Opera for kids: where to start and what to expect

Opera is a play in which the characters sing their lines, with an orchestra playing along. It has costumes, sets, and acting, and the singers fill a large hall with no microphones. A good first step for a child is one short opera with a story they already know, such as Hansel and Gretel. Play two or three of its songs at home before you watch any of it.

What makes opera different

Everything is sung. In most operas, the characters sing the whole story. In some, such as The Magic Flute, they speak between the songs.

The voices are trained to carry. Opera singers learn to send the voice over a full orchestra to the back of the hall. This is one reason opera singing sounds different from pop singing.

The orchestra sits in a pit. The players are below the front of the stage, and the conductor faces the singers.

The words may be in another language. Many operas are sung in Italian, German, or French. Many opera houses show a translation on a screen above the stage or on the seat in front of you. These are called surtitles.

Words to know

• Aria: a song for one singer
• Duet: a song for two singers
• Chorus: a large group that sings together, often as townspeople or soldiers
• Overture: the piece the orchestra plays before the story begins
• Libretto: the words of the opera
• Act: one large part of the story, like a chapter

The voice types

Opera sorts voices from highest to lowest. Composers often match the voice to the character.

Voice	Range	Roles it often sings
Soprano	Highest female voice	Heroines and queens
Mezzo-soprano	Lower female voice	Mothers, witches, and boys
Tenor	Highest common male voice	Heroes and princes
Baritone	Middle male voice	Fathers, friends, and comic characters
Bass	Lowest male voice	Kings, priests, and villains

Five first operas

Hansel and Gretel, by Engelbert Humperdinck. The fairy tale, set to music that draws on German folk songs. Many companies sing it in English. See Hansel and Gretel for kids.

The Magic Flute, by Mozart. A prince, a bird catcher, a magic flute, and a queen whose songs climb to some of the highest notes sung on the opera stage. See The Magic Flute for kids.

Amahl and the Night Visitors, by Gian Carlo Menotti. A boy and his mother shelter three kings on their way to Bethlehem. Menotti wrote it in English for American television in 1951. It has one act and runs under an hour.

The Child and the Spells, by Ravel. A child in a temper smashes a teapot, tears his books, and pulls the cat’s tail. Then the teapot, the armchair, the clock, and the garden animals come to life. It has one act and runs under an hour. Read Ravel for kids.

Cinderella, by Rossini. A comic version of the tale with fast, tongue-twisting songs. Rossini’s story has a bracelet in place of the glass slipper and a wise tutor in place of the fairy godmother.

Famous opera songs to play at home

A child can enjoy these with no story at all.

• The Queen of the Night’s second aria from The Magic Flute, by Mozart
• “Largo al factotum,” the “Figaro, Figaro” song from The Barber of Seville, by Rossini
• The “Toreador Song” from Carmen, by Bizet
• “The Ride of the Valkyries” from Die Walküre, by Wagner
• The “Evening Prayer” from Hansel and Gretel, by Humperdinck
• “Nessun dorma” from Turandot, by Puccini

Many famous operas tell stories written for adults, with death and betrayal in the plot. Read a summary before you show a full opera to a young child.

How to start at home

1. Pick one opera from the list above.
2. Tell the story in your own words, as a bedtime story.
3. Play two songs from it on a few different days.
4. Watch one scene on video, about ten minutes long.
5. Watch a full act when your child asks for more.

What to expect at the opera house

It is long. Many operas run two to three hours with one or two intermissions. Some companies offer shorter family performances in English. Check the listing for the running time and a suggested age.

The overture comes first. The lights go down, the conductor enters, and the orchestra plays before the curtain rises.

People clap after big songs. At the opera, the audience often claps at the end of an aria. Some people shout “bravo” for a man, “brava” for a woman, and “bravi” for a group.

The singers bow at the end. The curtain calls can last several minutes.

The seat, snack, and break tips in the first concert guide apply here too.

Low-cost ways to see opera

• Family performances and shortened versions
• Student dress rehearsals, which some companies open to schools and families
• School tours, when a few singers bring a short opera to a school gym
• Opera broadcasts in movie theaters
• Full operas on video from a public library

Things to do together

High or low. Play one soprano aria and one bass aria. Ask your child which voice is higher and which character each might be.

Sing your day. Sing every sentence at breakfast in place of speaking it. This is what opera characters do.

Draw the set. After you tell the story, ask your child to draw the stage for one scene.

Name the feeling. Play an aria with no translation. Ask your child what the character feels. Then read what the words mean.

Print and play

Use a listening journal page for each aria. For the people on and under the stage, read what a conductor does. For manners in the hall, see concert etiquette for kids.