Famous pieces recommended for opera beginners. Recommended opera songs.
Opera, also known as music drama or grand opera, is a genre considered the most comprehensive of the performing arts within classical music.
Among its famous pieces are Nessun dorma from Turandot and the Toreador Song from Carmen—melodies many people recognize even if they don’t know the operas themselves.
Opera has produced countless masterpieces, and here we’ll highlight introductory works that, by knowing the music, can serve as a gateway to understanding opera.
People often assume opera is difficult, but in fact its music is heard in everyday life and feels familiar.
As you learn about the stories and composers, you’ll find many themes that are engaging and relevant even today.
I’ve put together this list in the hope that more people will get to know it better.
I hope you’ll enjoy these works alongside great performances from around the world.
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Famous pieces recommended for opera newcomers. Recommended opera pieces (1–10)
Intermezzo from the opera Cavalleria RusticanaPietro Mascagni
Mascagni’s Italian opera Cavalleria rusticana is the work that sparked verismo.
Verismo refers to the late-19th-century movement of realism that rose in response to the fantastical, escapist tendencies of the late Romantic era.
It is a very beautiful piece, highly regarded as one of the most beautiful intermezzos in opera.
With no special technical demands, it is often performed on its own in orchestral concerts and serves as an entry point to operatic repertoire for many orchestral musicians.
The strings and the delicately singing oboe are magnificent, making it an ideal piece for performing with a keen sense of its beautiful harmonies.
“Cancan” from “Heaven and Hell”Jacques Offenbach
It’s a piece from a very famous operetta.
Many schools play it at sports days, so a lot of people have probably heard it.
It’s by Jacques Offenbach, who was born in Germany and was active mainly in France.
Among operas, those with spoken dialogue and dance accompanied by orchestra are called “operettas” (comic or light operas).
Offenbach is famous as the composer who shaped the prototype of the operetta.
The Can-Can, one of the numbers from Orpheus in the Underworld, is bright and exhilarating, so it’s often performed on its own at orchestral concerts.
“Maria and Draco” from the game Final Fantasy VIUematsu Nobuo
When you hear “opera in a video game,” it may be hard to imagine, but among gamers there’s a legendary, oft-discussed masterpiece themed around an opera.
It’s the opera ‘Maria and Draco’ featured in Final Fantasy VI, part of the globally popular Final Fantasy series created by Square Enix Co., Ltd.
In addition to the ambitious concept of staging an opera within a game, the music follows classical traditions while presenting a modern take on opera.
In-game, it’s a drama-like mini-opera with choices that change the content depending on the player’s selection, and it consists of four pieces: Overture, Aria, The Wedding Waltz ~ Duel, and Grand Finale.
Unlike traditional classical opera, it’s short—about 14 minutes even in orchestral performance—making it an excellent entry point for newcomers to experience the atmosphere of opera through a game.
Masterpieces recommended for opera beginners. Recommended opera pieces (11–20)
“Queen of the Night Aria” from the opera The Magic FluteWolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Among the most famous pieces in the opera The Magic Flute is a work in D minor that conveys intense emotion.
It is sung in the scene where the Queen of the Night orders her daughter Pamina to kill her arch-enemy Sarastro.
The aria demands extraordinary coloratura soprano virtuosity, including passages that reach up to F6, requiring advanced skill from the performer.
This piece holds a crucial place within the opera as a whole and leaves a powerful impression of the Queen of the Night’s character.
It has been featured in films such as Amadeus and The Fifth Element, and is widely known as an emblematic work of classical music.
It is a highly recommended piece for those interested in opera or eager to enjoy soprano virtuosity.
Prelude to Act I from the opera CarmenGeorges Bizet
It’s an orchestral piece that plays an important role as the opera’s prelude.
It evokes a passionate Spanish atmosphere and is acclaimed as a masterpiece that condenses the essence of the entire opera.
The march-like melody at the beginning is frequently used in TV programs and commercials, making it familiar to many people.
In a short span, it skillfully combines a variety of melodies, brilliantly foreshadowing the opera’s overall mood and themes.
It’s recommended both for those interested in opera but not yet familiar with it and as an entry point to classical music.
Since it’s a short piece of about two minutes, why not give it a casual listen?
Méditation from the opera ThaïsJules Massenet
Known as the violin solo masterpiece Méditation from Thaïs, this piece is an intermezzo from the opera Thaïs by the French composer Jules Massenet.
In opera, not only overtures and arias but also intermezzi like this can become famous; another well-known example is the Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana.
The secret to this piece’s popularity lies in the violin’s beautiful, delicate melody and the fact that, as a solo, it’s actually relatively approachable to play, making it a staple in the repertoire of many violinists.
Even those unfamiliar with the opera Thaïs often know this piece, so why not explore the rest of Thaïs starting from this work?
Overture to Ruslan and LyudmilaMikhail Glinka
It’s a very dazzling opera masterpiece.
Mikhail Glinka is one of the composers of the Russian national school.
Ruslan and Lyudmila is a fairy-tale opera that incorporates characteristics of Russian folk music.
In the 19th century, when Glinka was active, the idea of “nationalism” was on the rise; as European centers expanded imperialism, surrounding regions were motivated to protect their own cultures, which became a major impetus.
The orchestra opens tutti, with the strings playing a passage that seems to surge upward.
The woodwinds pick up the phrases in pursuit, the strings also sing out, and the piece maintains a sense of breathless drive throughout.
Looking at the score, every part is written to connect the phrases; while it’s delightful to listen to, the performers are often quite strained.
You can’t help but want to shout “bravo” to an orchestra that plays it through so brilliantly.