Opera is for Everyone!
Taking children (and yourself!) to the opera is the best experience! But before you invest in expensive tickets, be sure to spend some time learning about what you will be seeing.
Since the opera will probably be in a foreign language, learn the basic story outline, so you can enjoy the costumes and music without being glued to any translations offered during the performance.
Listen to some recordings of the music so you will be familiar with them and can enjoy the anticipation of hearing your favorite pieces.
And if going to an opera is out of the question, you can still enjoy this art form through audio and video productions.
Free Opera Resources for Newbies
- OperaGlass -- Opera for Everyone
- What a fabulous resource! Free mp3 audio files that combine opera with very helpful commentary. Four operas are included: Rossini's The Barber of Seville (1816); Verdi's La Traviata (1853); Bizet's Carmen (1875); and Puccini's Madama Butterfly (1904). The content offered for free here can also be purchased from Amazon.
- Opera for Beginners
- This site is wealth of information for someone wanting to go a tad bit deeper. If you're looking for DVD recommendations, this is the place to go!
- Opera Summaries
- Story summaries for many operas, conveniently divided by acts and scenes.
- Manitoba Opera -- Learn About Opera
- This page offers some great educational PDFs about opera!
- ENO Opera Packs
- You'll find a LONG list of opera packs here. Each one is designed as an introduction to characters and plot. They are written in an informative but relaxed style for secondary students attending opera with particular reference to the ENO production.
- Kentucky Opera Educational Downloads
- PDFs include opera trivia, an opera glossary, and a teacher's guide.
- Educator and Family Resource Materials from the San Francisco Opera
- The San Francisco Opera Education Department provides resource materials and plenty of ideas for teachers and for families who wish to learn more about opera together.
Newbie Opera Choices
- La Boheme by Puccini
- Visit Classics for Kids for free audio programs about Puccini's operas.
- Manitoba Opera has a great PDF study guide for La Boheme.
- Carmen by Bizet
- Visit Classics for Kids for more about Bizet.
- The Toledo Opera offers a free study guide for Carmen.
- Kentucky Opera shares a fabulously detailed study guide for Carmen in PDF format.
- Barber of Seville by Rossini
- Visit Classics for Kids for more about Rossini.
- The Dayton Opera has a free PDF study guide for the Barber of Seville.
- The San Francisco Opera offers an even more indepth study guide!
- Listen to this old recording called A Child's Introduction to Opera: The Barber of Seville at Kiddie Records. Look on 2009, January, Week 4.
- Magic Flute or Marriage of Figaro by Mozart
- Visit Classics for Kids for free audio programs about the Magic Flute and other Mozart operas
- The Manitoba Opera has a great Study Guide for The Marriage of Figaro.
- New Hampshire's Center for the Performing Arts has an amazing Magic Flute Study Guide that is also a really great general opera resource. There are crossword puzzles, maps, themed math problems, and more. It's actually a complete unit study.
World's Best Opera for Kids
World's Very Best Opera for Kids... in English!
Amazon Price: $12.99 (as of 11/20/2009)
Used Price: $7.49
I have this CD! And my daughter and I love it! Some of the songs will make you laugh outloud!
It's a great introduction because the words are in English. You can learn the meaning of the piece while you are becoming familiar with the music. Several of the most famous arias from various operas are featured here. Let your child choose his favorite song and then explore that entire opera in depth.
Opera Lapbook Photos
made from the free printable templates linked below
Opera Lapbook
Free Opera Minibok Templates
I created some minibook templates for my daughter's study of opera. There are a total of 8 different templates. If the book has clip art, I also added a blank version for children who love to draw (like my Sprite).I used the following online articles for the reference material.
from Dallas Opera
from San Francisco Opera
- Magic Flute Guide Especially notice the first fourteen pages which are a wonderful introduction to opera in general-- A Short Introduction to Opera, An Opera Glossary, and more.
- How Operas Work (PDF)
- A Short History of Opera (PDF)
- Opera Lapbook Part 1
Five minibooks to choose from:
1. Roles of the Composer and Librettist (Diagonal Shutterfold)
2. What Was the First Opera (Pull Tab Book)
3. Most Popular Operas (Pocket and Cards) --Use the 20 most performed operas in North America to fill out the cards.
4. Famous Opera Composers (Petal Books) featuring Verdi, Mozart, Puccini, and Rossini
5. Is it a Musical or an Opera? (Trifold with special flaps)- Opera Lapbook Part 2
Three more minibook printables:
1. Parts of an Opera (Tab Book)
2. Performers in the Opera (Triangle Petal Book)
3. Then and Now (Split Matchbook)
Bravo! Brava! A Night at the Opera: Behind the Scenes with Composers, Cast, and Crew
Bravo! Brava! A Night at the Opera: Behind the Scenes with Composers, Cast, and Crew
Amazon Price: $19.62 (as of 11/20/2009)
This book traces the development of the opera and includes details about the production and performance of operas. There are also basic story lines of many popular operas. It contains witty stories and fun facts along with technical information.
