RAG MusicClassic
Lovely classics

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.

Masterpieces recommended for opera beginners. Recommended opera pieces (31–40)

The Flight of the BumblebeeNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Rimsky-Korsakov (arr. Mariko Endo) Flight of the Bumblebee – Virtuoso Version, Aile Orchestra
The Flight of the BumblebeeNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Rimsky-Korsakov is also one of the composers of the Russian national school.

Not only did he leave behind excellent works as a composer, but he also nurtured composers such as Prokofiev and Stravinsky.

This famous piece is one of the numbers from The Tale of Tsar Saltan.

Put on your costume.Ruggero Leoncavallo

Ruggero Leoncavallo, Pagliacci: “Vesti la giubba” — Franco Corelli
Put on your costume.Ruggero Leoncavallo

Leoncavallo was an opera composer from Naples, Italy.

After studying at a music school in Naples, he became a composer.

The opera Pagliacci, which includes this piece, is his representative work.

He also left many works as a librettist, but the only opera that became a hit was Pagliacci.

my late motherUmberto Giordano

Giordano “Andrea Chénier” “La mamma morta” Maria Callas
my late motherUmberto Giordano

There are many famous people named Giordano, but the opera composer is Umberto Giordano.

Umberto Giordano was also a writer of verismo (realist) opera.

His greatest success is Andrea Chénier, which depicts the life of the poet of the same name.

Overture “In Spain”Maurice Ravel

Ravel: L’heure espagnole – Introduction (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Lorin Maazel)
Overture “In Spain”Maurice Ravel

Maurice Ravel, a composer of French Impressionist music, is a renowned figure alongside Satie and Debussy.

Ravel’s opera L’heure espagnole (The Spanish Hour) is a one-act work lasting less than an hour, characterized by strong comedic elements.

“Trio” from Der RosenkavalierRichard Strauss

Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier “Trio” — conducted by Böhm
"Trio" from Der RosenkavalierRichard Strauss

There are several famous classical composers named Strauss, but the opera Der Rosenkavalier is the work of Richard Strauss, a composer active during the late German Romantic period.

This opera, Der Rosenkavalier, is known as one of the masterpieces of fairy-tale opera.