Opera Librettos

[isidro]

As one of my many backgrounds is opera and classical music, and since it can be such a difficult field in which to live, I would like to attempt to bring my passion for this art among more civilized human beings - ie: the blessed and distinguished literati.

Is anyone here familiar with opera librettos, have a favorite libretto or aria? We'll leave the music if we must considering that this is a literature forum and stick to the plot dynamics and linguistics.

Yours ever in love and with enamored passion,

Isidro

[Pollopicu]

I have the 100 greatest opera libretto's on my to-read wish list, and recently finished reading a bio on maria callas by Arianna huffington. My favorite opera is "Tosca" (with Callas only). if anyone can tell me who sang a better Tosca than her, I challenge them to show me. :)

see for yourself (second Act, part 4)
my favorite scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCfv4E__Als&NR=1

I also love "the magic flute", sung only by callas, and Turandot (nessun Dorma) only performed by Pavarotti.

[isidro]

I can't claim that, but if you want to hear me sing you can check out youtube and look up "An Argument for Heavenly Parentage" or "Tortolita Women: Ring Out, Wild Bells." Considering Tennyson wrote the words to the latter, it might be more appropriate.

I was reading a couple of librettos today - you rock my world for owning that book! Magic Flute is awesome but I have to admit I prefer Rossini's Barber of Seville, or if we are keeping with Mozart, Don Giovanni tops my list. WHy The Magic Flute?

[stlukesguild]

A favorite libretto? Well most of them are somewhat weak as pure literature (minus the music) with the obvious exceptions of Wagner's librettos (which most certainly are worthy of serious consideration purely in literary terms) as well as the librettos written by Hugo von Hoffmannsthal for Richard Strauss. The music, however, changes everything. Madame Butterfly was nothing more than a tale based upon a popular pulp novel of the day and pure schmaltz. With Puccini's music... and Maria Callas' singing... it rises to the most marvelous art.

Picking a personal favorite aria would be as difficult to me as choosing a single favorite book or poem. Some of my favorites would include:

Handel's Ombra mai fu from Serse:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA5W2jzXyfg

This is one of the most emotional renderings by the inimitable Kathleen Ferrier.

Then there is Contessa perdono from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro
in which the philandering Count kneels before his wife and asks forgiveness... which she grants in the form of the most exquisite music ever written. It nearly brings tears to my eyes every time... like the last 5 minutes of Its a Wonderful Life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2yrDWEoCpc

I am deeply enamored of Mozart's operas... which along with his piano concertos are the peak of his oeuvre. The Magic Flute has long been an absolute favorite which I have been able to see in person twice... the last time with the marvelous and perfectly suited stage designs by Maurice Sendak.

Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja and Ein Mädchen Oder Weibchen always brings a smile to my face:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K82SvgW2pPU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwpAtAgqO_g

Continuing with Mozart I cannot go without his dramatic conclusion to Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni, a cenar teco m'invitasti:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK1_vm0FMAU&feature=related

From Wagner... how could I not choose Leibestod from Tristan und Isolde... and with the magnificent Birgit Nilsson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mOA8pZ_I4M

And then there's Donizetti's Una furtiva lagrima:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUI8rpMzsC8

And one of my absolute favorite moments in all opera, who can match Maria Callas version of Con onor muore... the dramatic conclusion from Madame Butterfly? Callas is an absolutely towering figure of opera... raising the status of what many considered mere bon-bons to the highest expressions of human emotion. She raises the hairs on the back of my neck:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6dx7LIyLPY

Although its not technically an opera aria I can't help adding Franck's Panis Angelicus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a11YheB2zM

[Pollopicu]

Why the magic flute?! :eek:
Have you heard Callas singing it? she doesn't even sound human! When I see other performers and opera singers attempting "The Magic Flute", I feel embarrassed for them. I can try to send you the file if you send me your email.

You have a very lovely voice.


A favorite libretto? Well most of them are somewhat weak as pure literature (minus the music) with the obvious exceptions of Wagner's librettos (which most certainly are worthy of serious consideration purely in literary terms) as well as the librettos written by Hugo von Hoffmannsthal for Richard Strauss. The music, however, changes everything. Madame Butterfly was nothing more than a tale based upon a popular pulp novel of the day and pure schmaltz. With Puccini's music... and Maria Callas' singing... it rises to the most marvelous art.

