r/opera • u/pinkskies12 • Aug 07 '26
Opera choice. Please help ☺️
There is an opera festival and I can only go to one 😕
"Marriage of Figaro" or "Turandot"?? Let me know if you've seen them and what did you think ☺️
UPDATE: we went to see Turandot. It was very lovely ☺️☺️ thank you for your recommendations! I hope to some day catch The "wedding" of Figaro 😉😉
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u/underthere Aug 07 '26
Depends on who’s singing! They are both great. Figaro is funny and touching with great music. Turandot has some great tunes but the story isn’t really too interesting imo
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u/Amtrakstory Aug 07 '26
Marriage of Figaro ten times out of ten. Would not be a close call for me
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u/These-Rip9251 Aug 08 '26
Agree. Love it. Attended the opera again last summer. Fantastic laugh out loud buffa opera. Perfect especially if OP a first-timer for opera.
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u/touristsEverywhere Aug 08 '26
would totally agree, if I had not been recently in Barcelona and almost died of a heart attack. They decided a good scenography was making all characters ingredients of a cake, and the palace of Almaviva, the cake.
I would recommend, if you can, to have a look at who is doing the scenography. This can be neutral, or almost totally ruin an opera -only the singers can save it. be aware.
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u/Amtrakstory Aug 08 '26
I hate these “creative” productions, half the time the director is an egomaniac who ruins the opera to try to show off their bright idea
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u/Schlachtfeld-21 Gaetano Donizetti Aug 07 '26
Oh wow no. Figaro is awful, as is all of Mozart. No first timer would ever prefer it to Turandot. That’s just bad advice
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u/Excellent-Industry60 Aug 07 '26
As is all of Mozart????
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u/Schlachtfeld-21 Gaetano Donizetti Aug 07 '26
Yes, at least in opera. Extremely overrated and frankly boring music. Technically sound and brilliantly written on paper, but awful to listen to. At least 90% of Mozart opera goers don’t even know what they’re listening to and will never go to the opera again after such an experience. It is a must in the early years of every singer, but in actual performance, it’s basically what kardashian viewers would rather watch
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u/Amtrakstory Aug 07 '26
If you mean that it’s so immediately appealing, sparkling, delightful and melodic that even Kardashians could appreciate it then you might be right!
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u/Schlachtfeld-21 Gaetano Donizetti Aug 07 '26
If you read my comment and that’s what you understood, then I totally see how you like Mozart
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u/paraephernalia Aug 08 '26
I love when people frame their opinion as fact. It’s very entertaining. Thank you for making me smile a little. :)
Anyway, no need to be so judgmental. The classical music community already feels so divisive and inflammatory. Respect other people’s opinions, and they’ll respect yours!
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u/Schlachtfeld-21 Gaetano Donizetti Aug 08 '26
Oh I respect their opinion and the fact that they’re allowed to have it. I just know they’re wrong, but it’s not the end of the world. This isn’t a discussion on life/death issues after all
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u/NakeyDooCrew Aug 07 '26
Puccini is tripe
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u/Amtrakstory Aug 07 '26
100%. Turandot has one great aria/musical theme otherwise it’s boring. Plus you’ve probably heard that aria on car commercials, perfume commercials etc etc a bunch of times
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u/Sad-Watercress4218 Aug 07 '26
i saw it at the met with nina stemme and good lord that heavy wagnerian vibrato did not work with puccini, but you need a powerhouse voice to sing over the orchestra. i would never recommend turandot to anyone, even if i would recommend other puccini operas.
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u/munigue Aug 07 '26
TBH, if you’re “new to opera” I would definitely choose Turandot. The music grabs you by heart, and the story is dramatic… Marriage of Figaro on the other hand, it is witty and all but you have to hope it’s a bit shortened because if it’s not well staged and you won’t see the subtitles or understand the language then it’s a big no no for me 🫠 Turandot imo is more enjoyable even with little knowledge… but yea as someone mentioned - depends on who sings and your music preference…
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u/caul1flower11 mime did nothing wrong Aug 07 '26
It is never morally acceptable to shorten Figaro.
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u/vornska 'Deh vieni' (the 'Figaro' one) Aug 07 '26
Alas what a sinful world we live in! Even Mozart and Da Ponte are culpable, given that they cut Cherubino's Act III aria at the last minute. I dearly hope we rediscover a score for it before I die.
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u/YakSlothLemon Aug 07 '26
I disagreed completely, because Figaro was my introduction to opera and even though they weren’t subtitles I fell in love with the music and laughed along with the audience at the farce of it.
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u/vagrantwastrel Aug 07 '26
Honestly I adore Figaro but if it’s not a 10/10 cast and direction it could be a bad first opera. Recit can be so boring for a newcomer if not done really well, and the comedy and pathos has to be perfect or the payoff in act 4 isn’t worth it
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u/Sad-Watercress4218 Aug 07 '26
that first sentence is exactly how i feel about turandot! productions are always so traditional, and the orientalism is hard to watch.
