THE 50 MOST FAMOUS OPERAS IN HISTORY - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The most famous operas stand out for having achieved an excellent combination of both resources on stage. Opera is a theatrical genre in which the stage action is sung and has musical accompaniment.

Here is a selection of the best works of this genre, the most acclaimed and played in history, whose authors are mostly composers of romanticism and baroque.

The most important operas

1- The Barber of Seville

This opera composed by Gioachino Rossini is one of the funniest and most famous two-act operas of all time, its libretto is based on a 1775 comedy bearing the same name and whose author is Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais.

Its premiere took place on February 20, 1816 at the Teatro Argentina located in Rome and was one of the first Italian operas to be presented in the United States (premiered at the Park Theater in New York on November 29, 1825).

The plot tells the story of a loving couple made up of the Count of Almaviva and the young orphan Rosina, who uses the help of the Barber Figaro to unite them in marriage.

His characters are: Figaro (barber) baritone. Don Bartolo (doctor, Rosina's tutor) under buff. Rosina (young orphan) mezzo-soprano. The Count of Almaviva (noble) tenor. Fiorello (Almaviva's servant) low. Don Basilio (music teacher) bass and Berta (Don Bartolo's maid) mezzo-soprano.

2- Rigoletto

Its authorship belongs to Giussepe Verdi and it is an intense drama of passion, deception, filial love and revenge that was premiered on March 11, 1815 at the La Fenice theater in Venice. His libretto is written in Italian by Francesco Maria Piave.

The protagonist is Rigoletto, a hunchbacked jester from the court of the Duchy of Mantua who will be involved in a drama where passion, deception, revenge and filial love abound.

The play is based on the theatrical play "Le Rois'amuse" by Victor Hugo and the story unfolds in the city of Mantua, Italy during the 16th century.

It has three acts: the first takes place in a room in the duke's palace, the second in the room and the third on the banks of the Mincio river. Its characters are: Duke of Mantua (lyrical tenor), Rigoletto, jester of the Duke (dramatic baritone), Gilda, daughter of Rigoletto (lyric soprano or light soprano), Giovanna, Gilda's maid (mezzo-soprano), Sparafucile, sicario (bass), Maddalena, sister of Sparafucile (mezzo-soprano or contralto) among others.

3- La Traviata

This three-act play was also composed by the Italian Giuseppe Verdi and has a libretto by Francesco María Piave based on the play “The Lady of the Camellias” by Alejandro Dumas (son).

Its premiere took place on March 6, 1853 and it turned out to be a failure which caused no surprises for the composer because from the beginning he had doubts about the cast of actors selected by the direction of the Teatro de la Fenice in Venice.

A year after the failure he returned to the city, but this time to the San Benedetto theater and from that moment on it became an emblematic and highly successful work, with recognition in the genre of all time. As a curiosity the piece was called at the beginning "Violetta" after the name of the main character.

Set around 1700, it is based on the life of a Parisian courtesan, Alphonsine Plessis. Her characters are: Violeta Valery, soprano, Alfredo Germont (lover), tenor, Giogio Germont (Alfredo's father), baritone Flora Vervoix (the friend), mezzo-soprano Anina (the maiden), soprano Doctor Grenvil, bass Baron Douphol, baritone.

4- Don Pasquale

Work of three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. It has a libretto by Donizetti himself and Giovanni Ruffini and is based on the opera “Ser Marco Antonio” by the composer Stefano Pavesi.

It was premiered on January 3, 1843 at the Théatre Italien in Paris and on January 4, 1845 at the Teatro de la Cruz in Madrid, Spain.

Its most notable characters are Don Pasquale, a man in his seventies, greedy, Ernesto, Don Pasquale's nephew, in love with Norina and the false notary, a friend of Malatesta.

5- Don Carlo

Five-act opera with music by Giuseppe Verdi. It has a libretto in French by François Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle and is based on the drama DomKarlos, Infant von Spanien.

6- Paggliacci

A two-act drama with a prologue, music and a notebook by Italian composer Ruggero Leoncavallo, it is about the tragedy of a jealous husband.

7- The bat

It is a three-act comic operetta by John Strauss with a libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, based on the French libretto “Le réveillon”.

In just six weeks Johan Strauss produced the score for this operetta. Composer and conductor F. von Weingartner stated: "The Bat is not the best operetta: it is the operetta."

8- The daughter of the regiment

It is a two-act comic opera capable of lifting any mood, with music by Gaetano Donizetti and a libretto in French by Jean François Bayard and JH Vernoy de Saint-Georges.

It is based on a play by Gollmick and premiered on February 11, 1840 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris.

His characters are: Marie, Girl adopted by the 21st regiment. Light soprano. Tonio, Tyrolean peasant, in love with Marie. Lyrical-light tenor. Sulpice, command sergeant of the regiment. Baritone or bass bufo. The Marchioness of Berkenfield, a lady who pretends to be Marie's aunt, when in fact she is her mother, etc.

9- Madama Butterfly

It is another of Giacomo Puccini's most famous works, it has three acts and is based on the short story "Madame Butterfly."