Picking a personal favorite aria would be as difficult to me as choosing a single favorite book or poem. Some of my favorites would include:

Handel's Ombra mai fu from Serse:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA5W2jzXyfg

This is one of the most emotional renderings by the inimitable Kathleen Ferrier.

Then there is Contessa perdono from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro
in which the philandering Count kneels before his wife and asks forgiveness... which she grants in the form of the most exquisite music ever written. It nearly brings tears to my eyes every time... like the last 5 minutes of Its a Wonderful Life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2yrDWEoCpc

I am deeply enamored of Mozart's operas... which along with his piano concertos are the peak of his oeuvre. The Magic Flute has long been an absolute favorite which I have been able to see in person twice... the last time with the marvelous and perfectly suited stage designs by Maurice Sendak.

Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja and Ein Mädchen Oder Weibchen always brings a smile to my face:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K82SvgW2pPU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwpAtAgqO_g

Continuing with Mozart I cannot go without his dramatic conclusion to Don Giovanni, Don Giovanni, a cenar teco m'invitasti:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK1_vm0FMAU&feature=related

From Wagner... how could I not choose Leibestod from Tristan und Isolde... and with the magnificent Birgit Nilsson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mOA8pZ_I4M

And then there's Donizetti's Una furtiva lagrima:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUI8rpMzsC8

And one of my absolute favorite moments in all opera, who can match Maria Callas version of Con onor muore... the dramatic conclusion from Madame Butterfly? Callas is an absolutely towering figure of opera... raising the status of what many considered mere bon-bons to the highest expressions of human emotion. She raises the hairs on the back of my neck:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6dx7LIyLPY

Although its not technically an opera aria I can't help adding Franck's Panis Angelicus:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a11YheB2zM

Hello, new friend :)

[stlukesguild]

Why The Magic Flute?

There are more than a few who would choose The Magic Flute as the greatest single opera ever. I don't know that I'd go that far... after all it has The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni (as well as Wagner's Ring and Tristan und Isolde) to contend with. Still... it is a fabulous fairy tale with the music perfectly suited to match. I'd be hard-pressed to come up with an opera with more brilliantly beautiful music from start to finish. It's amazing that Mozart could essentially just throw away an exquisite tune like "Das klingelt so herrlich..." the magical melody played on bells that enchants Monostatos and his slaves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRqdOsuqVcI

Most other composers would give up much to have simply written one such tune... but The Magic Flute is laden with them.

[JBI]

Cough, Libretti, cough - anyway, the best ones don't always have the best music, so generally when people study libretti they look at other factors like popularity and source material - anyway, in terms of the genre, and making it work, I would suggest Boris Godunov as perhaps the best one - certainly its source material is almost unrivaled in the Opera world, with the exception of perhaps Wagner and Richard Strauss' work.

[stlukesguild]

Well... I'm sort of surprised you didn't choose Eugene Onegin for the strongest source material... also Pushkin, after all... and perhaps his masterpiece... or Otello or The Damnation of Faust... but then we might note that the difference between the source material and the libretto is not unlike that between the original novel/story and the screenplay in a film. Indeed... I almost see the libretto as quite akin to the screenplay in that it is rarely of any real interest except as a means to an end. An opera is a unique art form that combines literature, drama, music... even visuals (albeit these are often independent of of the composition... although Wagner... and even Philip Glass were quite cognizant and attuned to the visual aspects of the presentation of their works.

[JBI]

Well... I'm sort of surprised you didn't choose Eugene Onegin for the strongest source material... also Pushkin, after all... and perhaps his masterpiece... or Otello or The Damnation of Faust... but then we might note that the difference between the source material and the libretto is not unlike that between the original novel/story and the screenplay in a film. Indeed... I almost see the libretto as quite akin to the screenplay in that it is rarely of any real interest except as a means to an end. An opera is a unique art form that combines literature, drama, music... even visuals (albeit these are often independent of of the composition... although Wagner... and even Philip Glass were quite cognizant and attuned to the visual aspects of the presentation of their works.

I don't think Pushkin's Onegin translated well, in terms of the capability of the text, into drama, whereas Godunov really is dramatic, so works perfectly - the wit of the original is built into the stanza form, which is completely lost - the opera is one of my favorites, don't get me wrong, but the excellence of the novel is lost without the punchy couplets.

