Opera is full of soul-shattering problems: desire versus duty, love versus lust, baritone versus soprano, that sort of thing. But if you don’t know a lieto fine from a Liebestod, and you’re looking for a gift for the opera buff in your life, then you’re probably facing a bigger problem than all the doomed heroes and heroines of the lyric stage all piled together.Worry no longer. Here’s a list of suggestions which should get any self-respecting opera aficionado singing a high C with joy – and you can break the bank as little or as much as you like.Opera GlassesOnce the fashion-props of snooty duchesses and haughty opera queens, these dandy little visual amplifiers have gone out of fashion in recent years. But they’re due a revival any time soon. Not only will they help someone in the gods be able to check if Mimì’s beret is on straight, they’ll be an invaluable aid in staring down any annoyingly fidgety neighbouring theatregoers.A good choice is the Eschenbach “Glamour” Opera Glasses in pearl burgundy, for £69. Eschenbach is a reliable manufacturer, and these ones have a blood-red sheen to match the goriest of operas. Levenhuk is another good maker, with prices starting from around £25, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, eBay is an excellent source of vintage and new items, ranging from chipped old Bakelite binoculars to gold-and-mother-of-pearl lorgnettes.Become a PatronOpera is a hideously expensive artform to put on stage, and all opera companies make huge efforts to attract financial supporters by offering various benefits in return. If your opera-lover goes to the Royal Opera in London – the UK’s biggest and most prestigious company – it’s a no-brainer. But if he or she lives near one of the major regional companies (Opera North, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, NI Opera), and has been known to frequent them, these are also great places to consider.A newcomer to the world of country-house opera (which means exactly what the term suggests) is West Green House Opera, which staged an ambitious and terrific “Ariadne auf Naxos” this year. The company is situated in a spectacular and idiosyncratic garden – by far the most impressive of any of the great country-house opera companies – and is keen to build on its early successes. Starting at £500, you can become a Bronze Patron, and get advance notice of events and invitations. Levels of support go through Silver, Gold, Platinum and end at Diamond (£20,000): the latter comes with heaps of complimentary tickets, use of the greenhouses for dining, and a big smile of gratitude from the delightful founder Marylyn Abbott. A Hefty TombIf your intended recipient is intrigued by the history of opera, then a copy of the seminal reference work “The New Grove Dictionary of Opera” would be invaluable. In print (and aren’t all reference works more enjoyable in print?) it comes in four volumes, and has a somewhat daunting price tag of £292.50.Oxford University Press also offers an online subscription service, which has the advantage of giving access to other musical reference works too, and which includes the latest updates. This starts at an equally hefty £215 (+ VAT) per year. More sensible, yes - but much more boring than the reassuringly weighty four volumes.If those prices seem a little eye-watering, there are plenty of cheaper guides. My most frequently consulted is “The New Penguin Opera Guide” (£15.90 from Amazon.)An Opera TourThe unapologetically up-market Martin Randall Travel offers a huge selection of opera-themed tours. If your opera-lover has some free time, why not send them to see some of the great houses of the world? From March 3 – 8, for example, there’s a tour of Spain which takes in Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona with operas by Wagner and Verdi (priced at £2690.)Wall Décor Opera posters can be as striking as anything cooked up for the current crop of superstar pop princesses. The most famous - and by far the most easily available - image is Adolfo Hohenstein’s fabulous art nouveau work for Puccini’s “Tosca”. Copies are easy to find; originals are a teeny bit harder. My favourite is a version which is ready to make into a cross-stitch sampler. The idea of a genteel petit point being applied to a brutally sadistic opera feels both amusing and, somehow, strangely true.
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