Opera What is the best opera recording?

I'll try to stick the most popular ones......Some are available in both full version and highlights versions.

Bizet's "Carmen"..Callas, Gedda; Paris Opera/Pretre...or:
Johnson, Domingo; Concert version..Radio France/Maazel.

Mozart's "Magic Flute"..Gedda, Popp, Philharmonia/Klemperer..or:
Schreier, Moser; Bavarian State Opera/Sawallisch

Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro"..Ramey, Te Kanawa, Popp, Von Stade; London Philharmonic/Solti

Mozart's "Don Giovanni"..Battle, Ramey, etal; Berlin/Von Karajan

Puccini's "La Boheme"..Freni, Pavarotti; Berlin/Von Karajan

Verdi's "Aida"..Freni, Carreras; Vienna State Opera/Von Karajan

Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess"..White, Haymon; London Philharmonic/Simon Rattle

Available as a set, because both operas are short and usually performed together are Mascagni's "Cavalleria Rusticana" and Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci"....Pavarotti, etal; National Philharmonic/Giuseppe Patane;
In Rusticana you will notice that the music at the midpoint was used as the theme music in the movie "Raging Bull".

You may also look for Verdi Highlights with samples of the Operas "Aida", "Otello", "Rigoletto", and "La Traviata", "Il Trovatore" and more. There is a good one on Polygram; catalog number 469217

I am no opera expert, but a Requiem is not an opera. It is a mass for the dead. The Rutter Requiem on Reference is an excellent recording, but it isn't an opera.

I'm not an opera buff but do enjoy it from time to time. Happened across this list of "Reference Recordings" - don't know if it helps, or simply stirs new debate:

http://www.mrichter.com/opera/files/refs.htm

Happy listening.

FYI: Grandpad's link reference list is of vintage LPs, so most/many not available on CD.

Turandot is possibly Puccini's grandest opera. I've heard several. But the recording that brings Turandot to a powerful intensity is the 1959 recording with Erich Leinsdorf conducting the Rome Opera Orchestra and Chorus, along with Nilsson, Tebaldi, Tozzi, and the legendary Jussi Bjoerling in the part of Calaf. The entire line up is superb! This recording is very moving, moves the emotions. I don't have a very big opera collection, i'll post a few more later.