[DWolfman]

Am driving an hour and a half today to view a new film
of my favorite opera: Puccini's "La Boheme" (http://www.emergingpictures.com/la_boheme_trailer.htm)
(I know it's done way too often,
but that means more for me to enjoy)
It stars Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon.

While the libretto has its plot holes, forced passages,
and suspensions of disbelief, it serves the story line well:
Star crossed lovers, jealousy, rags versus riches,
pursuit of artistic endeavor, enjoyment of life in hard times.
Besides, isn't the primary purpose of an opera libretto
to present a platform for the music?

And, oh the music in this piece!

[JBI]

Am driving an hour and a half today to view a new film
of my favorite opera: Puccini's "La Boheme" (http://www.emergingpictures.com/la_boheme_trailer.htm)
(I know it's done way too often,
but that means more for me to enjoy)
It stars Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon.

While the libretto has its plot holes, forced passages,
and suspensions of belief, it serves the story line well:
Star crossed lovers, jealousy, rags versus riches,
pursuit of artistic endeavor, enjoyment of life in hard times.
Besides, isn't the primary purpose of an opera libretto
to present a platform for the music?

And, oh the music in this piece!

One of my all time least favorite played operas (and I don't think Netrebko can really sing Puccini well either). That is the ultimate example of ridiculous libretto - so typically 19th century too, with the whole "virgin whore" motif running through the thing.


In terms of libretti, I will just throw in, that the libretto used for John Adams' Dr. Atomic, an original libretto based more on historical documents and other media, such as John Donne's poetry, than novels, has an excellent libretto - combined with Adams' signature minimalism, it was incredibly dramatic right up until the end - here are some samples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8Bd1U2SqaM
Piece taken from the Bhagavad Gita

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBmbtr5Uw7I
Taken from John Donne's Holy Sonnets

You get the idea though - the whole think worked as a patchwork, even throwing in traditional Native American folk songs, and scientific formulas.

[mortalterror]

It's always interesting the ways we differ Stlukes. My favorite Puccini is Che il bel sogno di Doretta (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3PtVRWNYus) from La Rondine and nobody does it better than Leontyne Price. I'm surprised that you didn't pick Un bel di (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVRhuQWS4tc) if you were going to go to Madame Butterfly. Or how about O mio babbino caro (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLOBMWc0Lb8) sung by Maria Callas or Nessun Dorma (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNg-b13I8v4) while were still on Puccini?

I've never been a big Wagner fan, but I love everything by Verdi. The quartet Bella figlia dell'amore (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYRZOEzoOgQ) from Rigoletto always gets me. And then there's La donna e mobile (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCFEk6Y8TmM) in the same opera. Then there's the Anvil Chorus (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgVoa4eE8-Y) and Brindisi Libiam ne' lieti calici (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcKdnkGBSgA).

When it comes to Mozart I'd rather have The Queen of the Night (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2ODfuMMyss) aria and try as I might I can never get Pa-pa-pa-pa (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL7YF0Djruk) out of my head for more than a few days at a time.

As for Handel, I'd sooner have Aria Almirena (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnoe_77kbr4) from his Rinaldo than Ombra mai fu from Serse.

Let's not forget one of my favorites Vesti la giubba (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8WOKsdHuc4) sung by Jussi Bjorling. Then there's the ever obvious Flower Duet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qx2lMaMsl8) by Delibes. I know I'm forgetting a lot of good ones too.

Not strictly librettos but Pie Jesu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr6ajtA5Otg) and Con te Partiro (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtivSTZrezc) are always nice.

JBI, at first I thought that using Donne was ridiculous but the singer really sold it at the end.

Anybody know about Metastasio? He's supposed to be the libretti master.

[stlukesguild]

Anybody know about Metastasio? He's supposed to be the libretti master.

I've read a bit on him. His manner of composition was seemingly suited to the late Baroque fashion for stressing virtuosic singing... vocal fireworks ala such castrati singers as Farinelli... over everything else. His influence waned with the advent of Gluck and his insistence upon classical simplicity and unity and the centrality of the musical drama over the individual virtuoso. Mozart pushed even further in this direction.

[stlukesguild]

DWolfman-Am driving an hour and a half today to view a new film
of my favorite opera: Puccini's "La Boheme"

One of my all time least favorite played operas (and I don't think Netrebko can really sing Puccini well either).

