WLists of operas cover operas, a form of theatre in which music has a leading role and the parts are taken by singers. There are general lists and lists by theme, country, medium and venue.
WThe Bayreuth canon consists of those operas by the German composer Richard Wagner (1813–1883) that have been performed at the Bayreuth Festival. The festival, which is dedicated to the staging of these works, was founded by Wagner in 1876 in the Bavarian town of Bayreuth, and has continued under the directorship of his family since his death. Although it was not originally held annually, it has taken place in July and August every year since the 75th anniversary season in 1951. Its venue is the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, which was built for the first festival. Attendance at the festival is often thought of as a pilgrimage made by Wagner aficionados.
WChristmas operas are operas which are thematically based on either the Nativity of Jesus or secular Christmas stories. The earliest Christmas operas appeared in the early 17th century, not long after the creation of the art form. Because of the ban on secular theatrical works during the season of Advent, these early Christmas operas, while elaborately staged, were based on religious themes relating to the Nativity. By the mid 19th century the ban on secular operas during Advent had ceased, and operas based on a wider array of Christmas themes, such as Santa Claus and King Wenceslaus, emerged. Several operas have been inspired by Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, including works by composers Bernard Herrmann and Thea Musgrave. The story of the Magi has also been the basis of several operas, including Gian Carlo Menotti's 1951 opera Amahl and the Night Visitors. Initially written for television performance, Menotti's opera has become the only modern Christmas opera to earn an enduring place in the live opera performance repertoire. In the 21st century, composer Kevin Puts' Silent Night (2011) achieved critical success and won the Pulitzer Prize for music in 2012.
WOperetta is a genre of light opera – light in terms of the subject matter and light in terms of the music itself. Operetta also shares many characteristics with musical theatre. The following is a list of composers who have written works in this genre:Paul Abraham 2 November 1892 (Apatin) – 6 May 1960 (Hamburg) Edmond Audran April 11, 1842 (Lyon) – August 17, 1901 (Tierceville) Joseph Beer May 7, 1908 (Gródek – November 23, 1987 Ralph Benatzky June 5, 1884 – October 16, 1957 Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990 Paul Burkhard December 21, 1911 – September 6, 1977 Mario Pasquale Costa July 24, 1858 – September 27, 1933 Charles Cuvillier April, 24, 1877 – February 14, 1955 Reginald De Koven April 3, 1859 – January 16, 1920 Rudolf Dellinger July 8, 1857 – September 24, 1910 Anton Diabelli September 6, 1781 – April 7, 1858 Nico Dostal November 27, 1895 – October 27, 1981 Mihály Erdélyi May 28, 1895 – January 27, 1979 Edmund Eysler March 12, 1874 – October 4, 1949 Leo Fall February 2, 1873 – September 16, 1925 Rudolf Friml December 7, 1879 – November 12, 1972 Richard Genée February 7, 1823 – June 15, 1895 Edward German February 7, 1862 – November 11, 1936 Kostas Giannidis 1903 – 1984 Jean Gilbert February 11, 1879 – December 20, 1942 Walter Goetze April 17, 1883 – March 24, 1961 Joseph Hellmesberger, Jr. April 9, 1855 – 26 April 1907 Victor Herbert February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924 Hervé June 30, 1825 – November 4, 1892 Richard Heuberger June 18, 1850 – October 28, 1914 Friedrich Heinrich Himmel November 20, 1765 – June 8, 1814
WThe contralto voice in opera and classical music has a range which typically lies between the F below middle C (F3) to two Fs above middle C (F5). In the lower and upper extremes, some contralto voices can sing from the E below middle C (E3) to two B♭s above middle C. The contralto voice has the lowest tessitura of the female voices and is noted for its rich and deep vocal timbre. True operatic contraltos are very rare. The following is a list of contralto singers who have regularly performed unamplified classical or operatic music in concert halls and/or opera houses.
WSpanish tenor Plácido Domingo has sung 151 roles in Italian, French, German, English, Spanish and Russian. His main repertoire however is Italian, French, and German. Domingo currently continues to add more operas to his repertoire. Since 2009, he has moved substantially into the baritone repertoire, especially focusing on Verdi baritone roles. In 2015, he made his most recent debuts as Macbeth at the Berliner Staatsoper, Don Carlo in Ernani at the Metropolitan Opera, and Gianni Schicchi at the Los Angeles Opera. Tim Page, a Pulitzer Prize-winner for music criticism, described Domingo in a 1996 Washington Post article as "the most versatile, intelligent and altogether accomplished operatic tenor now before the public."
