My Favourite Operas

1. Puccini - La boheme

(2008 Franco Zeffirelli production at the Metropolitan Opera, starring Ramon Vargas and Angela Gheorghiu)

I cried watching the final scene: Gheorghiu's Mimi dying, Vargas's Rodolfo thinking that "she's sleeping" seconds before realising that she's dead. Angela Gheorghiu's performance is divine, as usual. And Vargas is just simply charming as Rodolfo. The first act is my favourite; but the best aria award goes to "Donde lieta usci" in Act 3. One word to describe it: romantic.

2. Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin

(2007 Metropolitan Opera, starring Renee Fleming as Tatyana and Dmitri Hvorostovsky in the title role)

Renee Fleming's "Letter Scene" gave me chills all the way down my spine! Her voice is pure gold.

Eugene Onegin is actually the first (professionally produced) opera I've ever seen, at Covent Garden back in April 2008. I had seen The Marriage of Figaro at the Royal Northern College of Music in December '07, but that was a student production. Anyway I love this opera for its music and plot. I could totally identify myself with the character of young Tatyana. The production at ROH was pretty good but my favourite has to be the Met production, featuring my favourite opera singer of all-time (I own a DVD of this!).

3. Verdi - La Traviata

(1994 Royal Opera House, starring Angela Gheorghiu as Violetta)

A classic. Gheorghiu's legendary performance of "E strano...Sempre Libera" was breath-taking (she made it seem so easy!), and it made her a star. Plus she looked absolutely gorgeous in that dress.

4. Bizet - Carmen

Yeah yeah the Habanera ("L'amour est un oiseau rebelle") is pretty famous and all that jazz... But I think it's the orchestral music which makes this opera come alive. I remember playing the overture with the school's orchestra back in Year 9. Then there are the entr'actes. The music is so gorgeous that Sarasate and Waxman had to write a fantasy, combining all these wonderful melodies into fiendish virtuoso pieces for the violin.

5. Mozart - Le nozze di Figaro

(1998 Metropolitan Opera production) I've seen Figaro at the RNCM, and the ROH production in the cinema. But this Met production in 98 has to been the best. I haven't actually seen the entire thing, but video clips on Youtube would suffice. There can't be a more stellar cast: Bryn Terfel as Figaro, Cecilia Bartoli as Susanna, and Renee Fleming as the Countess.