Operas Flashcards
considered to be the oldest opera still performed today
L’Orfeo (by Monteverdi)
“Rosa del ciel”
L’Orfeo (by Monteverdi)
“Possente spirto”
L’Orfeo (by Monteverdi)
About Orpheus and Eurydice
L’Orfeo (by Monteverdi)
Ottone and Ottavia are exiled near the end
The Coronation of Poppea (by Monteverdi)
Poppea is the mistress of Emperor Nero
The Coronation of Poppea (by Monteverdi)
Anna Renzi (the first Prima Dona?) created the role of Ottavia
The Coronation of Poppea (by Monteverdi)
“Addio Roma”
The Coronation of Poppea (by Monteverdi)
“Pur ti miro, pur ti godo”
The Coronation of Poppea (by Monteverdi)
about a queen of Carthage and a Trojan prince
Dido and Aeneas (by Purcell)
“Remember me, but ah! Forget my fate”
Dido and Aeneas (by Purcell)
“When I am laid in Earth” (Dido’s Lament)
Dido and Aeneas (by Purcell)
“Thy hand Belinda”
Dido and Aeneas (by Purcell)
first staged in a girls’ school
Dido and Aeneas (by Purcell)
servants Figaro and Susanna plan to marry
The Marriage of Figaro (by Mozart)
Count Almaviva is the villain
The Marriage of Figaro (by Mozart)
Cherubino is sent for military duty after he is discovered hiding under a tablecloth
The Marriage of Figaro (by Mozart)
Cherubino is called an ‘amorous butterfly’
The Marriage of Figaro (by Mozart)
Non piu andrai
The Marriage of Figaro (by Mozart)
Se vuol ballare
The Marriage of Figaro (by Mozart)
Dr. Bartolo is the villain
The Barber of Seville (by Rossini)
Count Almaviva loves Rosina, a ward of Bartolo
The Barber of Seville (by Rossini)
Figaro steals a key
The Barber of Seville (by Rossini)
essentially a prequel to The Marriage of Figaro
The Barber of Seville (by Rossini)
“Largo al factotum”
The Barber of Seville (by Rossini)
Almaviva disguises himself as a drunken soldier, a music teacher, and a student named Lindoro
The Barber of Seville (by Rossini)
“Una voce poco fa”
The Barber of Seville (by Rossini)
about a notorious womanizer
Don Giovanni (by Mozart)
Donna Anna’s father, the Commodore, is killed
Don Giovanni (by Mozart)
Donna Anna, Don Ottavio, and Elvira plot revenge
Don Giovanni (by Mozart)
“Catalogue Aria” sung by Leporello
Don Giovanni (by Mozart)
“La ci darem la mano” sung to seduce Zerlina
Don Giovanni (by Mozart)
a statue of the Commodore drags the title character to hell
Don Giovanni (by Mozart)
“Per queste tue manine”
Don Giovanni (by Mozart)
Tamino encounters the Queen of the Night
The Magic Flute (by Mozart)
Josepha Hofer played Queen of the Night
The Magic Flute (by Mozart)
Pamino joins Tamino in Sarastro’s trials
The Magic Flute (by Mozart)
“Der Hölle Rache” where she hits the high F6 notes
The Magic Flute (by Mozart)
Sarastro, high priest
The Magic Flute (by Mozart)
Papageno gets a padlock on his mouth from the three ladies
The Magic Flute (by Mozart)
“Stutter Duet” by Papageno and Papagena
The Magic Flute (by Mozart)
Don Alfonso makes a bet with the officers Ferrando and Guglielmo
Cosi Fan Tutte (by Mozart)
called “School for Lovers”
Cosi Fan Tutte (by Mozart)
All women are fickle” “All women are like that” “So are they all
Cosi Fan Tutte (by Mozart)
Ferrando and Guglielmo disguise themselves as Albanians
Cosi Fan Tutte (by Mozart)
Dorabella and Fiordiligi, the fiancees
Cosi Fan Tutte (by Mozart)
the maid Despina sings the aria “In uomini, in soldati”
Cosi Fan Tutte (by Mozart)
Leonora disguises herself as a man to go rescue her husband
Fidelio (by Beethoven)
Florestan is wrongfully imprisoned
Fidelio (by Beethoven)
grave digging duet
Fidelio (by Beethoven)
Don Pizarro decides to murder his imprisoned political rival
Fidelio (by Beethoven)
Marzelline, Leonore, Rocco, and Fidelio sing “Mir ist so Wunderbar”
Fidelio (by Beethoven)
Prisoners sing “O Welche Lust”
Fidelio (by Beethoven)
about a Swiss patriot
William Tell (by Rossini)
Austrian Governor Gessler is the villain
William Tell (by Rossini)
Sois Immobile
William Tell (by Rossini)
must shoot an apple off his son’s (Jemmy’s) head
William Tell (by Rossini)
Arnold refuses to participate in the Shepherd Festival, due to his longing for Mathilde