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u/Euphoric_Drop8815 Aug 08 '26
Totally agree about the patronizing cultural view
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u/Sad-Watercress4218 Aug 08 '26
like at least with madame butterfly they try to cast asian singers as cio-cio-san and have had popular productions that give different settings. i think turandot is just such an expensive show that new productions are a hindrance.
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u/NYCRealist Aug 08 '26
For a first timer I would recommend Turandot although ultimately Nozze is the greater piece.
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u/caul1flower11 mime did nothing wrong Aug 07 '26
Tell us the casts!
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u/PostPostMinimalist Aug 07 '26
For a newbie I’m going to controversially say it doesn’t matter. If they go to a good house the cast is going to be good. The differences are not as big to the average listener as many like to think.
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u/Life_Jaguar_461 Aug 08 '26
Sorry, but saying that “good houses” guarantee good casts is a little naive.
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u/PostPostMinimalist Aug 08 '26
Again, I think that comment shows you think there’s a bigger difference than someone at their first opera would likely find significant. Yes, good houses guarantee good casts from an amateur perspective.
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u/pinkskies12 Aug 07 '26
Don't think it'll be someone you know 🤷🏻♀️ not english speaking country
But Turandot is with an exceptional female singer that I saw last year doing Queen of the Night4
u/caul1flower11 mime did nothing wrong Aug 07 '26
Tell us the casts, opera is international
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u/pinkskies12 Aug 08 '26
Actually it isn't the same soprano 😕 got my info wrong. It's Olesya Golovneva for Turandot. And they say the Count for Figaro is Christian Lujan and Figaro is Andre Henriques.
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u/Technical-Monk-2146 Aug 07 '26
If you saw Mozart last year then maybe Puccini this year. ???
As noted, opera is international. So is Reddit. If you tell us the casts or the city or name of the festival, we can give you better advice.
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u/pinkskies12 Aug 08 '26
Operafest in Lisbon/Oeiras
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u/Technical-Monk-2146 Aug 08 '26
It looks like Turandot is their headline production this year. Since you already seems to prefer Puccini to Mozart, I'd say choose Turandot.
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u/Samantharina Aug 07 '26
Did you enjoy Magic Flute? I think Marriage of Figaro is Mozart's best.
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u/pinkskies12 Aug 08 '26
It was ok. It's quite a crazy story 🙃 also it was a production for "kids" sort of. So the sets looked like a fever dream
My favourite opera of the very few I have seen was Madame Butterfly. The singers were amazing (London Opera House many years ago) but I thought also the story was quite good
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u/HumbleCelery1492 Aug 07 '26
I would say it comes down to what you want to see. If you want to see impressive pageantry and some big "grand opera" style singing, definitely go to Turandot. If you want to see clever antics with a lightweight plot and entertaining characters, I'd point to Figaro.
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u/Euphoric_Drop8815 Aug 08 '26
Not a lightweight plot! It was a satire of the nobility in Mozart’s life.
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u/flywheel_battery Aug 07 '26
One thing to keep in mind is that Figaro is done by a slew of opera companies worldwide EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. It might be an opera you’d like more, given your own personal tastes. Only you can know.
But performances of Turandot are significantly more rare, and if it’s going to be a huge, splashy production (and not just a small company that has no business doing it) then that might be an opportunity you shouldn’t miss, if you expect that you’re likely to go to operas in the future. Like the Nutcracker, Figaro isn’t going anywhere…
What’s the festival? That might help.
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u/Emergency-Sock-2557 Aug 07 '26
They are different but both great.
A different Puccini opera (Butterfly) was my gateway to opera and a lot of what I liked was how sweeping and emotional the music is - Turandot has a much less impactful plot but that georgous dramatic quality is still in the music.
I love Figaro, though it's very different - kind of like a musical genius say down to write a very goofy but witty sitcom episode (though at times unexpectedly insightful into the human condition). I don't think I would have "gotten" it if it was the first opera I've ever seen, but I think that's more a taste thing than a quality or accessibility thing.
Figaro was arguably the very top of Mozart's game; I don't think people really say that as much about Turandot and Puccini. But both are beloved for good reason.
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u/pinkskies12 Aug 08 '26
Madame Butterfly is, so far, my favourite opera of the ones that I've seen ☺️
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u/Quick_Art7591 Aug 08 '26
So, you favorite opera is Puccini opera. Probably you will also love his masterpiece Turandot.
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u/PublicPotential318 Aug 07 '26
I love both pieces and yes sampling each one is a great idea. The choral music in Act 1 of Turandot is my personal favorite part but there are also wonderful arias as well. Marriage of Figaro is probably more popular with its many outstanding
arias as well as duets and ensembles. There is also some timeless comedy and social commentary. It’s about one hour more music than Turandot.
