Western Opera

Knowing little about Eastern Opera forms, I've often wondered if Easterners know about some of the great Western Operas. My personal favorite, as an American, is probably Fidelio, by Ludwig van Beethoven, his only operatic work. A close second - and more indicative of my general tastes - is Rossini's Barber of Seville (which includes "Largo al Factotum della Citta", a Baritone's delight) - one of the most famous Opera Buffa (Comic Opera), and a crowdpleaser even today. I think some of the tragedies, like La Boheme, are good, but naturally I save them for more intense moods. I think the Marriage of Figaro by Mozart is good, but not as good as Rossini's Barber (which is a prequel to The Marriage of Figaro).

I highly recommend The Tales of Hoffman by Offenbach - one of the songs, the Barcarolle "O Belle Nuit, O Nuit D'Amor" is perhaps the most famous Opera songs in the world. I really liked Billy Budd, a new-ish Opera, which I saw online at the New York Metropolitan Opera's collection of recorded works, and - though highly specific - does this short work by Herman Melville, the author of Moby Dick (one of the traditional candidates for the Great American Novel) much justice.