Every few weeks someone asks me: “I want to get into opera, but I don’t know where to start.” And every time, I resist the urge to hand them a 47-page reading list and a boxed set of the Ring Cycle. Because that’s how you kill someone’s interest in opera forever.

Instead, here’s my honest guide to building a playlist that’ll actually get you hooked. No music degree required. No pretending you enjoy things you don’t. Just good music, chosen strategically.

Step 1: Forget Chronological Order

The biggest mistake people make is starting at the beginning. “I should probably listen to some Monteverdi first, right?” No. You shouldn’t. Not yet. Monteverdi is wonderful, but starting with 17th-century opera when you’ve never heard any opera is like learning to cook by making a soufflé.

Start with the stuff that’s going to grab you by the throat. The emotionally direct, melodically rich, impossible-to-ignore stuff. You can work backwards later.

Step 2: The “Can’t Fail” Starting Five

These are my desert island picks for opera newcomers. Put these on, give them a proper listen — headphones, volume up — and if none of them move you, opera might genuinely not be your thing. (But I doubt it.)

1. “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s Turandot Yes, it’s the obvious choice. Yes, you’ve heard it at sporting events. Listen to it properly anyway. Pavarotti’s 1972 recording is the classic, but Jonas Kaufmann’s version has a darkness to it that I love. The final “Vincerò!” should make your chest ache.

2. “Va, pensiero” from Verdi’s Nabucco The chorus of the Hebrew slaves. This is the piece that made Verdi a national hero in Italy. It’s devastating in its simplicity — a group of people longing for home. If you’ve ever been homesick, this will wreck you. Try the Opera Australia recording if you want an Australian connection.

3. The “Habanera” from Bizet’s Carmen Completely different energy. Sultry, playful, dangerous. Carmen is basically the original femme fatale, and this aria is her entrance. It swings. You’ll be humming it for days.

4. “O mio babbino caro” from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi Two minutes long. A young woman begging her father to let her marry the man she loves. It’s the aria that launched a thousand movie soundtracks, and for good reason. Maria Callas recorded the definitive version, but Angela Gheorghiu’s is gorgeous too.

5. The “Flower Duet” from Delibes’ Lakmé Two sopranos intertwining over a shimmering orchestral accompaniment. You’ve definitely heard it in a British Airways ad. Hearing the full version, with proper headphones, is a different experience entirely.

Step 3: Branch Out By Mood

Once you’ve got the starting five under your belt, start exploring based on what you responded to most. Here’s a rough guide:

If you loved the big emotional hits: Go deeper into Puccini. La Bohème and Madama Butterfly are packed with melodies that lodge in your brain and refuse to leave. Verdi’s La Traviata is another essential — the drinking song is fun, but Violetta’s Act III aria will destroy you.

If you liked the dramatic, dark stuff: Wagner. Start with the Prelude to Tristan und Isolde — it’s pure yearning compressed into ten minutes of orchestra. Then try “Liebestod” from the same opera. Don’t start with the Ring Cycle yet. Trust me.

If the playful energy of Carmen got you: Try Rossini’s The Barber of Seville. It’s funny, fast, and the “Largo al factotum” is the most chaotic fun you’ll have listening to a baritone. Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro is another winner — the overture alone is enough to make you a fan.

If the vocal beauty hooked you: Handel. His arias are spectacular vocal showcases. “Lascia ch’io pianga” from Rinaldo is a good entry point. Then explore some bel canto — Bellini’s Norma has “Casta diva,” one of the most beautiful things ever written for the human voice.

Step 4: Watch, Don’t Just Listen

This is important. Opera is theatre. It’s meant to be seen. Once you’ve found composers or pieces you like, find a filmed production. The Met Opera’s on-demand service has hundreds of productions, and many libraries offer free access. YouTube has loads of full productions too — the quality varies, but you can find gems.

Watching opera with subtitles transforms the experience. Suddenly you’re following a story, not just hearing pretty sounds. The emotional impact doubles.

Step 5: Go See One Live

I cannot stress this enough. Recorded opera is wonderful for discovery, but it’s a shadow of the live thing. The first time you feel a voice fill a theatre without amplification — just a human body producing that much sound — it changes something in you.

Check what’s on at Opera Australia, your state company, or any local productions. Book the cheap seats. Don’t worry about the dress code. Just go.

One Last Thing

Don’t let anyone tell you you’re listening wrong. If you love the greatest hits and never get into twelve-tone modernism, that’s fine. If you skip straight to Britten and Berg and find Puccini sentimental, that’s fine too. There’s no correct path through opera. There’s only what moves you.

Now put your headphones on and press play.