It would seem that not many would agree with you on either account. La Boheme is the second most performed opera in the common repertoire (after Mme. Butterfly) and while initial popularity is no guarantee of merit (one way or the other) it does begin to hold some weight over 100 years after the fact. But we all know that you demand that art of great intellectual rigor (typical of the young... out to impress) over "mere" simplicity and beauty. With time you may discover that Mozart and Puccini have as much to offer as Wagner and Strauss and Adams and Mussorgsky.

As for Netrebko... is she the best singer of Puccini? Perhaps not... although one would be hard-pressed to think of one who could better perform his work and infuse it with the sort of sexuality she can (and let us remember... opera is theater as well as music). Personally I think she is very good and getting better... although perhaps her strongest performances are elsewhere than Puccini... so far. I particularly admire her Russian Album, her recent collection Souvenirs (which is comprised of selections from various operatic traditions (French, Russian, Czech, German, etc...) and especially her performance of Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi with Elina Garanca.

In terms of libretti, I will just throw in, that the libretto used for John Adams' Dr. Atomic, an original libretto based more on historical documents and other media, such as John Donne's poetry, than novels, has an excellent libretto - combined with Adams' signature minimalism, it was incredibly dramatic right up until the end

I'm not familiar with this opera although I am somewhat with Adams. His Harmonium is a marvelous vocal work drawing upon Donne and Emily Dickinson... and you might also want to look into The Death of Klinghoffer which is based upon the real-life tragedy of the hijacking of the Achille Lauro.

Of course there are any number of contemporary operas of real merit. I'm somewhat fond of several of Philip Glass' works including the seminal Einstein on the Beach as well as Satyagraha and Akhnaten. Perhaps my favorite contemporary composer is Osvaldo Golijov, an Argentinian composer of Jewish heritage who was educated in Israel and the US and combines musical traditions of Latin-America, klezmer, the Middle-East, Spain, and Western classical music into a unique sound that is open to a vast array of styles. His Oceana is built upon a poem of Neruda while Ainadamar deals with the murder of Federico Garcia-Lorca. Pascal Dusapin's Perelà, Uomo di Fumo is a fantastic fable in operatic form worth exploring. Luigi Dallapiccola's Il Prigioniero strikes me as quite intriguing (after a single listening) while Daniel Catan, perhaps Latin-America's premier composer has produced two marvelous operas: Rappacini's Daughter, based upon Octavio Paz' interpretation of Hawthorne's tale and Florencia en el Amaozonas, with a libretto by Marcela Fuentes-Berain who has co-authored work with Paz and Gabriel Garcia-Marrquez for film and theater. His operas bring together elements of lush Romanticism ala Puccini, Strauss, and Wagner, Impressionism (ala Delius and Debussy) and Modernism as well as a rich Latin-American sensuality and magic realism. And then there's the hot man of the hour, Thomas Ades, with his operas The Tempest and Powder Her Face.

[stlukesguild]

It's always interesting the ways we differ Stlukes. My favorite Puccini is Che il bel sogno di Doretta from La Rondine and nobody does it better than Leontyne Price.

I've never explored Leontyne Price much. She doesn't seem to have part of many really great opera recordings. Her recording of Strauss' Four Last Songs is legendary... as is her recital of Verdi and Puccini arias on RCA.

I'm surprised that you didn't pick Un bel di if you were going to go to Madame Butterfly.

Certainly that is the most lovely aria... but it is the climactic scene that I find most brings out Callas' strength as a dramatic and emotional performer.

Or how about O mio babbino caro sung by Maria Callas or Nessun Dorma while were still on Puccini?

Both lovely choices... although Nessun Dorma is almost too obvious, isn't it?

I've never been a big Wagner fan, but I love everything by Verdi.

There's where we are certainly quite at odds. Not that I dislike Verdi. He almost seems to be one of those instances in which I haven't really gotten around to exploring an artist in as much depth as he is worth... especially considering that I quite love Aida and La Traviata (indeed, Aida was my first real-life opera experience).

The quartet Bella figlia dell'amore from Rigoletto always gets me. And then there's La donna e mobile in the same opera. Then there's the Anvil Chorus and Brindisi Libiam ne' lieti calici.

When it comes to Mozart I'd rather have The Queen of the Night aria...

Which is rather over the top... but perhaps ironically?

...and try as I might I can never get Pa-pa-pa-pa out of my head for more than a few days at a time.

Ideed... Pa-pa-pa...:lol:

As for Handel, I'd sooner have Aria Almirena from his Rinaldo than Ombra mai fu from Serse.

