The Meistersinger are perhaps Wagner’s greatest stroke of genius. The musical themes are dazzling, the orchestration and compositional technique is masterful, the plot is originally designed, and with Hans Sachs, Wagner has created a unique role-portrait.
Nicolai’s comedy combines elements of Italian opera buffa and early German Romanticism. The overture, the drinking song, beautiful ensembles and the moon choir still inspire today and make it the main work of the German Singspiel of the Biedermeier period.
Rossini’s Tell is a great work, yet it is not often performed, the scenic effort and casting difficulties are too great. Nevertheless, it is one of the most influential operas that has co-founded the modern tenor and the Grand Opéra.
Wozzeck is the most important opera of atonal music of the 21st century and the first full-length work of this style. Berg shows himself to be a great dramatist who continues to captivate audiences with this work to this day.
This work belongs to the great operas of the 20th century. Korngold once again evokes the intoxication of late romantic music, narcotic in its opulence and melancholy.
“l’incoronazione di Poppea” inspires with a gripping plot with people made of flesh and blood. It is THE masterpiece of the early baroque period and Monteverdi presents himself as a mature master and innovative creator, who significantly influenced the history of opera with this “dramma per musica”. Even today not only the final duet still moves the hearts of the listeners.
At the peak of his ability as a composer and in a two-month creative frenzy, Tchaikovsky composed a true masterpiece based on a libretto of his brother Modest and a novel of Pushkin.
Orfeo is the oldest opera that has been in the repertoire without interruption and is one of the most influential works in the history of opera. And with “che faro senza Euridice” he has succeeded in creating the first mega-hit in operatic history.
Rinaldo is Handel’s opera with the most hits and a firework of beautiful arias and stage effects. It is unbelievable that this opera was a Sleeping Beauty sleep for 200 years.
The Rosenkavalier offers music lovers two of the most sublime scenes in the entire opera literature. The presentation of the silver rose and the closing scene are to be mentioned. Like Mozart, Strauss was a composer for female voices and with this opera he created with the Marschallin, Sophie and Octavian three immortal roles for sopranos. The three different female leading roles were often played by the same singers throughout their careers: Octavian and Sophie at a young and middle age, the Marschallin in more mature years.