| Opera is one of the oldest forms of musical | | | | the compelling tale of a soldier who falls in love |
| entertainment, actually dating back to the 1500's. | | | | with Carmen, a beautiful factory worker. |
| And although many modern music fans dismiss | | | | Rigoletto: The story of a court jester's |
| opera as antiquated and theatrical, opera lovers | | | | complicated efforts to save his daughter from |
| understand the timeless appeal of its musical | | | | the evils of aristocracy, composed by the famous |
| majestry. | | | | Italian master, Verdi. |
| If one digs a little deeper while examining the | | | | Aida: Also by Verdi, a particularly moving story of |
| merits of opera, it's clear there are many | | | | an ambitious military officer who yearns for Aida, |
| commonalities between our daily lives and this | | | | the servant of an Egyptian princess. |
| musical genre. Opera, after all, is a story. A story | | | | La Traviata: Perhaps Verdi's most well known |
| of two people in love, a romance gone bad, or | | | | work, the title translated means "the woman who |
| maybe a happy ending that warms the heart. | | | | strayed". Two lovers ultimately reunite, but fate |
| Simply put, opera is a reflection of daily life, and | | | | takes a hand. |
| something that resonates within all of us. | | | | Don Giovanni: Another Mozart composition, Don |
| So just for fun, let's look at a list of the Top 10 | | | | Giovanni is the story of an unrepetant nobleman |
| operas of all time, and a brief plot summary of | | | | who dodges numerous attempts by his enemies |
| each. See if you agree! In no particular order, | | | | to extract revenge. |
| here's one man's list: | | | | Barber of Seville: Probably the most popular comic |
| The Marriage of Figaro: A Mozart composition, | | | | opera of all time, by Italian composer Rossini. The |
| The Marriage of Figaro is a follow up of sorts to | | | | protagonist and local barber, Figaro, helps a local |
| another opera on this list, The Barber of Seville. | | | | aristocrat win a lady's hand. |
| The story recounts one day's worth of events in | | | | Tosca: Composed by Puccini, this is the story of a |
| a Spanish castle, and the tangled love story | | | | jealous beauty who swears revenge, but is met |
| between a countess, count, and two young | | | | with dramatic consequences. |
| subjects who plan to be wed. | | | | Madame Butterfly: Also by Puccini, Madame |
| Tristan and Isolde: Composed by Richard Strauss, | | | | Butterfly is arguably the best known opera of all |
| telling the tale of a Cornish prince and an Irish | | | | time. It tells the tale of a United States Navy |
| princess who share a timeless passion and | | | | lieutenant and his Japanese geisha wife. |
| ultimately, the same fate. | | | | Is your favorite opera on this list? If not, go |
| Carmen: One of the world's most performed | | | | ahead and have a little fun ... develop your very |
| operas, by French composer Bizet. This story tells | | | | own Top 10 List of wonderful opera classics! |