Who wrote the best operas ?

[Symbio]

Hello folks,<BR>Although my favorite composer definitively is Beethoven, I think his operas are -well- not as impressive as the rest of his work. Of course, his ouvertures - in my eyes - are still a class of its own, especially the one to 'Egmont' makes me shiver. Beethoven himself never was convinced of his own creations, e.g. he never really loved his Fidelio.<BR>Actually, that's the reason why I started listening to a larger variety of different operas of various composers. To summarize my impressions, I have the feeling that Giacomo Puccini is maybe the best composer of operas.<BR>For example his Turandot (I have an version of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, with Montserrat Caballe, Mirella Freni and Jose Carreras) is a real masterpiece, with all these impressionistic parts, e.g. 'Perche tarda la luna?' And then, of course, it has one of the best known arias of opera history, with Il Principe (Carrera) singing 'Nessun dorma!' - really moving.<BR>I'd like to know your opinion and hope you can help me enhancing my horizon concerning operas ? Who is your favorite composer or favorite opera ?<BR>

[serge urtizberea]

I'm not a fan of opera, and I know little about it. But I do know that Fidelio is now considered one of the finest operas ever written. Beethoven's only opera has made it as one of the opera world's crowning achievements; despite a lengthy and trying gestation period of 14 yrs (or so?), Beethoven can confidently rank his opera with those of fellow composers who spent their life writing virtually nothing but.<P>Fidelio is a rescue opera, a 'humanist drama' as I read it described once. It features strong female resourcefulness, the tenuous bonds of fidelity, and 'modern' views of oppression and penalty. By all regards, it was a very emotional, powerful opera based on a very emotional, powerful libretto. I don't think it can really be compared to some of the witheringly saccharine and abominably stereotyped stuff Mozart composed. Nor can it really be compared to the overwhelming overkill of a racist, narcissistic composer.<BR>

[Flowerboy]

I agree with the above post. If you want some good, heavy opera, check out Richard Wagner definitely. Especially "The Ring" which is forever long.<BR>Flowerboy

[LVBfurimmer]

Beethoven was very confident about his opera, thats why he revised it 3 times. And it IS considered one of the greatest operas ever written. Beethoven also had started another opera Vestes Feuer, but never finished. He also though of writing an opera, Macbeth. But I really dont have a favorite in opera, there is just too many. My favorites in opera are Mozart, Rossini, and Verdi.

[thrillhouse]

Verdi's La Traviata. <P>or how about LeonCavallo? I forgot what it's called.. the one about the sad clown... "Pagliacci?"<P>

[shostakovich]

Hi Symbio. I share your love for the Egmont Overture. I've heard it said that Beethoven treated the voice like an instrument rather than a voice, accounting for his lack of success in vocal writing as opposed to his greatness for orchestra. <BR>The merits of Fidelio (or any opera) are not always musical (the notes). We have story, acting, staging, libretto as well. If Fidelio is a great opera, it is not necessarily because it has great music.<BR>Now getting down to operas with great music, I'd go with Carmen as having the highest percentage of memorable music. It also has great story and libretto. As for acting, it's all Carmen's job. The other characters are only important as they relate to Carmen. They needn't (and maybe shouldn't) be great actors. <BR>The best after Carmen is a competition. I go for Faust (Gounod), Aida (Verdi), Tosca (Puccini), Boris Godunov (Mussorgsky), not necessarily in that order. The list is not exclusive. After reading Thrillhouse's comment, Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana go onto the list, too.<BR>Happy listening.

[Emster]

Hands down, Verdi. As a vocal performance student (mezzo), not only do I appreciate the great story lines, but he always throws a great mezzo role in there who is either a gypsy, prostitute, or just plain mean (Aida). I have no time for sappy sopranos.

[Peter]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Symbio:<BR>[B]Hello folks,<BR>Although my favorite composer definitively is Beethoven, I think his operas are -well- not as impressive as the rest of his work. Of course, his ouvertures - in my eyes - are still a class of its own, especially the one to 'Egmont' makes me shiver. Beethoven himself never was convinced of his own creations, e.g. he never really loved his Fidelio.>><P>SYMBIO:<P>Like Serge who posted after you, I know little of opera, but I am a disciple of Beethoven, and must correct your understanding of Beethoven`s own view of FIDELIO. His only opera was his favourite self-work. He never quite grasped why, in its day, it was never accepted as the towering masterpiece we now know it to be. He was desperate for the public to love it, to the point of revising it at least twice over a period in excess of 12 years.<P>FIDELIO`s bold themes of the struggle against oppression, female emancipation & the right to individual liberty were expressed, in its last revision, after Napoleon`s army had overrun Vienna, so part of the reason for the opera`s lack of success initially lay in the fact that it was an uncomfortable, if accidental, commentary on the events of the day.<P>But back to the point. How much did Beethoven love FIDELIO? When asked (much later) to reveal his own favourite work, he cited his opera as being his "crowning monument to martyrdom". <P>