We asked which opera you would recommend to somebody who has never seen one before. According to the ABC Classic audience it's not just a matter which opera, but for whom, and how to go about it.
Operas for adults with 'good sexy plots'
Bizet's opera Carmen about the untameable love of the fiery Carmen was the audience's top pick. According to one person this was because of its "rousing music and good sexy plot."
Some commenters warned that contemporary audiences might not connect with the orientalist stereotypes and dying heroines in nineteenth-century opera. Puccini's opera Tosca received both praise for (spoiler alert) the heroine's revenge on the villain Scarpia and criticism for her eventual suicide.
Despite the length of his operas, Wagner's Lohengrin and the first opera of the Ring Cycle, Das Rheingold, were recommended as entry-points to his pre-Dungeons and Dragons world of gods and heroes.
Great operas for children
Not all operas are long and some are hits with children. Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel was the standout recommendation, but operetta and singspiele that combine speech and singing like Gilbert and Sullivan's "Savoy Operas" and Mozart's The Magic Flute were also top suggestions.
The best first opera is the one you fall in love with
Everyone had a different story of the opera that hooked them and they weren't always those with accessible tunes and good sexy plots. Twentieth-century operas like Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd, Alban Berg's Wozzeck, as well as contemporary Australian operas by Damien Ricketson, Elena Kats-Chernin, and Cat Hope were among those that sparked a love of the genre.
Before you go: Get to know the story and the music
People provided advice to help newcomers navigate the sea of music and characters that is a grand opera. Take the time to look up a synopsis of the story and listen to some recordings of the musical highlights and you will be rewarded. Knowing the story will help you focus on the performance rather than craning your neck to read the subtitles the whole time, especially if a director has put a new twist on the opera with updated staging.
Find an opera that reflects your taste in movies
Take it from mezzo-soprano Jacqueline Dark: You'll enjoy an opera in the vein of your favourite movies.