Operas

The Magic Flute: Tamino, Pamina, Queen of the Night, premiered 2 months before Mozart’s death

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The Marriage of Figaro: “Sequel” to Barber of Seville, Figaro, Count Almaviva, Susanna

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Don Giovanni: Based on Don Juan, Don Giovanni harasses everyone in play

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The Barber of Seville: Figaro, Count Almaviva, Rosita, Bartolo, Figaro helps Rosita marry the Count instead of Bartolo

Gioachino Rossini

L’italiana en Algieri: Elvira, Mustafa, Zulma, Isabella, Lindoro

Gioachino Rossini

La traviata: Violetta, Alfredo, V. and A. fall in love, marry, separate, misunderstand each other, V. dies

Giuseppe Verdi

Aida: Aida, Radames, Amneris, Radames struggles between loving Aida and Amneris

Giuseppe Verdi

Rigoletto: Duke of Mantua, Rigoletto, Gilda, Duke seduces Gilda (R’s daughter), Rigoletto tries to kill Duke, Gilda sacrifices herself

Giuseppe Verdi

Il trovatore: Leonora, Manrico, Count di Luna, Azucena, Count loves Leonora, fights over her with Manrico, Manrico is Azucena’s adopted son, Count attacks M’s fort, M, A, and L all die (eventually)

Giuseppe Verdi

Fidelio: Jaquino, Marzelline, Florestan, Leonore, only opera by Beethoven

Ludwig Van Beethoven

The Ring Cycle: (4 operas) Siegmund, based on Norse mythology

Richard Wagner

The Flying Dutchman: Daland, Senta, Erik, F. Dutchman, Dutchman boards Daland’s ship, takes to shore, Senta and F.D. fall in love, Senta jumps off of cliff for F.D., resolving F.D.’s curse

Richard Wagner

Tristan und Isolde: Basically Romeo and Juliet but in German

Richard Wagner

Les Huguenots: Details up to massacre of Huguenots (French Protestants) by Catholic church

Giacomo Meyerbeer

Carmen: Carmen, Jose, Carmen seduces Jose, they run away, Carmen must answer to crimes she has committed, Jose is driven mad by Carmen’s scorning and stabs her

Georges Bizet