William Tell (by Rossini)
arrested after refusing to bow to a hat on a pole
William Tell (by Rossini)
“La Donna e Mobile” is sung by the Duke of Mantua
Rigoletto (by Verdi)
daughter Gilda falls in love with the Duke of Mantua
Rigoletto (by Verdi)
a cursed, hunchbacked jester
Rigoletto (by Verdi)
Gilda sings “Caro nome” about ‘Gualtier Malde’
Rigoletto (by Verdi)
the assassin Sparafucile
Rigoletto (by Verdi)
ends with the execution of Manrico
Il Trovatore (by Verdi)
Anvil Chorus
Il Trovatore (by Verdi)
Count di Luna is the villain
Il Trovatore (by Verdi)
“Stride la vampa”
Il Trovatore (by Verdi)
fallen’ cortesan Violetta falls in love with Alfredo
La Traviata (by Verdi)
“Sempre Libera”
La Traviata (by Verdi)
“Libiamo ne’ lieti calici”
La Traviata (by Verdi)
money thrown at her feet
La Traviata (by Verdi)
Violetta dies from consumption (tuberculosis)
La Traviata (by Verdi)
“Un dì felice, eterea”
La Traviata (by Verdi)
Egyptian general Radames and captured Ethiopian princess Aida are in love
Aida (by Verdi)
sing “O terra addio” while being buried alive in the Temple of Vulcan
Aida (by Verdi)
“Ritorna vincitor”
Aida (by Verdi)
“O patria mia”
Aida (by Verdi)
“Triumphal March”
Aida (by Verdi)
Dance of the Young Moorish Slaves
Aida (by Verdi)
high priest Ramphis
Aida (by Verdi)
princess Amneris
Aida (by Verdi)
Verdi’s final opera centering on a Shakespeare character
Falstaff (by Verdi)
Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves
Nabucco (by Verdi)
Spinning Chorus
The Flying Dutchman (by Wagner)
Senta sacrifices herself for the title character
The Flying Dutchman (by Wagner)
Norwegian captain Daland
The Flying Dutchman (by Wagner)
“Liebestod” (“Mild und leise”)
Tristan und Isolde (by Wagner)
King Marke of Cornwall
Tristan und Isolde (by Wagner)
the servant Brangane gives the title couple what she believes to be poison, but actually turns out to be a love potion
Tristan und Isolde (by Wagner)
Tristan chord (F, B, D-sharp, and G-sharp)
Tristan und Isolde (by Wagner)
Arthurian knights searching for the Holy Grail
Parsifal (by Wagner)
leitmotifs for the Holy Grail and Holy Spear
Parsifal (by Wagner)
characters Kundry, Klingsor, Amfortas, Gurnemanz
Parsifal (by Wagner)
the Pope’s staff grows leaves
Tannhauser (by Wagner)
Das Rhinegold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung
Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring Cycle) (by Wagner)
played annually at the Bayreuth festival
Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring Cycle) (by Wagner)
a ring is forged, and Valhalla is built
Das Rhinegold (by Wagner)
Wotan steals a ring from the dwarf who forged it, leading to the curse that follows it
Das Rhinegold (by Wagner)
begins with a 136-bar drone that builds up to an E-flat chord
Das Rhinegold (by Wagner)
the Valkyrie Brunnhilde is imprisoned within the ring of fire
Die Walkure (The Valkyrie) (by Wagner)
Ride of the Valkyries
Die Walkure (The Valkyrie) (by Wagner)
The hero grows up, slays the dragon Fafnir, and rescues Brunnhilde
Seigfried (by Wagner)
Brunnhilde and Siegfried are tricked into marrying Hagen and Gutrune
Gotterdammerung (The Twilight of the Gods) (by Wagner)
Brunnhilde rides her horse into Siegfried’s funeral pyre
Gotterdammerung (The Twilight of the Gods) (by Wagner)
“trouser role” of Prince Orlofsky
Die Fledermaus (The Bat) (by J. Strauss)
Eisenstein, his wife Rosalind, and maid Adele go to a ball
Die Fledermaus (The Bat) (by J. Strauss)
ball hosted by Falke
Die Fledermaus (The Bat) (by J. Strauss)
“Laughing Song” sung by Adele
Die Fledermaus (The Bat) (by J. Strauss)
cigarette factory
Carmen (by Bizet)
the bullfighter Escamillo
Carmen (by Bizet)
killed by Don José
Carmen (by Bizet)
Habanera
Carmen (by Bizet)
Love is a rebellious bird
Carmen (by Bizet)
Captain Zuniga
Carmen (by Bizet)
“Toreador Song”
Carmen (by Bizet)
seduces Don José by dancing a Seguidilla
Carmen (by Bizet)
about struggling artsy types in Paris
La Boheme (by Puccini)
Rodolfo and Mimi fall in love