WThis is an inclusive list of opera festivals and summer opera seasons, and music festivals which have opera productions. This list may have some overlap with list of early music festivals. Opera is part of the Western classical music tradition, and has long been performed for audiences on a large-scale format. It started in Italy at the end of the 16th century and soon spread through the rest of Europe. In the 18th century, Italian opera continued to dominate most of Europe, attracting foreign composers such as Handel. Opera seria was the most prestigious form of Italian opera, until Gluck reacted against its artificiality with his "reform" operas in the 1760s. Today the most renowned figure of late 18th century opera is Mozart, and his music is at times the featured attraction of opera and early music festivals.
WThis is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names.
WThis is a list of historical figures who have been characters in opera or operetta.
WThis is a list of notable opera houses listed by continent, then by country with the name of the opera house and city. The opera company is sometimes named for clarity.
WThis is a list of operas by Mexican composers. Many, but not all, of them premiered in Mexico. Amongst the operas which had their first performances abroad are Melesio Morales' Ildegonda, Daniel Catán's Florencia en el Amazonas, and Julio Estrada's Murmullos del páramo.
WThe early baroque opera L'Orfeo, composed by Claudio Monteverdi to a libretto by Alessandro Striggio the Younger, was first performed in 1607. It is Monteverdi's first opera, and one of the earliest in the new genre. In Monteverdi's hands, according to music historian Donald Jay Grout, "the new form [of opera] passed out of the experimental stage, acquiring ... a power and depth of expression that makes his music dramas still living works after more than three hundred years". In his work, Monteverdi incorporates the "speech-song" or recitative first used in Jacopo Peri's opera Dafne and Giulio Caccini's Euridice, both direct precursors of L'Orfeo, and adds solo arias, duets, ensembles, dances and instrumental interludes.
WOperas set against the background of the medieval Crusades can be found in the earliest examples of the art form and continue to be written into the 21st century. Many of the works listed here contain characters and plots based on real or legendary figures of the time such as Tancred, Prince of Galilee, Godfrey of Bouillon or Jaufre Rudel. The majority are set, at least in part, in the Holy Land and the surrounding region and deal with the conflicts between the Christians and Muslims. Others, such as Donizetti's Gabriella di Vergy, deal with the misadventures of knights returning from the Crusades. In the case of Gabriella di Vergy, Raoul de Coucy returns from the Third Crusade to find that his beloved Gabriella has married Lord Fayel. Following a duel, Fayel cuts out the heart of the unfortunate Raoul and presents it in an urn to Gabriella. The only comedy in the list, Rossini's Le comte Ory, recounts the attempts by Ory and his friends to seduce the Countess of Formoutiers and the women of her household while their men are away at the Crusades. Ory's ploy of dressing up as nuns to gain access to the women is foiled when the Crusaders return. Many of the libretti for the operas listed are based either directly or indirectly on Torquato Tasso's epic poem, La Gerusalemme liberata, or on Voltaire's tragic play, Zaïre.
WThis is a list of musicians who have both significant opera and pop elements in their music, even if they are not considered primarily operatic pop artists.
WOperas based on the Orphean myths, and especially the story of Orpheus' journey to the underworld to rescue his wife, Eurydice, were amongst the earliest examples of the art form and continue to be written into the 21st century. Orpheus, the Greek hero whose songs could charm both gods and wild beasts and coax the trees and rocks into dance, has achieved an emblematic status as a metaphor for the power of music. The following is an annotated list of operas based on his myth. The works are listed with their composers and arranged by date of first performance. In cases where the opera was never performed, the approximate date of composition is given.
WThe Repertory of the Vienna Court Opera under Gustav Mahler is an account of the ten years during which Gustav Mahler held the office of director and when he directed the productions of more than 100 different operas, of which 33 had not previously been staged at the Hofoper and three were world premieres. Another 55 were presented in either entirely new or substantially revised productions. In all, almost 3,000 performances took place at the Hofoper during Mahler's tenure, of which Mahler conducted more than 600.