10- Tosca

Three-act opera with music also by Giacomo Puccini and libretto in Italian by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.

It is one of the most representative operas of the Italian verista repertoire, it has dramatic intensity and contains beautiful arias.

11- Otello

Adapted by Giuseppe Verdi, it is a very timeless Shakespearean tragedy that tells a story of betrayal, love and jealousy.

12- The magic flute

Divided into two acts, its music is by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the German bookseller is by Emanuel Schikaneder, it is the composer's last staged opera.

13- Carmen

Four-act dramatic opera has music by Georges Bizet and a French libretto by Ludovic Halévy and Henri Meilhac. It is based on the novel Carmen by Prosper Mérimée.

14- The wedding of Figaro

A four-act comic opera also by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has a libretto in Italian by Lorenzo da Ponte, based on the play “Le Mariage de Figaro” by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais.

Composed between 1785 and 1786, it was premiered on May 1, 1786 under the direction of the composer.

15- La boheme

It is one of Puccini's most beautiful melodramatic works, created with magnificent balance and an excellent libretto. He mixes comedy with drama and has one of the best deaths in opera.

16- Aida

It consists of four acts with music by Giuseppe Verdi and a libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on “Camille du Locle”.

17- The Valkyrie

This three-act opera has music by the German Richard Wagner and is inspired by Norse mythology, specifically the Volsunga and the Poetic Edda.

18- Salome

Famous for its dance of the seven veils and its final scene where Salome declares her love for the severed head of John the Baptist.

The music is by Richard Strauss and the libretto is based on Hedwig Lachmann's German translation of Oscar Wilde's Salomé.

19- Tristan and Isolde

Also Richard Wagner, this piece has a libretto by the same composer.

It is considered one of the most representative works of Wagner and is based on the story of Gottfried von Strassburg from the year 1210 and on the love that the composer felt for Mathilde Wesendonck who was the wife of his protector, the banker Wesedock.

20- Nabuco

This lyrical tragedy divided into four parts features music by Giuseppe Verdi and a book in Italian by Temistocle Solera.

It was based on the Old Testament and on the work Nebuchadnezzar by Francis Cornue and Anicète Bourgeois. It was premiered on March 9, 1842 at La Scala in Milan.

21- Standard

It is one of the best known operas by Bellini and also one of the most relevant romantic operas. Considered an example of the greatest height of the bel canto tradition, it has two acts with music and a libetto in Italian by FeliceRomani. It is recognized for having a very original final act in terms of its orchestration.

22- Fra Diavolo

This comic opera has three acts composed by Daniel Auber with a libretto by Eugène Scribe.

It deals with the life of a Neapolitan guerrilla and military leader, MichelePezza, who was active in southern Italy in the period 1800-1806, this leader was nicknamed "FraDiavolo" or Brother Devil.

It was Auber's greatest success and also catapulted as one of the most popular works of the 19th century.

23- The Huguenots

It is a five-act opera with music by Giacomo Meyerbeer and lyrics by Scribe, it was premiered in Paris on February 29, 1836.

It is based on the history of the Huguenots and ends with the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572, where Catholics murdered thousands of French Protestants (Huguenots) in order to exterminate Protestant influence.

24- Faust

This five-act opera has music by Charles Gounod and a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. It is an adaptation of the theatrical piece "Faust et Marguerite" by Barbier and Carré.

25- Ernani

This work has four acts and the music was in charge of the composer Giuseppe Verdi with a libretto written by Francesco Maria Piave, inspired by a drama by Victor Hugo (titled Hernani, this work introduced romanticism in Paris and ended the conventions of the theater French classic).

Its premiere was held at the Teatro la Fenice in Venice on March 9, 1844. It was very successful from the beginning, especially because it had a lot of melodic richness.

26- The white lady

This three-act piece is by François-Adrien Boieldieu and its libretto was written by Eugène Scribe. It was based on three episodes from at least five different novels by Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott.

It incorporates characteristics of Gothic romance, typical Scottish settings, a missing heiress, mystery, castles, a hidden fortune and spooky elements.

27- Fidelio

It is the only opera that was composed by Beethoven and was inspired by his passion for political freedom.

28- Macbeth

It is considered the first Shakespeare of Verdi, this composer admired the English and composed three operas based on his theatrical works, including "Macbeth".

29- Turandot

This three-act opera with music by Giacomo Puccini and Italian libretto by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni was left unfinished after Puccini's death and was completed by Franco Alfano.

30- Eugenio Oneguin

It is the most popular opera by the composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and also from his country, Russia. It is based on the novel by Aleksandr Pushkin.

31- Il trovatore (The traovador)

It is an opera in four acts with music by Giuseppe Verdi and a libretto in Italian by Salvatore Cammarano, based on the play El trovador (1836) by Antonio García Gutiérrez.

32- Dido and Aeneas

Dido and Aeneas (original English title, Dido and Aeneas) is an opera in three acts with music by Henry Purcell and a libretto in English by the playwright and poet Nahum Tate (1652-1715), based on his tragedy Brutus of Alba or The Enchanted Lovers and in Canto IV of Virgil's Aeneid.

