Shakespeare’s themes and stories have inspired numerous operas over the years. Here’s our list of operas that have used Shakespeare as inspiration:
The Tempest
- The Tempest by Felice Lattuada (1922)
- The Knot Garden by Michael Tippett (1970)
- Un Re In Ascolto by Luciano Berio’s [A Listening King] (1984)
- The Tempest by John C Eaton (1985)
- The Enchanted Isle by Thomas Shadwell (1674)
Romeo and Juliet
- Roméo et Juliette by Charles Gounod (1867)
- A Village Romeo and Juliet by Frederick Delius (1901)
- West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein (1957)
- I Capuleti e i Montecchi by Vincenzo Bellini (1830)
- Giulietta e Romeo by Nicola Vaccai (1825)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Benjamin Britten (1960)
- The Fairy Queen by Henry Purcell (1692).
Macbeth
- Macbeth by Giuseppe Verdi (1847)
- Macbeth by Ernest Bloch (1910)
Hamlet
- Hamlet by Ambroise Thomas (1868)
Othello
- Otello by Giuseppe Verdi (1887)
- Otello by Giulio Rossini (1816)
Much Ado About Nothing
- Béatrice et Bénédict by Hector Berlioz (1862)
Timon of Athens
- Timon of Athens by Stephen Oliver (1991)
The Taming of the Shrew
- Kiss Me Kate by Cole Porter (1953)
Operas based on the character of Falstaff
- At the Boar’s Head by Gustav Holst (1925)
- Der Kustigen Weiber von Windsor by Otto Nicolai (1849)
- Sir John in Love by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1929)
- Falstaff by Giuseppe Verdi (1893)
Any Shakespeare-inspired opera that we’re missing? Let us know in the comments section below! See some Shakespeare inspired novel titles >>
Shakespeare-inspired West Side Story on stage
Macbeth underworld by Pascal dusapin
What about “Much Ado About Nothing”, a 1901 opera with music by Charles Villiers Stanford and a libretto by Julian Sturgis?
Comedy of Errors/ Boys From Syracuse Rodgers & Hart.