This is the sister list of the 100 most recommended operas as chosen by our members on the regular opera forum and ranks what according to members' tastes are especially recommendable DVD's of each of those operas.
# 1 Der Ring des Nibelungen
Most Recommended Version:
1992 Barenboim - Bayreuther Festpiele
Picked by 4 out of 8 voters (50%) among 4 nominated versions out of 7 existing versions.
Runner-up:
1990 Levine - Metropolitan Opera House, picked by 2 out of 8 voters (25%)
# 2 Tristan und Isolde
Most Recommended Version:
2007 Belohlavek - Glyndebourne / London Philharmonic Orchestra
Picked by 3 out of 5 voters (60%) among 4 nominated versions out of 18 existing versions.
Also available on blu-ray
Runners-up (three way tie, each picked by 1 out of 5 voters (10%):
2007 Barenboim - Teatro alla Scala - 1 vote
1995 Barenboim - Bayreuth Festival - 1 vote
1983 Barenboim - Bayreuth Festival - 1 vote
# 3 Le Nozze di Figaro
Most Recommended Version:
2006 Pappano - Covent Garden
Picked by 6 out of 12 voters (50%) among 4 nominated versions out of 30 existing versions.
Runner-up (picked by 3 out of 12 voters (25%):
1973 Pritchard - London Philharmonic Orchestra/Glyndebourne
# 4 Giulio Cesare
Most Recommended Version:
2005 Christie - Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Glyndebourne
Picked by 11 out of 12 voters (91.6%) among 2 nominated versions out of 9 existing versions.
Runner-up: 2005 Mortensen - Concerto Copenghagen
(picked by 1 out of 12 voters (8.4%):
# 5 Les Troyens
Most Recommended Version:
2003 Gardiner - Orchestre Révolutionaire et Romantique/Châtelet
Picked by 6 out of 7 voters (85.7%) among 2 nominated versions out of 3 existing versions.
Runner-up: 1983 Levine - Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Picked by 1 out of 7 voters (14.3%)
# 6 Don Giovanni
Most Recommended Version:
2000 Levine - Metropolitan Opera
Picked by 6 out of 12 voters (50%) among 6 nominated versions out of 38 existing versions.
Runner-up: 2008 Mackerras - Covent Garden
Picked by 2 out of 12 voters (16.6%)
# 7 La Traviata
Most Recommended Version:
2005 Rizzi - Wiener Philharmoniker
Picked by 6 out of 15 voters (40%) among 5 nominated versions out of 35 existing versions.
Runners-up: tie, each picked by 3 out of 15 voters (20%)
2006 Conlon - Los Angeles Opera
1982 Levine Metropolitan Opera
# 8 La Bohème
Most Recommended Version:
2007(LC) (FI) - Billy Bertrand De - Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Villazón/Netrebko)
Picked by 5 out of 11 voters (45.5%) among 7 nominated versions out of 41 existing versions.
Runners-up: tie, each picked by 1 out of 11 voters (9%), together with 4 more versions, and these two won the runners-up tie breaker with 2 votes each:
1988(LI) - Severini Tiziano - San Francisco Opera (Pavarotti/Freni)
1993(LI) - Smith Julian - Australian Opera (Hobson/Barker)
This product, issued in 2006, has an alternative cover for an earlier release (2002):
Other nominated versions (mentioned here because they were part of the original six-way runners-up tie:
1965(FI) - Karajan Herbert von - Teatro alla Scala (Raimondi/Freni)
1979(LI) - Kleiber Carlos - Teatro alla Scala (Pavarotti/Cotrubas)
2008(LC) - Luisotti Nicola - Metropolitan Opera (Vargas/Gheorghiu)
1982(LI) - Levine James - Metropolitan Opera (Carreras/Stratas)
# 9 Der Rosenkavalier
Most Recommended Version:
1979(LI) - Kleiber Carlos - Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Picked by 6 out of 9 voters (66.6%) among 4 nominated versions out of 11 existing versions
Runners-up: three-way tie, each picked by 1 out of 9 voters (11.1%)
1985(LI) - Solti Georg - Covent Garden
1994(LI) - Kleiber Carlos - Wiener Philharmoniker
2009(LI) - Thielemann Christian - Münchner Philharmoniker
# 10 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Most Recommended Version:
2001(LI) - Levine James - Metropolitan Opera
Picked by 4 out of 6 voters (66.6%) among 3 nominated versions out of 10 existing versions
Runners-up: tie, each picked by 1 out of 6 voters (11.1%)
1995(LI) - Frühbeck de Burgos Rafael - Deutsche Oper Berlin
1984 (ST) - Stein Horst - Bayreuth Festival
# 1 Der Ring des Nibelungen
Most Recommended Version:
1992 Barenboim - Bayreuther Festpiele
Picked by 4 out of 8 voters (50%) among 4 nominated versions out of 7 existing versions.
