The most famous operas in history
The top 3 according to 79 votes from people: La traviata · Carmen · Tosca. (Updated Jan 13, 2024.)
The operas staged most often in theatres around the world and on every list, from Mozart to Puccini.
Automatically translated (original in Español). See the original
Top 21
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1
La traviata
Giuseppe Verdi, 1853. Violetta, the courtesan in love; among the most performed in the world.
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2
Carmen
Georges Bizet, 1875. Seville, a cigarette girl and the "Habanera".
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3
Tosca
Puccini, 1900. Love, politics and betrayal in Rome.
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4
Madama Butterfly
Puccini, 1904. A young Japanese woman waiting for an officer who never returns.
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5
Nabucco
Verdi, 1842. The chorus of the Hebrew slaves, "Va, pensiero".
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6
The Barber of Seville
Gioachino Rossini, 1816. Figaro's "Largo al factotum".
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7
Rigoletto
Verdi, 1851. The hunchbacked jester and "La donna è mobile".
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8
The Ring of the Nibelung
Wagner, first staged complete in 1876. Four operas and about fifteen hours.
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9
The Magic Flute
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1791. The Queen of the Night and her impossible aria.
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10
Otello
Verdi, 1887. Shakespeare turned into opera in his maturity.
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11
Turandot
Puccini, 1926. The ice princess and "Nessun dorma".
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12
Aida
Verdi, 1871. Egypt, an Ethiopian slave and the triumphal march.
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13
La bohème
Giacomo Puccini, 1896. Poor artists in 19th-century Paris.
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14
The Marriage of Figaro
Mozart, 1786. A comedy of intrigue with a libretto by Da Ponte.
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15
Don Giovanni
Mozart, 1787. The seducer who ends up in hell.
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16
L'Orfeo
Claudio Monteverdi, 1607. One of the first operas ever.
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17
Lucia di Lammermoor
Donizetti, 1835. The famous mad scene.
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18
Norma
Vincenzo Bellini, 1831. The druid priestess and "Casta diva".
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19
Cavalleria rusticana
Pietro Mascagni, 1890. Jealousy in a Sicilian village; the famous intermezzo.
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20
L'elisir d'amore
Gaetano Donizetti, 1832. The comedy with "Una furtiva lagrima".
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21
Tristan und Isolde
Richard Wagner, 1865. The chord that changed music.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (5)
El anillo entero es una maratón pero merece la pena una vez en la vida
Tosca arriba del todo me parece perfecto, el segundo acto es puro thriller
falta Wozzeck, aunque entiendo que no es para todos los públicos jaja
Vi Carmen en el Liceu hace años y todavía me acuerdo de la Habanera
Para empezar con la ópera yo recomendaría La traviata o La bohème, son las más fáciles de querer