Opera Poll
Young Person's Guide to Opera
The Young Person's Guide to the Opera: With Music from the Great Operas (Book & CD)
Amazon Price: (as of 11/20/2009)
Used Price: $36.14
This would be a good next step up after using the CD above. It's a great reference book to have on the shelf as you study various composers and operas.
Opera Resources
books and audio
The Classical Child at the Opera
OPERA IS FOR EVERYONE and so, The Classical Child more...0 points
The Random House Book of Opera Stories (Random House Book of...) by Adele Geras
This spellbinding collection of eight well-known s more...0 points
Stories from the Opera by Shahrukh (RTL) Husain
Opera is one of the most spectacular and exhilarat more...0 points
Opera for Everyone - La Traviata
These audio files are available free online; see l more...0 points
Opera for Everyone - The Barber of Seville
These audio files are available free online; see l more...0 points
Opera for Everyone - Carmen
These audio files are available free online; see l more...0 points
Opera for Everyone - Madama Butterfly
These audio files are available free online; see l more...0 points
Other Music Lenses
-
Mozart Composer Study
-
Mozart is often one of the first composers chosen for a Charlotte Mason styled composer study. He is considered one of the best known and best loved composers of all time. And the fact that he began performing and writing music at such a young age is...
-
Composer Study -- Charlotte Mason Style
-
A rich and full homeschool education is sure to include some study of classical music and the famous composers who write its music. The Charlotte Mason style of studying composers is an easy and inexpensive way to expose your children to the masters...
-
Classical Music Lapbook
-
Music is one of those topics that we homeschool moms know we should teach our children. But whether it's because of our own lack of knowledge, a tight homeschool budget, or just a crowded schedule, music study often gets pushed to the back burner. Th...
-
Tchaikovsky Composer Study
-
Remember the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies? Even if you think you don't, I'm positive that you do! Listen to this midi file and you'll instantly recognize the tune. That famous piece was written by Tchaikovsky as part of The Nutcracker...
-
Bach Composer Study
-
Anyone using Charlotte Mason styled composer study is sure to encounter Johann Sebastian Bach at some point. Although more famous in his lifetime as an organist than as a composer, Bach is considered today to be one of the primary Baroque composers o...
Guestbook
Share your opera experiences!
-
Reply
- Dana @ School For Us Dana @ School For Us Oct 27, 2009 @ 8:43 am
- Thank you Jimmie, for putting together this page! I have taken my daughter to 5 or 6 operas for kids (45-50 mins long) and one full length opera, Hansel & Gretel. It was incredible! Next week, we will be going go an abbreviated version of "Elixir of Love" for 4th-8th graders. It'll be 2 hours long. Yesterday, we had a presentation about what to expect and some clips from the opera. The volunteer docent also told us the story line. I am excited and hope to get us better prepared, so thanks for this site!
Dana, www.alexml.blogspot.com
-
Reply
- EverythingMouse EverythingMouse Oct 24, 2009 @ 8:55 am
- This is an excellent resource. My children have a lot of exposure to the world of opera as my sister in law used to produce opera programmes for the BBC and my brother is a sound engineer! Angel Blessings to you
-
Reply
- aardvark aardvark Aug 15, 2009 @ 2:33 am
- We liberally brainwashed our kids - and Grandma helped. She loves opera. When he was 7 or 8, we gave one of our sons a 3 vol. set of Best of Opera CDs. He loved it! He's not much of an opera fan at 16, but he asks to be taken to the symphony! Thanks for sharing the resources.
-
Reply
- Sarah Sarah Jun 8, 2009 @ 12:07 pm
- For parents of elementary school kids: there is a non-profit organization called Opera for the Young that travels to elementary schools in the upper midwest. Our productions are written specifically for children and include students in the chorus in cameo roles and as the opera's chorus. For more information: www.operafortheyoung.org
-
Reply
- mulberry mulberry Feb 27, 2009 @ 1:11 pm
- It's very true that knowing the story before attending helps a great deal. I took a music appreciation course as a teenager and it certain opened my eyes to opera.
-
Reply
- Kathy Kathy Feb 3, 2009 @ 6:57 am
- We recently began learning about opera and I'm making good use of your fantastic resources. Thank you for creating this lens!
-
Reply
- aj2008 aj2008 Jan 4, 2009 @ 5:06 am
- What a great resource for anyone trying to get their children interested in opera.
-
Reply
- Aysegül Aysegül Oct 22, 2008 @ 8:38 pm
- I love opera - also liked it as a child. I took my daughter at age 3 to her first opera - a one hour production by children at the Washington Opera Summer Camp. At age 5 she sat through a full length opera in Greek (she doesn't know a single word) but was very interested in the story. If kids are not exposed to all forms of art, they will not learn to appreciate them.
- Load More
by Jimmie
Hello! I am a homeschooling, stay at home mom who loves to teach and learn. I enjoy cooking from scratch, blogging, photography, and traveling, but I...
(more)Explore related pages
Bach Composer Study- Anyone using Charlotte Mason styled composer study is sure to encounter Johann S...
Tchaikovsky Composer Study- Remember the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies? Even if you think you don't, I...
Composer Study -- Charlotte Mason Style - A rich and full homeschool education is sure to include some study of classical...
