If you find yourself in the country then you must see an opera in Italy. It is a quintessentially Italian institution and the word ‘opera’ comes from the Italian word for ‘work’ and refers to the hard work and dedication required from the composer singers, and musicians to perform an opera. Operas are powerful and captivating shows that combine deeply emotional lyrics with beautiful orchestral scores, so powerful in fact that you do not even need to see an opera in English to appreciate the emotional tale.
L’Orfeo – Claudio Monteverdi
Nicknamed the ‘father of opera’, Monteverdi had to feature on this list as one of opera’s earliest pioneers. L’Orfeo is his first opera, it tells the mythological story of how Euridice dies from a snake bite and the heartbroken Orpheus tries to save her from the underworld using his music. It is a captivating, emotional, and melancholic tale that has remained many an opera lover’s favourite over the years.
La Bohème – Giacomo Puccini
La Bohème is one of Puccini’s most beloved operas. Based on a novel by Henry Murger, it is the story of a group of penniless artists and students trying to keep warm and pay their rent in 1930s Paris. Mimi is a bohemian seamstress and flower maker who offers warmth and shelter to poet Rodolfo, a story of love at first sight marred by a secret – Mimi has tuberculosis and will soon die. If this story sounds familiar to you then it could be because La Bohème was the inspiration for Jonathan Larson’s hit musical Rent.
Madam Butterfly – Giacomo Puccini
Madam Butterfly is another opera that you have probably found yourself surprised that you know! It follows a young Geisha girl, Cio-Cio, who falls in love with a handsome American naval lieutenant in Nagasaki, Japan. Her parents disapprove of this match, forcing the two to marry in secret and Cio-Cio soon becomes pregnant and gives birth to the couple’s son. Once her husband is posted back to the United States the young woman is left waiting for his return only for him to arrive back in Nagasaki three years later with his new American wife in tow. The final, heartbreaking and dramatic scene sees Cio-Cio take her own life.
Tosca – Giacomo Puccini
A little different from Puccini’s other operas mentioned in this list, Tosca is a fast-moving political thriller set in Rome during the tumultuous time following the French invasion. The story focuses on Floria Rosca who falls in love with Mario Cavaradossi, a painter, and strong Republican who in turn is trying to help his friend who has escaped from prison. This opera is filled with heartache, suicide, murder and even includes a police chase. What more could you ask for?
La Traviata – Giuseppe Verdi
Verdi’s La Traviata is one of the most performed operas in the world, popular because of its simple but effective and memorable music. Set in Paris, Violetta Valery stars as the heroine of the story also nicknamed ‘traviata’ meaning ‘woman gone astray’. The opera tells stories of her life against the colourful backdrop of the Parisian party scene, her troubled love life and her protective father.
