Hey, music majors! Not taking classes or lessons this summer? Have you always dreamed of being an overachiever? Never fear, I’m here to offer you both an assignment and a challenge.
• The Assignment: Listen to one opera a week for 10 weeks. We often hear of operas being among the top 10 most performed works around the world. If you dream of being a professional singer, then what better time to start learning the great operas than summer break?
• The Challenge: Study an opera a week for 10 weeks by listening to a recording or watching a production.
This is your mission, should you choose to accept it: Make a list of 10 operas, listen to them, take a few notes, and submit my survey back to me at the end of the summer via e-mail. I will compile your lists and comments and share them in the October “Music Major Minute.” For extra fame, I might quote you—with your permission, of course.
So how do we do this? You can listen, watch, or attend live productions. Following with a score is a great way to do this if you are only listening to a recording. Check out a score from your library or beg, buy, or borrow—but don’t steal—one. Complete recordings can be found on the Internet and downloaded. If you want to watch a production, review the Metropolitan Opera HD broadcast archives or check YouTube. If you are able to attend a live production, this could be your debut as a published critic.
Find a time you can listen to the whole opera (taking intermissions, of course). Invite your singer friends to take the challenge with you and get together for Friday night or Saturday morning listening parties. Choose a time you are alert and ready to be inspired. Resist the urge to skip all the parts your character doesn’t sing. This isn’t a role preparation challenge; this is an introduction to 10 entire operas. You will find out more about a character than you might expect when you learn the entire plot.
It’s OK to admit you don’t like an opera or two on the list—but if you don’t like any of them, perhaps majoring in communications isn’t such a bad idea after all.
Pick 10 operas you have always found intriguing. You can pick an opera with an aria you already sing or you may also find interesting choices from the suggestions to follow. I have listed for you the top 10 operas performed in North America, the top 20 performed in American universities, and my favorites that didn’t make the either list. There are a wide variety of styles and languages recommended. If you are new to opera, I recommend selecting a variety of composers. If you are a seasoned voice student, perhaps you want to listen to all 10 of Mozart’s operas or all American composers.
The library is yours to devour, so pick what interests you. Maybe you end up with a dream board of your favorite operas, singers, and conductors. Maybe you will discover an appreciation for Mozart’s structure or Wagner’s leitmotivs. By listening to the classic operas, you will familiarize yourself with the best operatic repertoire and hopefully find styles that appeal to the singer in you.
Top 10 Operas Performed in North America in 2015
(According to Opera America)
1. La bohème by Giacomo Puccini
2. Carmen by Georges Bizet
3. La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi
4. The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
5. Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck
6. Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini
7. Le nozze di Figaro by W. A. Mozart
8. Aida by Giuseppe Verdi
9. Cinderella by Gioachino Rossini
10. The Barber of Seville by G. Rossini
Most Often Performed Operas and Operettas in American Universities (According to My Facebook Friends)
1. Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini
2. L’elisir d’amore by Gaetano Donizetti
3. Così fan tutte by W. A. Mozart
4. Le nozze di Figaro by W. A. Mozart
5. Dido & Aeneas by Henry Purcell
6. Suor Angelica by Giacomo Puccini
7. Dialogue of the Carmelites by Francis Poulenc
8. Il matrimonio segreto by Domenico Cimarosa
9. Amahl and the Night Visitors by G.C. Menotti
10. Tartuffe by Kirke Mechem
11. Street Scene by Kurt Weill
12. Alcina by G. F. Handel
13. Cold Sassy Tree by Carlisle Floyd
14. Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss
15. The Merry Widow by Franz Lehar
16. Candide by Leonard Bernstein
17. La rondine by Giacomo Puccini
18. The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert & Sullivan
19. The Tenderland by Aaron Copland
20. Orpheus in the Underworld Jacques Offenbach
Christi’s Top 10 Favorite Operas Not Listed Above
1. Manon by Jules Massenet
2. Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi
3. Tosca by Giacomo Puccini
4. Don Giovanni by W. A. Mozart
5. The Turn of the Screw by Benjamin Britten
6. The Rake’s Progress by Igor Stravinsky
7. Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss
8. Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci by P. Mascagni and R. Leoncavallo
9. Don Pasquale by Giacomo Donizetti
10. Susannah by Carlisle Floyd
Before you sit down to listen to an opera, be sure to check these things about it:
• Composer dates
• Country of origin
• Any juicy tidbits that will be intriguing
• Librettist and origin of the story
• Main characters
• Famous arias
When you are finished, journal your reactions, such as the following:
• Facebook research has shown that we humans have six general reactions to posts: Like, Love, Ha-Ha, Wow, Sad face, and Angry face. Give the opera one of these general reactions.
• Is there a dream role for you?
• Did you hear an exciting new ensemble?
• What did you notice about the orchestration?
• Was the chorus an integral part of the music and story?
Warning! The Ten Opera Challenge is meant for introductory purposes only. Although it may lead to a love of drama, please ask your voice teacher before you start singing the Toreador song, “Vissi d’arte,” or “Nessun dorma,” etc.!
Ten Opera Challenge Survey
Reply to as many question as you like and e-mail to: amonsonsings@gmail.com
1. Which 10 operas did you choose?
2. Which operas did you actually listen to start to finish?
3. What was your favorite opera? Why?
4. Did you find a new composer that you love?
5. What surprised you about this challenge?
6. Listening to a recording vs. watching a production: which did you prefer and why?
7. Did any production details stand out (costume design, set design, direction, lighting, etc.)?
8. Is there a scene you heard that you would suggest to your opera director?
9. Did any of the operas induce a solid nap?
10. Which arias inspired you to keep practicing?
