Simpleopera

Pagliacci The legal case that was the base for the story. Plot What to look out for. How Enrico Caruso conquered the world. Pagliacci is Leoncavallo’s most famous opera. The composer stroke big at his very first attempt. Just think that his second most performed opera is La Bohème. Yes, the same story as Puccini’s … Read more

Cavalleria Rusticana What happened before the day of the opera. Plot Things to look out for Santuzza, soprano or mezzo-soprano? Italian verismo Mascagni’s masterpiece. In 1880, the short story Cavalleria Rusticana was published in the Sunday edition of Il Fanfulla. The usage of a colored and extended version of the paper on Sundays was a … Read more

Nabucco When Italy became a nation Plot Things to look out for The voice of Abigail Verdi’s first real success. Giuseppe Verdi was 28 years when he wrote Nabucco. He came from two previous operas that premiered at La Scala… A well-received Oberto, Conte di San Bonifaci and a complete fiasco with the comedy Un … Read more

Cosi fan Tutte The opera is set in Naples Plot What to look out for About the opera An opera with a strange voice combination. The basic idea is very simple. Two young men make a bet on the faithfulness of their respective women. And of course, they lose. Thus the title. “Cosi fan tutte” … Read more

L’Elisir d’amore – The elixir of love Plot What to look out for The voice requirements What is Bel Canto? Two operas. One in Italian and one in French. In 1831, on June 15th, in Paris, there was an important premiere of a brand new opera by the renowned composer Daniel François Esprit Auber. The … Read more

Turandot The death of the great opera Plot What to look out for Choosing Calaf and Turandot How Puccini died The ending of the opera On the evening of April 25, 2026, a huge crowd was gathered inside and outside of Teatro alla Scala in Milan. This wasn’t only a new opera by the most … Read more

Hänsel und Gretel Plot Things to look out for Humperdinck and Wagner The composition history Are you familiar with the works of Richard Wagner? If so, Hänsel und Gretel could seem like a miniature Wagner opera. The musical vocabulary is similar, and the orchestration and harmonic language likewise. When Wagner found inspiration in the riches … Read more

Don Giovanni The opera in Mozart’s time Plot What to look out for Who is Don Giovanni? Of Mozart’s five last operas, four have become not only standard repertoire today but also four of the most-played operas ever worldwide. In May 1786 The Marriage of Figaro premiered in Vienna. It was very successful there. However … Read more

Aida Background Plot Things to look out for About Aida During the 1860s, Giuseppe Verdi was slowly distancing himself from composing. He worked with his estate, and he was engaged in politics. But far away from his home in Busseto, bigger things were happening. In 1869 the brand-new Suez canal was opened. Though not a … Read more

Rigoletto The background Plot Things to look out for About the opera The opera that made Verdi change path… He was 37 years of age, and he had already written 16 great operas. These had made him a celebrity. He was regarded as the nr.1 Opera-composer in Italy. Titles such as Nabucco, Ernani, Attila, and … Read more