Which opera should i see

Like I said earlier, perhaps it would work better the other way around. Without changing up the game, opera as consumed by newcomers will continue to live up to stereotypes, and the proof otherwise will stay comparably hidden. And why? Interested in getting a monthly recap of all the interesting things happening in the land of opera? Why should opera be an impenetrable genre? Read our beginner's guide and get to grips with this exciting, dramatic and occasionally silly art form.

First things first, don't be scared. If your mental image of opera is sitting in uncomfortable seats a kilometre from the stage and not understanding what on earth the tubby chap is singing about, then it's time we took a step back. True, from first impressions, opera has all the hallmarks of a ridiculous genre, but if we look a little deeper then, like learning a language, you start to get more fluent the more you listen. Still, probably best to bring a cushion.

Where to start We recommend starting with some of the big hitters. Whatever you do, don't start by getting yourself a copy of the Wagner's Ring Cycle and attempt the whole fifteen hours in one go. It's a one-way ticket to a new set of CD coasters.

No, the best thing to do is dive in at one of opera's most accessible points: Mozart. Discover more about Mozart's life and works. Known chiefly for his comedies, Mozart was extremely good at fusing perky tunes, ridiculous situations and, occasionally, some real heart-wrenching all together into one digestible whole. Womanising nobleman Don Giovanni thinks he can outsmart the devil; and even when hell opens to claim him, he still resists with all his strength.

It might be an occult allegory. It might be about Freemasons. The plot might even have just been a mistake. Whatever it is, the music is Mozart at his finest and one of his greatest operas. Do you want to be the first to hear the latest news from the classical world? Follow uDiscover Classical on Facebook and Twitter. No mention of language is made. Some actually understand foreign languages. While some get lost in an aria without knowing what is said. My favorite when it comes to languages is Romeo et Juliette.

Written by Shakespeare about two families in Italy, but performed in French. But come on. The best operas are reinvented with each generation of singers, conductors, and orchestras.

And no work illustrates this better than Tristan. What should your first opera be? Anything from Bambi to Star Wars to The Lego Movie to Solaris well, alright, maybe not that would do, and whatever your response, no-one would ever claim that their first film had either converted them completely to cinema or put them off it for life.

Likewise books. Or TV. Or pretty much any other art form. The very question itself is part of the opera's image problem. Another is the false perception of its essential disengagement from the real world.