WThis is an alphabetical list of past and current theatres and opera houses in Rome, Italy.
WThis a list of opera singers from Russian Federation, Soviet Union and Russian Empire including both ethnic Russians and people of other ethnicities. This list includes those, who were born in the Russian Federation/Soviet Union/Russian Empire but later emigrated, and those, who were born elsewhere but immigrated to the country and performed there for a long time.
WSalzburg Festival: history and repertoire, 1922-26 lists all opera productions of the Salzburg Festival in its founding years.
WThis is a list of the operas performed by Salzburg Festival during the music directorship of Arturo Toscanini and Bruno Walter (1935–1937). This period was ended by the invasion and annexation of the Republic of Austria by Nazi Germany in March 1938. Arturo Toscanini, an avid opponent of the Nazi regime, thereafter declined to come back to Salzburg. Bruno Walter was forced to flee to the United States.
WBelow is a complete list of the operas performed by The Santa Fe Opera since its inception in 1957. Only complete operas presented on stage with orchestra are listed. However, over the years, the company has also highlighted programs of opera scenes and one-act operas which showcase programs presented by the Apprentice Singers and Apprentice Technicians.
WThis is a chronological list of works known to have premiered at the Teatro Capranica in Rome. While the vast majority are operas, the list also includes oratorios, cantatas, and plays. The Capranica was originally built as a private theatre in 1679 and converted into a public theatre in 1694. The theatre was closed from 1699 to 1711 when there was a papal ban on public secular performances in Rome. There were other shorter periods of closure in the 18th and 19th centuries, and it definitively ceased operating as a full-scale theatre and opera house in 1881. In a much altered state, it now serves as a conference and event venue.
WThe first commercial opera in Venice was set up in 1637, after which at one point the city had six opera houses. This ushered in a period in which they throve until the decline in opera and theatre with the advent of television. Recently there has been a revival due to tourism and events such as the International Theatre Festival of the Biennale di Venezia.
WBelow is a complete list of the operas performed by Wexford Festival Opera since its inception in 1951. Only complete operas presented on stage with orchestra are listed; over the years, the Festival has also presented programmes of scenes from operas and one-act operas with piano accompaniment.
WZarzuela, is a lyric-dramatic art form which alternates between spoken and sung scenes. The latter incorporate both operatic arias and choruses and popular songs, as well as dance. The genre originated in Spain as a court entertainment in the 17th century and is still performed today, primarily in Spain, Latin America and the Philippines. The following is a list of composers who have written works in this genre.Pedro Acerden (Philippines) Daniel Alomía Robles January 3, 1871 (Huánuco) – 18 June 1942 (Lima) Francisco Alonso May 9, 1887 (Granada) – May 19, 1948 (Madrid) Emilio Arrieta October 21, 1823 – February 11, 1894 (Madrid) Francisco Asenjo Barbieri August 3, 1823 (Madrid) – February 19, 1894 (Madrid) Tomás Bretón December 29, 1850 (Salamanca) – December 2, 1923) (Madrid) Ramón Carnicer October 24, 1789 (Tàrrega) – March 17, 1855 (Madrid) José Castel 1737 – 1807 Ruperto Chapí March 27, 1851 (Villena) – March 25, 1909 (Madrid) Federico Chueca May 5, 1846 (Madrid) – July 20, 1908 (Madrid) Carlo Curti May 6, 1859 (Gallicchio) – 1926 Manuel de Falla November 23, 1876 (Cádiz) – November 14, 1946 Manuel Fernández Caballero March 14, 1835 (Murcia) – February 26, 1906 (Madrid) Joaquín Gaztambide February 7, 1822 (Tudela) – March 18, 1870 (Madrid) Gerónimo Giménez October 10, 1854 (Seville) – February 19, 1923 (Madrid) Jacinto Guerrero August 16, 1895 (Ajofrín) – September 15, 1951 (Madrid) Jesús Guridi September 25, 1886 (Vitoria-Gasteiz) – April 7, 1961 (Madrid) Lluís Jordá June 16, 1869 – September 20, 1961 (Barcelona) Ernesto Lecuona August 6, 1895 (Guanabacoa) – November 29, 1963 Antonio de Literes June 18, 1673 (Majorca) – January 18, 1747 (Madrid)