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Suggested Favorites for Newbies

Musical Recordings

	Mozart—Le Nozze di Figaro This high-spirited opera buffa was considered scandalous and subversive when first performed in the late eighteenth century. It focuses on one crazy day in the household of Count Almaviva and is filled with questionable fidelity, mistaken identities, and servants who outwit their master in this story about love and class politics, based on the equally scandalous Beaumarchais play. Come see BLO's performance of Le nozze di Figaro in Spring 2007
	Mozart—Don Giovanni Neither completely a comedy nor a tragedy, this opera is based on the legendary figure Don Juan. After a life spent seducing women he must finally confront the consequences of his actions when the spirit of a man he murdered returns seeking vengeance. Mozart seamlessly blends humor with the libertine’s defiance of moral judgment in one of opera’s most famous moments of ethical conflict.
	Verdi--Rigoletto Rigoletto, the Duke of Mantua’s jester, is an unconventional hero who inspires both contempt and sympathy. When the profligate Duke turns his attentions to Rigoletto’s daughter, the one person for whom the jester cares, Rigoletto’s attempts to protect her fail because of his inability to wrest power from a corrupt authority—or possibly, as he believes, as the result of a vengeful curse.
	Puccini—La Bohème A group of starving artists live together in a Parisian garret in 1830. When the fragile Mimi knocks on their door and meets Rodolfo, they enter a roller-coaster love affair amidst the gaiety of Paris and the hardship of poverty while the shadow of Mimi’s illness looms over them. This popular story of doomed lovers features some of Puccini’s most beloved and memorable melodies.
	Verdi--La Traviata Another tragic tale of love and consumption, this time demonstrating the superior nobility of a courtesan over an aristocrat. Violetta is surrounded by dazzling parties but only finds real happiness with Alfredo. Their idyllic love affair is cut short when Violetta leaves so as not to tarnish his name with her reputation; Alfredo spurns her as a fallen woman and does not learn the truth of her sacrifice until it is too late.
	Rossini--Barber of Seville Figaro, the local barber, is famous for his many skills--not the least of which is match-making. When Count Almaviva enlists his help in winning over Rosina from her warden Dr. Bartolo, they embark on a string of hilarious schemes that showcase Figaro’s ingenuity. Rossini’s music is an ebullient mixture of opera buffa and bel canto elements in this story taken from the same Beaumarchais trilogy that was the basis for Le Nozze di Figaro. Come see our children's opera performance of The Barber of Seville in Spring 2007
	Bizet—Carmen Carmen is a fiery-spirited gypsy; the soldier Don José among the many men who fall for her. His inability to cope when she dismisses him for another man turns into a destructive obsession. Bizet’s music juxtaposes the regimental quality of the army with free-spirited melodies of the Spanish gypsy and is filled with recognizable tunes.