by The Dormouse

Created on: March 28, 2006   Last Updated: January 15, 2007

First of all, opera is my job, so you might think that I was one of those people who grew up "naturally" appreciating opera.

Wrong. It took me a long time to learn what I liked, and even now, I wouldn't say I like "opera" as a grouped-together set of every opera ever written.

I believe you can come to an understanding and appreciation of opera based on what kind of films you like. Operas have visceral and vivid plots, and can be as gripping as anything Tarantino has ever directed.

A few suggestions:

If you like romantic comedies, try:

Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart) - the story of a servant, Susannah, and her husband to be, Figaro, their employers, a sex-mad teenager, and Figaro's long lost parents.

The Bartered Bride (Smetana) - in which a young man thrown out by his stepmother manages to dupe the local marriage broker into giving him and his fiancee a huge dowry.

If you like blood and gore:

Elektra (Richard Strauss) - Elektra's mother murdered her father. She takes revenge.

Macbeth (Verdi) - based on the Shakespeare play. Witches, daggers and sleepwalking.

If you like tragedy:

Madam Butterfly (Puccini) - an impoverished Geisha takes part in a "marriage" with an American sailor on shore leave. She believes it to be real, and is devastated when she learns the truth.

La Traviata (Verdi) - Violetta Valery is the most celebrated courtesan in Paris. She finds true love, but is mortally ill (Moulin Rouge is based on La traviata, incidentally).

If you like Fantasy:

Die Zauberflote (Mozart) - a prince goes on a quest to rescue a princess that he has only seen in a painting. He is helped by a birdman, searching for a bird of his own.

Rusalka (Dvorak) - Rusalka, a water nymph, is desperate to become human so that she can win the love of a young prince she has seen hunting nearby. Her humanity is granted at a terrible price.

I've only picked two for each category, otherwise this answer will be pages long, but hopefully that will help you start looking at opera with different eyes, if not listening with different ears!
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Footnote - to correct the inaccurate story of "Carmen" given in another answer. Carmen, a gypsy, is imprisoned after a fight at the cigarette factory where she works. The solder who is assigned guard duty, Don Jose, falls hopelessly in love with her, and sets her free. She tires of him quickly, and her eye is caught by Escamillo, the bullfighter. Jose cannot forget her, and follows her to the arena, where a bullfight is taking place. She agrees to talk with him, but will not leave Escamillo. Jose stabs her, and waits over her body for an execution squad to come for him.

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