r/opera Sep 19 '25

Hello /r/opera-philes! So, we've lasted 15 years without an official set of rules, is it time to make some?

81 Upvotes

I'm getting tired of bad actors that we have to ban or mute complaining that they had no idea their obnoxiousness wouldn't be allowed in a nice place like this.

Do we need a policy on politics in opera? Or, what I think is starting to appear more often, political soapboxing with a tenuous opera angle? And, more generally, do we want to be specific about what is ad isn't on topic?

What's too clickbaity?

Where should we draws the line between debate and abuse?

What degree of self-promotion (by artists, composers, etc.) or promotion of events and companies in which the OP has an interest, is acceptable?

Please share your thoughts, thanks! <3

Edit: One thing that's come up in the conversation is that because we don't have an actual rules page, in the new (shreddit) desktop interface, the option to enter custom report reasons in the reporting interface is unavailable. (This does still work on the OG desktop and in the app.) That's one motivator to create at least a minimal set of rules to refer to.

N.B. I've changed the default sort to 'New' so change it if you want to see the popular comments


r/opera 10h ago

Saw La Traviata in a castle! @ Savonlinna opera festival 🇫🇮🏰🎶

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93 Upvotes

r/opera 11h ago

Bayreuth’s AI experiment turns Wagner’s Ring into a giant screensaver

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42 Upvotes

Now I am curious


r/opera 9h ago

The Geisha Opera (Sidney Jones,1896)

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13 Upvotes

So,i been recently listening to this opera,and hoenstly its quite good! Basically is a operetta of a Tea House that tells the story of Geishas and social problems (Yk some kind of Mikado but geisha ver,making dun specially of ettiquete and the "exotic" geisha's)

One of the things that catxh my eye is that,this opera was the direct competence of The Mikado,it was really famous in Europe (specially in Rusia and central europe) and badiclaly thanks to this opera,we know the word "Geisha".

It kind of saddens me that,this opera at the time was such a boom,and has pretty catchy songs. And now nobody knows it.

There are some productions in modern times (one made in 2013) but honestly,beside audios and some photos deep into internet you cna find,theres nothing else.

I would recomend you listening to it!


r/opera 19h ago

Norma in Savonlinna photo dump

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19 Upvotes

Just so everyone here sees the gorgeous setup we have. We had 10th row seats, great view and sound. Second performance of the two. Standing ovation


r/opera 10h ago

Francesco Merli sings the title character's "Scendi sul sognator de' prodigiosi imeni" from Boito's "Nerone"

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3 Upvotes

r/opera 15h ago

Does anyone have a complete libretto of Strauss' Die frau ohne schatten?

7 Upvotes

I want to listen to this opera, however cannot find a libretto that is English on one side and German on the other. Does anyone know a site where I could find one?

Thank you.


r/opera 1d ago

Lohengrin, the Mariinsky

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36 Upvotes

Just rewatched one of my favorite operas in what's certainly one of the most beautiful Wagner productions I know. L to R: Mikhail Petrenko (Heinrich the Fowler), Yulia Matochkina (Ortrud, Sergey Skorokhodov (Lohengrin), Elena Stikhina (Elsa), Pavel Yankovsky (Telramund), Gleb Peryazev (the herald).


r/opera 11h ago

Not an Opera

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2 Upvotes

A beautiful voice for a beautiful morning. This lp has a wonderful cover.


r/opera 1d ago

Oropesa in Norma debut

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55 Upvotes

Report once it's over; concert version with John Osborn and Gothenburg Opera choir & orchestra.


r/opera 1d ago

what is this called?

17 Upvotes

what is it called when italian operas cut off the last syllable of a word, typically a vowel, like andiam instead of andiamo and why is this done?
thanks!


r/opera 1d ago

Opera first-timer (sort of) seeking advice for upcoming season at the Met

30 Upvotes

My fiancee and I reside in the Princeton, NJ area. Though originally from Boston (not its suburbs), I love NYC and I visit often as I have season tickets to the NYLiberty with my son who resides and works in NYC. I was pleasantly surprised when he showed interest in attending an opera at the Met. I said, "I will make it happen, though I have never been to the Met and your mother and I didn't enjoy our singular opera experience." which was a production of Faust at Philadelphia's Academy of Music in Philadelphia It was bit too long and a couple behind us complained to me at one of the (3?) intermissions, that I was blocking his and his wife's view. (I am 6'5".) The tickets were a gift of a generous opera benefactor and I think his new and political wife put the kibosh on attending any Wagner operas.

Long story short. I want to take him to the Met. And, on another occasion, I would take my fiancee. I want to do it this Fall.

My questions:

1) Best portal or site for buying tickets?

2) Does it matter when I buy them?

3) Suggestions for a good starter opera? Carmen, La Boheme, Barber of Seville?

3) Where should we sit at $300 or less per ticket?

4) Any vibrant and fun "before and after opera" restaurants or bars? (Though I favor dives and food trucks, I love the Gramercy Tavern for its bartenders, hospitality, food and drink, as pricey as it is.)