I must explore Handel's operas in more depth... and luckily they are just now getting the sort of attention they deserve from various performers. I have a few Handel recitals and I believe one entire opera recording... having much more of his later oratorios... which are essentially operas upon Biblical themes minus the acting and plus a greater use of the chorus.

Let's not forget one of my favorites Vesti la giubba sung by Jussi Bjorling. Then there's the ever obvious Flower Duet by Delibes. I know I'm forgetting a lot of good ones too.

Yes... Jussi!

Others I might add would include Salut demeure from Gounod's Faust... admirable performed by Giuseppe di Stefano:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9uRMplmuqA

Friederich Flowtow's M'appari tutt'amor from Martha here performed by the magical Fritz Wunderlich:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGuWTAzUfF0

For something frothy and joyful nothing can beat Strauss' Frühlingsstimmen never sung better than by that songbird, Rita Streich:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkFWL1rhx6k&feature=PlayList&p=105FD7DD9824FD20&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=103

For something a bit more obscure there's the Lullaby (Berceuse) from Jocelyn by Benjamin Godard:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g818lDRaixg

Another obscure and underrated work is the American Carlisle Floyd's opera Susanna from which comes the lovely aria The Trees on the Mountain...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg03BwAGF3o

A few favorite arias not strictly from opera include the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO78AqC1IE4

and of course Schubert's Ave Maria sung by Barabara Bonney:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQVz6vuNq7s

and I'll end with Humperdick's Abends will ich schlafen gehn... the haunting "Evening Prayer" from Hansel and Gretel... sung by Renee Fleming:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDpK0WAPZbI

[mortalterror]

M'appari tutt'amor is my favorite of the ones you posted, even more than Ave Maria.

[stlukesguild]

I was just playing the Wunderlich excerpt on YouTube again and came across the comment suggesting that this song, from the Flotow opera, Martha, may have been a source of inspiration for Paul McCartney's Martha, My Dear from the Beatles' White Album... possible?:goof:

[Albion]

I love many operas and Callas is superb in some. But, Pollopicu, she does have a superior in Angela Georgiou. Actually, that is the wrong name: it should be Angela Gorgeous. There is a wonderful film of hers with Roberto Alagna, of course, that you should see.

Händel is often, but wrongly, underrated these days but must be one of the topmost composers who have ever lived. I am not keen on Mozart. I saw Die Zauberflöte in the marionette theatre in Salzburg and loved it; but it does not retain its charm with repetition. Furthermore, the libretto is poor and offers an unpersuasive story. Its only redeeming feature is the Queen of the Night aria.

Because Eugene Onegin is in Russian, I can't offer a judgement on the quality of the text (although I have read the Pushkin poem in translation and found it fascinating). The story is immensely attractive, however, offering love, cynicism, duty and rejection. Tatiana's letter song is superb and Tchaikovsky's music greatly endears this opera to me much more than his several other neglected (with the exception of The Queen of Spades) operas.

Puccini was the last great Italian composer as was Strauss the last great German composer. My favourite Puccini is Tosca: convincing, dramatic, tuneful, with evil, love and death, too. What a pity Puccini did not apply himself to a greater number of works. Strauss was a worthy successor to Wagner (and a very productive worker): almost none of his works can be resisted (he also set lieder beautifully).

Verdi is, of course, tremendous, particularly with his numerous baritone and bass roles eg Simon Boccanegra or Don Carlo (but that is not my favourite): I also like the poetry of La Traviata (particularly Germont, pere); but Wagner outstrips them all. Not only is his music beautiful to listen to but was tremendously influential upon other composers, too. He also wrote all his own texts and chose different styles for each opera (sorry, music dramas). They are also extremely poetic eg (about the trial song) "It sounded so old, yet was so new/ like birdsong in sweetest May" and the poetry lasts for hours. In another place, I have suggested that Wagner be placed among the great poets of German literature.

When selecting my favourite work, I am torn between Die Meistersinger, a work of unsurpassed humanity, and Die Valküre, which offers the bonus of being almost two operas in one. The former is a beautifully constructed love story with happy end achieved through the benevolent aid of a master poet; but the former is a revelation of deep psychological understanding and revelation of inner thought presenting rounded arguments for and against human relationships. Untutored critics often gibe that Wagner did not write melody. They should listen to Valküre and Meistersinger more attentively. Hearing the music and knowing the text also offers depth to ones own personality. Try Tristan (but only the second act) and gain an added dimension to humanity.

