Q.
Opera is drama central. Come for it, and expect a drubbing. Quiet, I say. Keep quiet. Wise words from ‘The Magic Flute’s’ Tamino.

Which operas have been particularly popular over the 21^st Century?

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A.

In looking at Operabase’s analysis of professional performances from 2000 to 2025, we see..

Top 10 Most Performed Operas Worldwide. 2000-2025. Operabase
i.    La Traviata. Verdi. 1853. 18,732 performances since 2000
ii.   The Magic Flute. Mozart. 1791. 18,332
iii.  Carmen. Bizet. 1875. 16,856
iv.   La Bohème. Puccini. 1896. 16,252
v.    Tosca. Puccini. 1900. 13,418
vi.   The Marriage of Figaro. Mozart. 1786. 13,123
vii.  Madame Butterfly. Puccini. 1904. 12,426
viii. The Barber of Seville. Rossini. 1816. 12,235
ix.   Don Giovanni. Mozart. 1781. 12,232
x.    Rigoletto. Verdi. 1851. 11,179

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And which operas were most performed last year? Bachtrack has those statistics…

Most Performed Operas in 2025. Bachtrack
i.    The Magic Flute. Mozart
ii.   Carmen. Bizet
iii.   La Bohème. Puccini
iv.   La Traviata. Verdi
v.    The Marriage of Figaro. Mozart
vi.   Tosca. Puccini.
vii.  The Barber of Seville. Rossini
viii. Don Giovanni. Mozart
ix.   Hansel and Gretel. Humperdinck
x.    Rigoletto. Verdi

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🎭 Tosca’s Scarpia has a warning: Beware! This is a place for tears.

🎭 Fellows shrink in the course of a fall, says Mozart’s Figaro.

🎭 Put on your costume and powder your face. The audience pays and wants to laugh. This from Canio in ‘I Pagliacci’ – #19 in the most performed operas in the 21^st Century.

None shall sleep.

www.justcurious.ca

Header: Mary Cassat. In the Loge. 1878