Credit: Spinto/Javier del Real/Nicola Allegri/Julian Hargraves/ Gregor Hohenberg / Sony Classical

While the continued quarantine is undoubtedly becoming increasingly challenging for many, there is some relief in knowing that there is opera to check out on a daily basis. What’s more the offerings are becoming increasingly diverse in their range of repertory and content, which allows opera audiences to curate unique programs suited to different tastes. This week’s top 10 recommendations are representative of that increasing shift. You have a few modern works, a brand new Zoom opera, two star-studded galas, and some of the standard classics to fill your opera appetite.

Without further ado, here’s a look at the top 10 operas to stream this week.

Macbeth Underworld – La Monnaie / De Munt (NOW)

One of the more fascinating offerings this week is this modern take inspired by the Shakespeare masterwork with Magdalena Kožená and Georg Nigl as Lady Macbeth and Macbeth respectively. Alain Altinoglu conducts a work that should excite modern opera lovers.

Boris Godunov – Bayerische Staatsoper (NOW)

For those looking for an edgier and more modern opera experience, Calixto Bieito and the Bayerische Oper’s collaboration are without a doubt the choice here in Mussorgsky’s masterpiece. The work is headlined by Alexander Tsymbalyuk with Kent Nagano at the podium.

Il Barbiere di Siviglia – Teatro Mayor Julio Mario Santo Domingo (NOW)

For those who want something a bit more traditional and relaxed, Rossini’s comic masterpiece is the way to go. Streamed from Colombia, this is an opportunity for audiences to check out some of the up and coming talent from South America in a cast headlined by Valeriano Lanchos.

Il Trovatore – National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing / OperaVision (April 21, 2020)

With its Italian opera month drawing to a close, OperaVision will stream Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” from Beijing with a cast that includes Carlo Ventre, Maria Agresta, Marco Caria, and Marianne Cornetti, under the musical direction of Rico Saccani in a production by Hugo de Ana. It’s a visually striking production that is worth checking out.

Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny – Teatro Dell’Opera di Roma (April 23-26, 2020)

For those who want a bit more modern opera in their lives this week, we can’t think of a better option that Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s work in a production by Graham Vick. The opera stars  Iris Vermillion, Dietmar Kerschbaum, Willard White, and Measha Brueggergosman.

Gran Gala sul Sofa – Donizetti Opera Festival (April 24, 2020)

For those excited about the idea of a live gala, this is the first of two big ones this week. Featuring Riccardo Frizza, the gala will showcase the vocal talents of Javier Camarena, Davinia Rodriguez, Jessica Pratt, Carmela Remigio, Paolo Bordogna, and Alex Esposito, among others.

Madama Butterly – Vienna State Opera (April 24, 2020)

Vienna’s lineup for this week is packed with a number of wonderful performances, but for our money we will recommend this 2018 showcase of the famed Puccini opera because of Ana María Martinez. As one of the major exponents of the opera today, she is riveting in this role and that alone will make it memorable for those who choose to engage with this showcase.

Gloriana – Royal Opera House (April 24, 2020)

Starting on Friday, the Royal Opera House will be streaming Britten’s “Gloriana” from 2013 with a cast that includes Susan Bullock in the title role and Toby Spence as the Earl of Essex. This is a welcome step away from standard repertory and a chance for opera lovers to discover a unique work by one of the greatest opera composers of all time. 

All decisions will be made by consensus – HERE Arts Center (April 24-26)

In what is arguably the most interesting opera offering the week, librettist Rob Handel and composer Kamala Sankaram are offering up the world’s first Zoom opera. It will be headlined by Zachary James with other cast members including Paul An, Hai-Ting Chinn, Joan LaBarbara, Adrian Rosas, and Sankaram. You get three chances to check it out. Learn more, including how to watchi it, here.

At Home Gala – Metropolitan Opera (April 25, 2020)

Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko, Yusif Eyvazov, Roberto Alagna, Alexandra Kurzak, Jamie Barton, Elina Garanca, Piotr Beczala, Angel Blue, Peter Mattei, Isabel Leonard, René Pape, Anita Rachvelishvili, Diana Damrau, Lisette Oropesa, Joseph Calleja, Erin Morley, Lawrence Brownlee, Sonya Yoncheva, and Renée Fleming are just a small fraction of the 40 artists that will be a part of this gala. That’s it. That’s the post.