of Adès, Henze, or Glass. The major opera composers, from oldest to most recent, are: