Ilana had a great post on the best operas for newbies, and her list is spectacular! Truly great suggestions. In a perfect world, we’d all be introduced to opera in such an accessible way. Not everyone has their first operatic experience in such an easily digestible manner, however! Take me, for instance.
My first opera? A 17th century one! Monteverdi’s early masterpiece The Coronation of Poppea.
I was a sophomore in high school and I was mesmerized, perhaps most by the final duet of the opera.
Many are surprised when they discover that I began my foray into the world of classical singing and opera with an early Baroque work. The recitative, arioso, and aria structure is admittedly not the easiest for a high school student to digest. Monteverdi’s music, made all the difference. He created such bold musical characters through his music that I couldn’t help but be enraptured.
This opera contained all the necessary plot elements to excite a teenager: love, lust, revenge, anger, and moral decay. I was hooked.
We’ve talked about our ideal first operas, but what was YOUR first opera, dear reader? How did it affect you? Leave a comment below!
