Opera!

"Well, basically there are two sorts of opera...There's your heavy opera, where basically people sing foreign and it goes like "Oh oh oh, I am dyin', oh, I am dyin', oh, oh, oh, that's what I'm doin'", and there's your light opera, where they sing in foreign and it basically goes "Beer! Beer! Beer! Beer! I like to drink lots of beer!", although sometimes they drink champagne instead. That's basically all of opera, reely."-- (Terry Pratchett, Maskerade).

Not all operas involve gigantic ladies in horned helmets. Of course, such operas exist, but they are in the minority. If you wish to introduce yourself to the wonderful world of opera, by no means rush out and buy Wagner's Ring cycle. Start light.

My first experience with any form of opera was when my parents took me to see the Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan society's production of "The Pirates of Penzance" in 1998. Gilbert and Sullivan operettas are a good way to start an operatic education. They are fairly short, and highly amusing and entertaining. The music is very catchy, and another major plus is that they are written in English. Luckily, Gilbert and Sullivan operettas are frequently performed, and many recordings have been made of them. For a complete listing of their operettas and synopses of the plots, click here.

After exploring Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, it is time for you to be introduced to full-fledged opera. I'd recommend starting with Mozart or Bizet, before going to "grand opera" composers like Verdi, Puccini, or Wagner. Click here to read about various operas