Curated category
Operas
- OtelloGiuseppe Verdi decided to end his career as an opera composer in December 1871 after the premiere of Aida. He retreated into a decade-long retirement that…
- La traviataGiuseppe Verdi and Francesco Maria Piave stood at the edge of a new musical world in 1852. They had just seen a play called La Dame aux camélias performed by…
- La bohèmeThe Teatro Regio in Turin opened its doors on the 1st of February 1896 for a world premiere that would change opera history.
- Macbeth (Verdi)Giuseppe Verdi described the period from 1842 to 1858 as his galley years. He wrote to Clara Maffei on the 12th of May 1858 that he had never had one hour of…
- Der Ring des NibelungenRichard Wagner began writing the libretto for his Ring cycle in 1848. He continued composing music and text until 1874. This process spanned twenty-six years…
- Tristan und IsoldeRichard Wagner first conceived Tristan und Isolde in 1854, a year that marked a profound shift in his artistic life. He had fled to Zurich after the failed…
- Anna BolenaFelice Romani crafted the libretto for Anna Bolena after reading Ippolito Pindemonte's Enrico VIII ossia Anna Bolena and Alessandro Pepoli's Anna Bolena.
- The Magic FluteThe air inside the Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden grew thick with anticipation on the 30th of September 1791. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart stood before his…
- CarmenGeorges Bizet sat at his desk in Paris during the winter of 1873, staring at a blank page. He had just received a commission from the Opéra-Comique to write…
- La finta giardinieraWolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote La finta giardiniera in Munich during January 1775. He was only eighteen years old when he composed the score for this…
- The Marriage of FigaroEmperor Joseph II of Austria issued a direct order in 1784 that banned the German version of Beaumarchais's play The Marriage of Figaro.
- IdomeneoWolfgang Amadeus Mozart received a commission in 1780 from Karl Theodor, Elector of Bavaria. The Elector needed a new opera for the court carnival season.
- Don GiovanniWolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed the score for Don Giovanni on the 28th of October 1787, just one night before its world premiere.
- Falstaff (opera)Giuseppe Verdi stood at the threshold of his eightieth year in 1893, having composed twenty-six operas over more than fifty years.
- Così fan tutteThe Burgtheater in Vienna hosted the first performance of Così fan tutte on the 26th of January 1790. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart conducted this initial showing…
- Lucio SillaWolfgang Amadeus Mozart stood at the age of 16 when he composed Lucio Silla. The young composer wrote this Italian opera seria in three acts during a single…
- Lo sposo delusoWolfgang Amadeus Mozart began work on an opera titled Lo sposo deluso in 1783. The project started with a libretto written by Giuseppe Petrosellini for…
- Der SchauspieldirektorThe Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II issued a direct order in early 1786 that changed the course of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's career.
- Die Entführung aus dem SerailIn the western Mediterranean, North African Barbary corsairs hijacked ships belonging to Christian states under the pretext of jihad.
- Ascanio in AlbaThe year 1771 brought a specific command from Empress Maria Theresa to her court. She needed an opera for the wedding of her son, Archduke Ferdinand Karl.
- Mitridate, re di PontoWolfgang Amadeus Mozart stood in the city of Bologna during the summer of 1770. He was only fourteen years old when he began composing this opera seria.
- JerusalemGiuseppe Verdi transformed his 1843 Italian opera I Lombardi alla prima crociata into a French grand opera by adapting the libretto and restructuring the…