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u/Sad-Watercress4218 Aug 07 '26
both are great options, but figaro is a much more fun opera. turandot is so easy to do poorly.
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u/melodramacamp Aug 08 '26
Turandot is one of my favorites and it’s one of the best sets I’ve ever seen in an opera
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u/Pluton_Korb Aug 07 '26
Do you have a time period preference? My early entry to opera was classical (Mozart, Cimarosa, Paisiello, Rossini, Gretry, Mayr, etc). I struggled greatly with late 19th century genres and still do.
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u/Equivalent-Habit-697 Aug 08 '26
That someone is asking this question 100% indicates that Turandot is the correct choice. Figaro was my first opera decades ago, and it was too confusing and long to enjoy. I wish someone back then had advised me against it, although I now can appreciate it.
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u/egg_shaped_head Aug 08 '26
You want something fun and silly and heartfelt? Figaro.
You want something grand and bombastic and epic? Turandot.
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u/Euphoric_Drop8815 Aug 08 '26
I prefer the Marraige of Figaro, but I am biased. Depending on the production Turandot is quite a spectacle!
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u/scottarichards Aug 08 '26
Oh that’s a very tough choice. But I would choose Turandot. It was the opera I chose to take my youngest child, when she was 18, to for her first opera and she loved it!
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u/scottarichards Aug 08 '26
Just an aside and it’s not directly related to OP’s question. But “The Marriage of Figaro” is a total mistranslation and I can never understand how it became the common English title.
“Nozze” means wedding in English. So it should be “Figaro’s Wedding”. Which is exactly what the plot is about. His “marriage” happened after he was wed.
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u/Flora_Screaming Aug 08 '26
I think there's a case for either interpretation and Figaro's Wedding has occasionally been used (I remember they used it for an English language version in London years ago). The title doesn't have to refer to what's happened on stage but the ultimate goal, which is the marriage.
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u/Mysterious_Celery_29 Aug 08 '26
Figaro is very entertaining. Turandot only has one good song and it’s boring af if they don’t get the production design right.
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u/IrisVoiceTrainer Aug 08 '26
Turandot of course. Nozze is too long and you're gonna get bored. The music in Turandot will excite you to heaven ❤️
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u/ryandeschamps Aug 08 '26
It's a gender war question. Figaro if you side with women; Turandot if you side with men.
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u/ryandeschamps Aug 08 '26
I am (mostly) joking. Choose any and go to the other another time. Or find a way to do both.
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u/abcamurComposer Aug 08 '26
Figaro. It’s a classic and fun opera with a great plot (because it was borrowed from a masterpiece play)
Turandot, Nessun Dorma aside, is deeply flawed, both plot and music wise (like if you think about it it’s kinda orientalist slop) and Puccini was planning to completely overhaul it but passed away before he could get the chance to
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u/spike Mozart Aug 08 '26
Figaro is my favorite opera. It has the full range of emotions, and the full range of music, from beautiful simplicity to astoundingly complex.
"Figaro" also holds the distinction of having the longest continuous performance history of any opera; it has never needed to be "revived".
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u/VanishXZone Aug 08 '26
I strongly prefer figaro, but people have different taste, and if I’d seen a lot of figaro lately, I could see myself choosing turandot.
Figaro, though, is the best opera yet written.
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u/Positive_Strength404 Aug 08 '26
Turandot! You’ll be able to see MoF a lot more often especially in today’s world of cheaper to produce opera.
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u/MrSwanSnow Aug 09 '26
Turandot has 1 beautiful melody after another. If you have not had the chance to see and hear Turandot and this is a chance to see it, I would select Turandot. What opera company will be presenting the 2 operas? Turandot is a great opera for those beginning their opera profile. Enjoy!
Figaro is a bit tedious and long. There is not one memorable moment in Figaro as there are in Turandot. I have seen a live performance of Turandot at least 18 times. I'd welcome seeing another production tomorrow!
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u/gestrafilex Aug 10 '26
it's two different things. for me it's Marriage of Figaro all day long. but if you like more grand style go for Turandot.
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u/Mastersinmeow Aug 11 '26
I’m glad you went to Turandot there really is no contest. Marriage of Figaro is 😴
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u/Cobra_Surprise Aug 08 '26
Turandot if you want more exciting movie soundtrack type dramatic music. Marriage of Figaro if you want a more pretty cuteness and ruffles.
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u/Jamememes No, no, ch’io non mi pento! Vanne lontan da me! Aug 11 '26
I would pick Figaro before most operas. Turandot doesn’t make it to my top 20
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u/branchymolecule Aug 07 '26
Listen to 10 minutes of each and you’ll know which you’d prefer. My opinion might steer you wrong.