Il Trovatore – The Troubadour Why Il Trovatore needs a little more preparation on your part. Plot Things to look out for The voices La Trilogia Popolare – The Popular Trilogy. Together with Rigoletto, and La Traviata, Il Trovatore is part of what is called La Trilogia Popolare. Verdi never labeled them that, and he … Read more
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