La Boheme (by Puccini)
Marcello and Musetta fall in love
La Boheme (by Puccini)
Colline pawns his coat for medicine
La Boheme (by Puccini)
Mini dies of tuberculosis
La Boheme (by Puccini)
Rodolfo and Mimi search for a key after candlelights go out
La Boheme (by Puccini)
“Quanda me’n vo’ ” (Musetta’s waltz)
La Boheme (by Puccini)
Che Gelida Manina
La Boheme (by Puccini)
Baron Scarpia is killed
Tosca (by Puccini)
title character throws herself from the Castel Sant’Angelo
Tosca (by Puccini)
“E lucevan le stelle’’
Tosca (by Puccini)
“Vissi d’arte”
Tosca (by Puccini)
Cavaradossi is executed
Tosca (by Puccini)
Pinkerton, a US soldier stationed in Japan, marries Cio-Cio San
Madama Butterfly (by Puccini)
a son named Sorrow
Madama Butterfly (by Puccini)
“Un bel dì”
Madama Butterfly (by Puccini)
Cio-Cio San kills herself with a sword
Madama Butterfly (by Puccini)
ministers named Ping, Pang, and Pong
Turandot (by Puccini)
about a Chinese princess who will marry any man who can solve her riddles
Turandot (by Puccini)
the Prince of Persia executed at the beginning
Turandot (by Puccini)
“Nessun dorma”
Turandot (by Puccini)
Prince Calaf solves the riddles, but says she doesn’t have to marry him if she learns his name
Turandot (by Puccini)
sustained A4 “Vincero!”
Turandot (by Puccini)
Canio stabs his wife Nedda and then stabs her lover, Silvio
Pagliacci (by Leoncavallo)
“Vesti la giubba”
Pagliacci (by Leoncavallo)
Canio is a clown, literally
Pagliacci (by Leoncavallo)
a love triangle with the jealous Golaud
Pelleas et Melisande (by Debussy)
Jokanaan (a.k.a. John the Baptist) is imprisoned in the dungeons of King Herod
Salome (by R. Strauss)
Dance of the Seven Veils
Salome (by R. Strauss)
she demands the head of John the Baptist
Salome (by R. Strauss)
Lucia loves Edgardo Ravenswood
Lucia di Lammermoor (by Donizetti)
“mad scene” where she appears covered in Arturo’s blood
Lucia di Lammermoor (by Donizetti)
Il dolce suono
Lucia di Lammermoor (by Donizetti)
first opera ever premiered on television
Amahl and the Night Visitors (by Menotti)
features the Four Sea Interludes
Peter Grimes (by Britten)
a fisherman sinks his own ship at sea
Peter Grimes (by Britten)
Muddle Instead of Music’ (a Pravda article) called it “coarse, primitive, and vulgar”
Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (by Shostakovic)
Katerina and her lover Sergei strangle her husband Zinoviy
Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (by Shostakovic)
Boris killed with poisoned mushrooms
Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (by Shostakovic)
Catfish Row, Charleston, SC
Porgy and Bess (by Gershwin)
Crown murders a guy with a cotton hook
Porgy and Bess (by Gershwin)
drug dealer Sportin’ Life
Porgy and Bess (by Gershwin)
It Ain’t Necessarily So
Porgy and Bess (by Gershwin)
“Summertime” sung by Clara
Porgy and Bess (by Gershwin)
“the things you’re liable to read in the Bible”
Porgy and Bess (by Gershwin)
the livin’ is easy
Porgy and Bess (by Gershwin)
knee plays
Einstein on the Beach (by Glass)
part of a Portrait Trilogy of operas with Satyagraha and Akhnaten
Einstein on the Beach (by Glass)
“I Feel the Earth Move”
Einstein on the Beach (by Glass)
“Mr. Bojangles” is repeated 58 times
Einstein on the Beach (by Glass)
Mao and his wife dance the foxtrot
Nixon in China (by Adams)
The Red Detachment of Women
Nixon in China (by Adams)
Spirit of ‘76
Nixon in China (by Adams)
“I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General”
Pirates of Penzance (by Gilbert and Sullivan)
“With cat-like tread”
Pirates of Penzance (by Gilbert and Sullivan)
Frederic falls in love with Mabel
Pirates of Penzance (by Gilbert and Sullivan)
Ruth mishears the word ‘pilot’
Pirates of Penzance (by Gilbert and Sullivan)
flirting is banned in Japan
The Mikado (by Gilbert and Sullivan)
Ko-Ko is made executioner
The Mikado (by Gilbert and Sullivan)
Nanki-Poo makes a deal to marry Yum Yum for a month
The Mikado (by Gilbert and Sullivan)
“I’ve Got a Little List”
The Mikado (by Gilbert and Sullivan)