Runner-up:
1990 Levine - Metropolitan Opera House, picked by 2 out of 8 voters (25%)
# 2 Tristan und Isolde
Most Recommended Version:
2007 Belohlavek - Glyndebourne / London Philharmonic Orchestra
Picked by 3 out of 5 voters (60%) among 4 nominated versions out of 18 existing versions.
Also available on blu-ray
Runners-up (three way tie, each picked by 1 out of 5 voters (10%):
2007 Barenboim - Teatro alla Scala - 1 vote
1995 Barenboim - Bayreuth Festival - 1 vote
1983 Barenboim - Bayreuth Festival - 1 vote
# 3 Le Nozze di Figaro
Most Recommended Version:
2006 Pappano - Covent Garden
Picked by 6 out of 12 voters (50%) among 4 nominated versions out of 30 existing versions.
Runner-up (picked by 3 out of 12 voters (25%):
1973 Pritchard - London Philharmonic Orchestra/Glyndebourne
# 4 Giulio Cesare
Most Recommended Version:
2005 Christie - Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Glyndebourne
Picked by 11 out of 12 voters (91.6%) among 2 nominated versions out of 9 existing versions.
Runner-up: 2005 Mortensen - Concerto Copenghagen
(picked by 1 out of 12 voters (8.4%):
# 5 Les Troyens
Most Recommended Version:
2003 Gardiner - Orchestre Révolutionaire et Romantique/Châtelet
Picked by 6 out of 7 voters (85.7%) among 2 nominated versions out of 3 existing versions.
Runner-up: 1983 Levine - Metropolitan Opera Orchestra
Picked by 1 out of 7 voters (14.3%)
# 6 Don Giovanni
Most Recommended Version:
2000 Levine - Metropolitan Opera
Picked by 6 out of 12 voters (50%) among 6 nominated versions out of 38 existing versions.
Runner-up: 2008 Mackerras - Covent Garden
Picked by 2 out of 12 voters (16.6%)
# 7 La Traviata
Most Recommended Version:
2005 Rizzi - Wiener Philharmoniker
Picked by 6 out of 15 voters (40%) among 5 nominated versions out of 35 existing versions.
Runners-up: tie, each picked by 3 out of 15 voters (20%)
2006 Conlon - Los Angeles Opera
1982 Levine Metropolitan Opera
# 8 La Bohème
Most Recommended Version:
2007(LC) (FI) - Billy Bertrand De - Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Villazón/Netrebko)
Picked by 5 out of 11 voters (45.5%) among 7 nominated versions out of 41 existing versions.
Runners-up: tie, each picked by 1 out of 11 voters (9%), together with 4 more versions, and these two won the runners-up tie breaker with 2 votes each:
1988(LI) - Severini Tiziano - San Francisco Opera (Pavarotti/Freni)
1993(LI) - Smith Julian - Australian Opera (Hobson/Barker)
This product, issued in 2006, has an alternative cover for an earlier release (2002):
Other nominated versions (mentioned here because they were part of the original six-way runners-up tie:
1965(FI) - Karajan Herbert von - Teatro alla Scala (Raimondi/Freni)
1979(LI) - Kleiber Carlos - Teatro alla Scala (Pavarotti/Cotrubas)
2008(LC) - Luisotti Nicola - Metropolitan Opera (Vargas/Gheorghiu)
1982(LI) - Levine James - Metropolitan Opera (Carreras/Stratas)
# 9 Der Rosenkavalier
Most Recommended Version:
1979(LI) - Kleiber Carlos - Bayerisches Staatsorchester
Picked by 6 out of 9 voters (66.6%) among 4 nominated versions out of 11 existing versions
Runners-up: three-way tie, each picked by 1 out of 9 voters (11.1%)
1985(LI) - Solti Georg - Covent Garden
1994(LI) - Kleiber Carlos - Wiener Philharmoniker
2009(LI) - Thielemann Christian - Münchner Philharmoniker
# 10 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Most Recommended Version:
2001(LI) - Levine James - Metropolitan Opera
Picked by 4 out of 6 voters (66.6%) among 3 nominated versions out of 10 existing versions
Runners-up: tie, each picked by 1 out of 6 voters (11.1%)
1995(LI) - Frühbeck de Burgos Rafael - Deutsche Oper Berlin
1984 (ST) - Stein Horst - Bayreuth Festival