Friday Reads: Vienna Nocturne

Vienna Nocturne by Vivien Shotwell

This week I'm entering the world of the opera with Vienna Nocturne by Vivien Shotwell. The novel tells the story of Anna  Storace and her relationship with celebrated composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Anna's story will take her to Naples, Florence, Venice and Vienna where she will perform for the Austrian Emperor himself.

Schonnbrun Palace, Vienna

I've never been to an opera performance but I'm interested in learning more about the subject. The Great Courses has a series How to Listen to and Understand Opera which I'd like to complete. And my local Cineplex theatre screens live performances by the Metropolitan Opera. After doing a little research I found that these five operas are recommended for the novice:

The Magic Flute

The Barber of Seville

La Traviata

Carmen

La Boheme

I love classical music but I'm not sure how much I'll enjoy the opera (I'm not even a fan of modern musicals) but I'm willing to give opera a chance. 

Vivien Shotwell's website is vivienshotwell.com.

Are you a fan of the opera?