For those who are new to opera, I suggest starting with Tosca and then, say Madame Butterfly (with the most detestable "hero" in all opera) or La Boheme. Do not plunge into Wagner without preparation: you need acclimatisation to his music first; and it would add considerably to understanding if you were to read the texts at least in part.

[stlukesguild]

I love many operas and Callas is superb in some. But, Pollopicu, she does have a superior in Angela Georgiou. Actually, that is the wrong name: it should be Angela Gorgeous. There is a wonderful film of hers with Roberto Alagna, of course, that you should see.

Gheorghiu is certainly among the best today... although I lean toward Rene Fleming, Anne Sophie von Otter, and Magdalena Kozena myself... but I would not place her in Callas' category. Callas brought an intensity of emotion and drama to opera that was a revelation... especially to a body of operatic literature that was often dismissed as lightweight. Undoubtedly there were those who had a better voice... were blessed with a better instrument. Joan Sutherland (La Stupenda) must be first among these. It is what Callas did with her voice that made her something spectacular.

I would recommend again that anyone coming to opera for the first time might to best to explore the highlights in the form of the arias, duets and other pieces often collected in the manner of a recitals by leading performers. Among the female singers I would look especially for:

Maria Callas
Rene Fleming
Magdalena Kozena
Veronique Gens
Anne Sophie Von Otter
Janet Baker
Cecilia Bartoli
Gundula Janowitz
Kirsten Flagstad
Elizabeth Schwarzkopf
Emma Kirkby
Lucia Popp
Magdalena Kozena
Montserrat Caballe
Sandrine Piau
Elina Garanca
Anna Netrebko
Katherine Ferrier
Joan Sutherland
Natalie Dessay
Leontine Price
Victoria De Los Angeles
Renatta Scotto
Kathleen Battle
Beverly Sills
Christa Ludwig
Kiri Te Kanawa
Fredericka von Stade
Renata Tebaldi
Birgit Nilsson
Dawn Upshaw

Among the male performers I'd recommend:

Beniamino Gigli
Fritz Wunderlich
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau
Jussi Bjorling
Luciano Pavarotti
Placido Domingo
Thomas Quasthoff
Bryn Terfel
Andreas Scholl
Philippe Jaroussky
David Daniels
Hans Hotter
Kurt Moll
Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Roberto Alagna
Léopold Simoneau
Matthias Goerne
Jose van Dame
Franco Correlli

There are plenty more, but these are a good starting point. The ratings (star system) used on Amazon.com are pretty descent when it comes to classical music. You can use this to get an idea of the best recordings by a given artist... even if you purchase it elsewhere.

After an introduction to the highlights through such an approach, the next best step (to my mind) is to actually witness an opera in person. As Albion suggested, I would not jump into the deep end with something by Wagner... or Strauss or Mussorgsky or Stravinsky or Britten. You would so well to begin with something by Mozart (The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte, or the Magic Flute), Rossini (Cinderella, The Barber of Seville, etc...), Verdi, Donizetti, Bellini, or even Gluck or Handel... or Bizet's Carmen. I would actually avoid Puccini for the very reason that his operas are clearly modeled on Wagner's "musical dramas" as opposed to the earlier tradition where there is a clear differentiation between dialog, recitative, and arias/duets/choruses, etc... It makes sense to get a notion of the traditional form of opera before exploring Wagner and post-Wagnerian opera where the earlier forms are quite remade.

[kostaglatov]

hello all, interesting thread. Its impossible for me to concider a libretto without thinking about the music. I do not suggest that i am a musical scholar, but most, though not all librettos contain atleast some element that demands we sort of set a side our logical analysis and simply believe whats going on. And, it is the music which helps us do that. Do we believe that a man will sing goodbye to his coat, of course not, but we dont care. I love most everything by Verdi with the exeption of Falstaff, Ive never been able to sit through it. He should have quit after otello But i do not go to the opera bercause of the story line, i go because of the music, of perhaps i dont go because of the singers. I will tell you that my favorite opera is Rigoletto, perhaps because it was my first opera, and I happen to be partial to the baritone voice.. If i had to choose one aria that is my favorite, it would also depend on who is singing. I probably do not have one. But almost anything sung by Lawrence Tibbett, is in my opinion unmatched. If i were pressed I would say that his recording of the Cortigianni is the single most thrilling aria ever recorded. have a great day