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Best opening scene: I'd have to say La Forza Del Destino. Who in their right mind drops a loaded gun to the floor. Only in opera

 

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The shepherd boy from Tosca. He doesn't get involved in anything that could get him killed. Just tends to his sheep and sings a bit.

 

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The good, the bad and the ugly. What a trio at the end. Endless possibilities with Sergio Leone.

 

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7. Opera that best illustrates Murphy's Law (whatever can go wrong, will go wrong)

Il Trovatore: Leonora tried desperately to save her love Manrico by giving herself to the Conte and then sacrifice her own life by taking poison, but this ends up with the acceleration of Manrico's end (ordered by an enraged Conte).

And throwing the wrong baby to the fire. Azucena getting caught and Manrico's failed rescue attempt. Count killing his own brother. What more is there to go wrong?

 

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I'd have to go with Verdi. He could just wait for others to die for old age.

 

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10. La Gioconda. Tu volesti mio corpo, demon maledetto, e il corpo ti do (you wanted my body, accursed devil, and my body I give you), as she stabs herself in front of Barnaba.

Mind you, you need a Callas to give it real conviction.

Same for me. Pretty much the ultimate operatic middle finger.

 

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17. Lady Macbeth and Iago.

Though I shudder to think what the two might get up to if they joined forces...

But then again Lady Macbeth couldn't live with what she did. Iago surely could. So when you think about it more perhaps not that great match after all. I think Lady Macbeth is too soft for Iago. I think we would need someone even more ruthless.