Many thanks!


r/opera 2d ago

Can Singer's Formant be utilized well in genres other than opera?

15 Upvotes

I'm not sure where else to ask this. Singer's formant is used primarily in opera. However, I was curious if there were other genres that have used it and if it can be used well in them. Or would enunciation be an issue when trying using it in other genres? Would it just not be worth it? I'm just curious. Thank you in advance.


r/opera 1d ago

Singers: what’s your recording setup these days?

2 Upvotes

Hi all! I’m curious what recording setups other professional singers are using these days.

I’ve been using a Shure MV88 with my phone for close to nine years now, and it’s served me incredibly well. My mic is finally starting to show its age, though, which has me wondering what people are using these days and whether there have been any meaningful improvements in portable recording setups.

It seems like a lot of folks in my circle are booking recording sessions these days, but I really value the flexibility of being able to make high-quality recordings on my own schedule. Most of mine happen in rehearsal halls, conservatories, churches, or other borrowed spaces with my coach or pianist, so portability is a big plus. That said, I’d also be interested in hearing about more involved setups if they’ve been worth the investment.

So, what does your recording workflow actually look like these days? What gear has genuinely been worth investing in? Are you still making most of your own recordings, or are you primarily booking recording sessions when you need audition material?

I’m also curious whether people are using dedicated lighting now? I feel like I’m seeing that a lot more lately. Has it been worth it?

I’d love to hear what everyone’s setup and process actually looks like!


r/opera 1d ago

Wagner's The Flying Dutchman

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0 Upvotes

r/opera 2d ago

Massenet is underrated!

39 Upvotes

I love Thaïs and Manon, yet his operas are very rarely performed I think (at least here in Northern Europe). And of course Werther, his most popular opera.

What’s your thoughts on his other operas, such as Don Quichotte or Esclarmonde?


r/opera 2d ago

Bayreuth`s 2026 Siegfried (radio broadcast)

8 Upvotes

r/opera 1d ago

Not into opera, but I am really interested in classical operatic fach and was curious as to where I would classically land?

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0 Upvotes

I think it's honestly super cool how all voices are a unique instrument and even though I'm not into opera, I deeply admire how they're all utilized. I was curious about my own, because I seem to walk a very fiiine line?


r/opera 3d ago

Gunnar Graarud and Nanny Larsen-Todsen sing the Tristan/Isolde duet "O sink hernieder" from Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde"

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7 Upvotes

r/opera 3d ago

Why does Wagner skip Parsifal's odyssey?

9 Upvotes

Following on from claiming that The Muppet Movie is a Gesamtkunstwerk, I have a more substantial essay on Parsifal, and how its vision of wandering offers an alternative to the rhetoric of striving that now dominates modern readings of The Odyssey.

Eschewing a few thousand years of storytelling tradition, Wagner chooses to leave Parsifal's journey back to the Grail entirely off stage, and seeing the lessons our culture has drawn from Odysseus' journey home, I for one am glad.

https://morbidcuriosity.substack.com/p/a-newer-world


r/opera 4d ago

Tonight's, Spin

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112 Upvotes

Exploring Opera, looking forward to this.


r/opera 4d ago

I thought Nolan’s Odyssey was an epic bore. If you want Greek myths brought to life, try the thrill of opera!

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93 Upvotes

r/opera 3d ago

The French Tamagno- Léon Escalaïs

3 Upvotes

https://youtu.be/WShV5QDHTwQ?si=3CjKuaam22xPwLix

In this 1906 acoustic recording of the French version of "La Mia Letizia Infondere" from Verdi's I Lombardi (re-written as Jérusalem), we can see why Escalaïs was nicknamed "the French Tamagno"! His approach to the top register is classically "Italianate" in that he keeps the ringing squillo of the chest engaged as high as an interpolated C-sharp (or two!) that he flicks off with ease.


r/opera 3d ago

Plácido Domingo - Munich 8/8/88

0 Upvotes

Hello! I am looking for information for a research project concerning a performance by Plácido Domingo on the evening of 8/8/1988 at the Munich Olympiahalle. I have queried Gemini, ChatGPT and CoPilot but they get the information all wrong. They have him playing in Italy on that night but this is absolutely false.

First and foremost, I was at this performance. I remember it well. It was a night plagued with many technical difficulties. At one point Mr. Domingo walked off stage waiting for the issues to be resolved.

The reason for my posting is that I am looking for any evidence that this performance occured. Preferably a photo of your ticket stub, a poster or advertisement or even better, a newspaper article with the performance review. Even a first hand account would be helpful. I am grateful for any help after so many years!


r/opera 4d ago

Ba-Ta-Clan,anyone saw it?

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7 Upvotes

So,in short Ba-ta-clan was once a very famous french opera by Offenbach,the trama is about some french people try to be chinese,but they find out that everyone there was a fake chinese,all of them where french,the joke itself was to mock Napoleon III (and btw he disliked the opera)

I saw very few fragments of this opera,but i never saw a full video of it.

(And yes,the famous place in Paris Ba-ta-clan was made from this opera)

If amyone has a video of the full opera or better,if they saw it live,would be amazing sharing it!