Opera has been performed in London since the early 18th century. Many of Handel’s operas were first heard in Covent Garden, on the same site on which the Royal Opera House stands today. But is opera stuck in the 18th Century? Is a night at the opera an elitist and dull pastime for wealthy geriatrics? Are you more familiar with ‘popera’ than the opera?
Popular opera has come a long way since Italia ’90 when everyone was humming the Nessun Dorma theme tune, sung by the rotund Three Tenors. Now we have the sexier Il Divo, described on their website, ildivo.com, as a "cosmopolitan quartet of pop/opera crossover singers", and the fresh faced G4, g4site.com, bringing opera to mainstream entertainment.
Find out more, including useful links, in our full London Opera Article here.