Getting Started

So what is the perfect first opera to see? There are two ways of answering this. One way is to think about the other things you enjoy and see an opera which matches your interests. The other is to pick an opera from the ‘Greatest Hits’ list, the popular classics which have engaged audiences for over a century.

Do you enjoy romantic fiction, a good love story and know that the best don’t always have happy endings?

Madam Butterfly and La traviata are operas which will make you really care for their heroine at their heart. These operas have deeply beautiful music and will leave you reaching for your tissues.

Love art house cinema and theatre that’s a bit different?

Lulu, Wagner Dream, Boulevard Solitude and Moses und Aron are operas for people who like to see something unlike anything else , people who want their next experience to be very different from the one before. These operas have music which will take you into different worlds and are staged in productions which will take your breath away.

Like a good thriller, something which keeps you guessing?

Tosca is the ultimate operatic thriller. One opera where its a really good idea not to read the plot beforehand. Tosca twists and turns and will keep you in suspense.

Enjoy historical fiction in literature and TV?

The Tudors operas will sweep you away as they re-imagine one of the most fascinating and darkest periods of British history.

Like to see a spectacle and enjoy familiar tunes?

Nabucco includes 'The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves', one of the most popular pieces of all music. Nabucco is a huge spectacle.