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Opera houses can be intimidating places, with their grand exteriors, formal \u2018dress codes\u2019 and multi-layered plot lines unravelling in foreign languages<\/a>. In recent years, however, opera companies have made moves to welcome new audiences in, with contemporary adaptations of centuries-old stories and surtitles providing English translations of the opera\u2019s libretto above the stage.<\/strong><\/p>\n But even in the stuffiest, oldest opera houses, there are a few operas that can be enjoyed by newbies and old timers alike. We\u2019ve picked out some of the best operas for beginners.<\/p>\n One of Mozart<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s best-loved operas, The Magic Flute <\/em><\/strong>tells the story of Prince Tamino, who is rescued from a monster, shown a photo of Pamina (daughter of the Queen of the Night) and, naturally, falls in love with her instantly. Classic operatic melodrama. Armed with his magic flute, he sets off on a mission to find and rescue her from the sorcerer Sarastro she is being held captive by. It\u2019s a classic story of love triumphing over evil \u2013 with a raft of tunes you\u2019ll no doubt already be familiar with.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/strong>We included The Magic Flute <\/em>in our round-up of the best Mozart operas<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n We named the best recordings of Mozart\u2019s The Magic Flute <\/em>here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n The \u2018Habanera\u2019 and the \u2018Toreador Song\u2019 from Bizet\u2019<\/a><\/strong>s Carmen <\/em>have both enjoyed success beyond the walls of the opera house, so will probably be familiar to you already. The opera itself is packed full of brilliantly catchy melodies and hummable tunes \u2013 and that\u2019s before you even consider its dramatic plotlines. Carmen is a brilliantly bold heroine: smoking, drinking and seducing her way around town. Don Jos\u00e9 falls instantly in love with her and ends up running away from the army to be with her. Shortly after, however, she grows tired of him and instead pursues the bullfighter Escamillo. The romance shifts to tragedy as Don Jo\u015be pursues her in a fit of jealousy, stabbing her at the amphitheatre where Escamillo is about to perform. She has become one of opera\u2019s most iconic characters.<\/p>\n In recent years, choreographer Matthew Bourne has created The Car Man<\/em>, a ballet based on Bizet\u2019s opera but with an entirely new plot, instead set in a garage in a small Italian American community in a midwestern town in the US.<\/p>\n We included Carmen <\/em>in our round-up of the best Bizet works<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re already a fan, here are our choices of what to listen to if you like Bizet\u2019s Carmen<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve seen the iconic movie Rent<\/em>, you\u2019ll find the plot of La boh\u00e9me <\/em>eerily familiar. Puccini\u2019<\/a><\/strong>s 1896 opera is such a timeless classic that Jonathan Larson used it as the basis for his 1996 musical. Just as we\u2019ve all been worried about the cost-of-living crisis, the characters of La boh\u00e8me <\/em>were too. The plot follows four bohemians living in Paris, whose worlds are turned upside down when Mim\u00ec knocks on their door and quickly falls in love with Rodolfo. We discover that Mim\u00ec is gravely ill and Rodolfo is unable to support her. It\u2019s a tragic story of young love, friendship, mortality and heartbreak.<\/p>\n Seven leading singers and directors named La boh\u00e8me <\/em>as one of Puccini\u2019s best operas<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n We named the best recordings of Puccini\u2019s La boh\u00e8me <\/em>here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Quite a few of our choices are rather tragic, but heightened emotions are the name of the game when it comes to opera. La traviata <\/em>is no different, telling the tragic love story between Alredo Germont and the courtesan Violetta. Set against the backdrop of a divided upper-class society, their love is illicit and threatens to destroy the Germont name. Again, it\u2019s helpful to have a film to hand for an entry into an opera \u2013 and, like La boh\u00e8me<\/em>, La Traviata <\/em>has enjoyed new life on the big screen. In 2001, its story was adapted for the film Moulin Rouge!<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\nBest operas for beginners and newbies\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Mozart\u2019s The Magic Flute<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Bizet\u2019s Carmen<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Puccini\u2019s La boh\u00e8me<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Verdi<\/a>\u2019s La traviata<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n
Rossini\u2019s The Barber of Seville<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n