33- The Knight of the Rose

The Knight of the Rose (original title in German, Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59) is a comic opera in three acts with music by Richard Strauss and a libretto in German by Hugo von Hofmannsthal and the same composer.

34- Idomeneo, king of Crete

Idomeneo, king of Crete (original title in Italian, Idomeneo, re di Creta ossia Ilia e Idamante, KV 366) is a serious opera in three acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Italian libretto by Giambattista Varesco, according to a French text by Antoine Danchet, played by André Campra as Idoménée in 1712.

35- Parsifal

Parsifal is a sacred stage festival, Bühnenweihfestspiel, as defined by its author Richard Wagner, in three acts, with music and libretto in German, composed by himself.

36- The twilight of the gods

The Twilight of the Gods is an opera in three acts and a prologue with music and libretto in German by Richard Wagner, the fourth and last of the operas that make up the cycle of The Ring of the Nibelung (Der Ring des Nibelungen).

37- The Poacher

The Poacher (original title in German, Der Freischütz) is an opera in three acts with music by Carl Maria von Weber and a German libretto by Friedrich Kind.

38- The elixir of love

The Elixir of Love (original title in Italian, L'elisir d'amore) is a comic opera in two acts with music by Gaetano Donizetti and Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on the libretto Le philtre (1831) by Eugène Scribe for the opera by Daniel-François Auber.

39- The Fable of Orpheus

The Fable of Orpheus (original title in Italian: La favola d'Orfeo) is an opera composed of a prologue and five acts with music by Claudio Monteverdi and a libretto in Italian by Alessandro Striggio the Younger.

40- Cavalleria rusticana

Cavalleria rusticana (original title in Italian; in Spanish, Rustic Nobility or Rustic Chivalry) is a one-act melodrama with music by Pietro Mascagni and Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, based on a short story by the novelist Giovanni Verga.

41- The rapture in the seraglio

The Rapture from the Seraglio (original title in German, Die Entführung aus dem Serail, KV 384) is a singspiel in three acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and a German libretto by Gottlieb Stephanie, who adapted another libretto by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner.

42- Lohengrin

Lohengrin is a romantic opera in three acts with music and libretto in German by Richard Wagner. It was premiered at the Großherzoglichen Weimar Theater on August 28, 1850, and directed by Franz Liszt.

43- The Queen of Spades

The Queen of Spades (original title in Russian, Пиковая дама, Píkovaya dama, Op. 68) is an opera in three acts with music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Russian libretto by Modest Tchaikovsky (brother of the composer) based on the homonymous tale of Alexander Pushkin.

44- Wozzeck

Wozzeck is a three-act opera with music and libretto in German by the Austrian composer Alban Berg. It is the first and most famous of his operas.

45- Fights and Melisande

Peleas y Melisande (original French title Pelléas et Mélisande) is an opera in five acts with music by Claude Debussy, and a libretto in French by the same composer and Maurice Maeterlinck, on a theatrical piece by the latter.

46- The Gold of the Rhine

The Gold of the Rhine (original title in German: Das Rheingold) is an opera in four frames with music and libretto in German by Richard Wagner, the first of the four operas that make up the cycle of The Ring of the Nibelung (Der Ring des Nibelungen).

47- William Tell

Guillermo Tell (original title in French, Guillaume Tell) is an opera in four acts with music by Gioachino Rossini and libretto in French by Étienne de Jouy and Hippolyte Bis, based on the play Wilhelm Tell by Friedrich Schiller that stars the legendary hero of Swiss independence William Tell.

48- Rusalka

Rusalka is an opera in three acts with music by Antonín Dvořák and a libretto in Czech by Jaroslav Kvapil (1868-1950), premiered in Prague on March 31, 1901.

49- Lakmé

Lakmé is an opera in three acts with music by Léo Delibes and a libretto in French by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille, based on the novel Rarahu ou Le Mariage (Rarahu or Marriage), by Pierre Loti (1880).

50- Hoffmann's Tales

The Tales of Hoffmann (original title in French, Les contes d'Hoffmann) is an opera in three acts, with a prologue and epilogue, music by Jacques Offenbach and a French libretto by Jules Barbier.

References

1. Cafelli, Paolo (2010). The 10 best operas of all time: bellomagazine.com.
2. Find out what the "Barber of Seville" is about: elcivico.com.
3. Don Pasquale: laopera.net.
4. The Barber of Seville. radioclasica.com, operamania.com.
5. The bat, J. Strauus: guiadeviena.com.
6. Madama Butterfly: operamania.com.
7. La boheme: iopera.es.
8. La traviatta - Synopsis: operamania.com.
9. La Fille du Regiment: laopera.net.
10. The Magic Flute: classicworld.at.
11. La Tosca: operamania.com, kareol.es.
12. Synopsis of Don Carlos: pianomundo.com.ar.
13. Wagner: The Valkyrie, laopera.net.