Top 20 Operas
From Carmen and Don Giovanni to works by Wagner, Puccini and Tchaikovsky - we list the world's 20 best operas...
Bizet: Carmen
The gypsy woman Carmen charms a hapless soldier, leading them both to their downfall. The most popular, most performed and most filmed opera ever.
Delibes: Lakmé
Hooray Henrys in India interfere with the country's tradition, resulting in a Goddess' death. This exotic opera features the popular opera hits 'Flower Duet' and 'Bell Song'.
Mozart: La Clemenza di Tito
A Roman emperor's bride-to-be and best friend try, and fail, to assassinate him - amazingly, he forgives them. Mozart's music triumphs over a terrible libretto.
Mozart: Don Giovanni
A sex-mad serial philanderer descends into oblivion as his life of debauchery backfires. Humour and tragedy combine in Mozart's gripping cautionary tale.
Mozart: The Magic Flute
A prince and a birdcatcher go on a journey to enlightenment and marital bliss. Mozart is in his most Masonic and magical mood in this much-loved classic opera.
Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro
This chaotic comedy of deception ends up with a moral about forgiveness. Mozart's masterpiece features the aria 'Voi che sapete' and other timeless tunes.
Puccini: La bohème
Young bohemians in wintry Paris struggle with love, poverty and consumption in Puccini's evergreen masterpiece. Keep a box of tissues close to hand.
Puccini: Gianni Schicchi
A Florentine trickster cons a bereaved family into bequeathing all its inheritance to him. This comic Puccini miniature includes the popular 'O mio babbino caro'.
Puccini: Madama Butterfly
A teenage Geisha girl marries a US naval officer who then dumps her. Heartbreaking Puccini magic combines tear-jerking romance with oriental touches.
Rameau: Les Paladins
A brave knight wins the hand of an Italian girl with a little bit of help from a fairy. French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau's penultimate opera is full of magic.
Ravel: L'Heure espagnole
This farce, set in a clockmaker's workshop, results in the lovers locked in grandfather clocks. Ravel triumphs with brilliant orchestration and Spanish colour.
Rossini: The Barber of Seville
A Count wins his beloved away from her guardian with the help of local barber, Figaro. Slapstick farce meets romance, with glorious tunes in this popular opera.
Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress
This cautionary tale tells of Tom Rakewell, who barters all for fame and fortune. Here, Stravinsky pastiches 18th-century opera in his Neoclassical style.
Tan Dun: The First Emperor
China's court composer seduces the princess while her father is busy supervising the building of the Great Wall. This is a spectacular epic from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon composer Tan Dun.
Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin
The Russian dandy Eugene Onegin kills his best friend over a woman, spurns her sister and regrets it. Tchaikovsky's romantic tragedy echoes his complex personality.
Verdi: Aida
An Egyptian military hero rejects a princess for an Ethiopian slave girl. This is Verdi's most spectacular opera, filled with passion, processions and pyramids.
Verdi: Macbeth
Three witches convince a warlord he will be king, so he kills everyone in his way in order to fulfil their prophecy. Verdi's drama captures Macbeth's tortured psychology.
Wagner: Lohengrin
A noblewoman loves and loses a mysterious knight-with-no-name who rides giant swans. Includes the famous 'Bridal Chorus' and popular preludes.
Wagner: Parsifal
Another brooding Holy Grail myth from the master of epic opera Richard Wagner, in which a knight must retrieve a magic spear from a wizard to cure his boss.
Wagner: Tristan and Isolde
A tragic love story set against the backdrop of French involvement in Anglo-Irish relations. It's worth waiting several hours for the final 'Liebestod'.
This list is taken from a feature 'Top 20 Operas to see before you die" as featured in Classic FM Magazine in February 2008.
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