Opera

Opera

From Baroque masterpieces by Monteverdi and Handel, through to hummable songs by Mozart, Verdi's works of Italian genius, Puccini, Wagner... with over 400 years of history, it's no surprise opera makes up some of the most famous classical music in the world.

What is opera?

Opera, put simply, is a play set to music. Singers, orchestral musicians, actors, costume designers, stage managers, and a whole host of people behind-the-scenes go to create these dramatic stage performances, which are often packed with the highest and lowest emotions. Expect love, tragedy, heartbreak, confusion, humour, and almost everything in-between - and everyone's so overwhelmed with their feelings they simply HAVE to break into song.

Introduction to opera

The 20 best operas of all time, according to Classic FM presenters.

The 20 greatest operas ever written

The greatest opera singers of all time

25 best opera singers of all time

Incredible black opera singers

11 black opera singers you should know about

Who was Luciano Pavarotti? Facts about the legendary Italian tenor

Who was Luciano Pavarotti? How this Italian tenor became the world’s most famous opera star

Luciano Pavarotti

Greatest opera venues in the world

12 of the best opera venues around the world

Famous opera plot guides

Don Giovanni: A beginner's guide to Mozart's operas

Puccini's Tosca: a beginner's guide

Britten's Peter Grimes: a beginner's guide

The Magic Flute: A beginner's guide to Mozart's operas

Puccini's Madama Butterfly: a beginner's guide

Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro: a beginner's guide

Dido and Aeneas: a synopsis in pictures

Puccini's La Bohème: a beginner's guide

Features

Soprano Lesley Garrett sings Bizet’s ‘Habanera’ in dramatic shopping centre flashmob

Soprano Lesley Garrett sings Bizet’s ‘Habanera’ in dramatic shopping centre flashmob

Lesley Garrett

Ralph Fiennes to direct his first opera in Paris' magnificent Palais Garnier

Ralph Fiennes to direct his first opera in Paris’ magnificent Palais Garnier

Tchaikovsky

Young penguin steals the show with Puccini in Happy Feet Two

When a tiny penguin sang Puccini’s impassioned ‘E lucevan le stelle’ in Happy Feet Two

Puccini

Edward Gardner apologies for making ‘Mafia’ comment about Naples opera house chorus

Edward Gardner apologises for making ‘Mafia’ comment about Naples opera house chorus

A new opera, ‘Mrs T’, will be released this year to mark the centenary of the British Prime Minister’s birth.

First ever opera about Margaret Thatcher’s time as prime minister hits the stage

Christopher Macchio will sing at the Inauguration.

Who is Christopher Macchio, the operatic tenor singing the national anthem at the US inauguration?

Download Classic FM's Opera Classics

50 Opera Classics

50 Opera Classics

More Genres

See more More Genres

Film & TV

Video game music

Ballet

Light music

National anthems