Simpleopera
Madama Butterfly A background Plot Things to look out for Different versions Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini is an opera set in early 20th-century Nagasaki, Japan. A young geisha, who, although not meant to, falls in love with an American naval officer with devastating consequences. Premiered in 1904, it remains to this day a poignant … Read more
Il Barbiere di Sevilla – The Barber of Seville Plot Things to look out for About the composer The voice of Rosina The background In 1772 Pierre Beaumarchais wrote a comedy called Le Barbier de Séville ou la Précaution inutile (The Barber of Seville or The useless precaution). The play immediately, or almost immediately (Beaumarchais had … Read more
Le Nozze di Figaro – The Marriage of Figaro Plot Things to look out for About The Marriage of Figaro The opera Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro) by Mozart is a comedy about love, infidelity, and social hierarchy. Figaro and Susanna outwit Count Almaviva’s advances on Susanna, leading to a series of very … Read more
La Traviata The Background Plot Things to look out for About La Traviata The Voice of Violetta https://youtu.be/iIYTMuYoBTs?feature=shared Premiere – March 6, 1853, Teatro La Fenice, Venice, Italy Premiere of the revised version – May 6, 1854, Teatro San Benedetto, Venice, Italy Composer – Giuseppe Verdi Librettist – Francesco Maria Piave Running Time – ca. … Read more
Die Zauberflöte – The Magic Flute Plot Things to look out for About the opera About the composer The Magic Flute is Mozart’s statement about finding one’s way in this strange world. it is a fairy tale that follows Prince Tamino and the bird-catcher Papageno on their quest to rescue Pamina. Throughout their journey, they … Read more
Fidelio Plot Things to look out for The long process of writing an opera Ludwig van Beethoven is not a particularly good vocal composer. Somebody may object to that, but having sung Fidelio and many other vocal compositions by the Maestro, I can definitely say that his incredible knowledge of symphonic and instrumental music, didn’t carry … Read more
La Bohème Plot Things to look out for About the opera La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini is set in 1830s Paris, in Quartier Latin. It’s a beautiful but very sad story about love and the choices poverty force upon you. Premiered in 1896, it features one of Puccini’s best scores and very modern and relatable … Read more
Carmen Plot Things to look out for About the performance tradition Bizet’s most famous Opera. Carmen was the last of Bizet’s Operas, and the last work he completed Even though it was repeated 44 times after the premier, until June, Bizet was convinced it was a flop. He actually wasn’t at all that famous as … Read more
