I couldn’t find a solid list of documentaries on opera.
So I made one.
As usual with my lists, I include free places to watch the docs such as YouTube and Kanopy. If I can’t find a free link for an opera doc, I give the other paid streaming options.
I’ll be adding to this list in the future so please ping me with your ideas.
Enjoy!
1) This is Opera
Release date: March 8, 2015
Opera isn’t just for fancy concert halls—this doc shows why it’s alive and kicking today.
“This Is Opera” is hosted by Ramón Gener, a man so passionate about opera that he makes you care whether you like it or not.
Each episode dives into a famous opera, but it’s not just about music. It’s about history, drama, and big emotions—love, betrayal, war, and death.
Take the Carmen episode. Gener strolls through Seville, explaining how this seductive gypsy scandalized Paris in 1875.
Bizet’s fiery heroine wasn’t just a character. She was a revolution. Gener breaks it down like a guy telling you why this wild story still hits hard today.
He takes you to the National Theatre in Paris and shows how audiences lost their minds over this “immoral” opera.
In Turandot, Gener hops between Milan and Munich, talking about Puccini’s masterpiece. But he doesn’t stop at the romance. He digs into why the opera’s unfinished finale was both a huge success and an epic failure.
The series is directed by Alberto Rull and each episode runs about an hour. Gener doesn’t just lecture—he walks through cities, talks to everyday people, and brings opera out of the elite’s grasp.
You can’t make this $hit up: In the Tristan and Isolde episode, Gener interviews random people in Cadaqués who talk about their greatest loves, connecting the medieval romance to modern heartbreak.
Who knew opera could be so real?
You can rent the 2 seasons on Amazon Prime. Check here for the latest streaming options: https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/this-is-opera
2)Pavarotti
Release date: June 7, 2019
“Pavarotti” is a powerful tribute to the legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
Directed by Ron Howard, this 114-minute doc takes you from his humble beginnings in Modena, Italy, to his meteoric rise to global stardom.
Pavarotti wasn’t just an opera icon; he had an infectious warmth that crossed cultural boundaries.
His story, told through rare footage and interviews with family and colleagues, blends his iconic performances with his personal challenges.
The doc highlights his 1961 breakthrough in La Bohème and his unforgettable performance with The Three Tenors in 1990.
But Howard goes beyond the stage, showing Pavarotti’s complex personal life—his two marriages, media-frenzy divorce, and becoming a father again in his 60s.
What sets this film apart is its exploration of Pavarotti’s humanitarian efforts, especially his charity concerts with rock stars like Bono and Elton John.
These events raised millions for war-torn regions, revealing a man committed to more than just music.
You Can’t Make This $hit Up: Pavarotti refused to wear tuxedo pants, opting for black sweatpants under his tux.
The doc paints a rich picture of a man whose voice and spirit transcended opera, showing his greatness and his flaws.
You can watch “Pavarotti” for free on Kanopy and Hoopla and also on Tubni (with ads). Check here for the latest streaming options: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/pavarotti
3) Tosca’s Kiss
“Tosca’s Kiss” is an intimate look at the lives of retired opera singers living in Milan’s Casa Verdi.
This 90-minute doc, directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, explores the joy, nostalgia, and camaraderie among these former stars.
They once performed on the world’s grandest stages, and now they reminisce about their careers and life at Casa Verdi—a retirement home founded by Giuseppe Verdi himself for aging musicians.
The residents tell stories of their past performances, and despite their age, they still carry a deep passion for the art.
The doc shows how opera remains central to their lives, with some even rehearsing in their rooms.
The charm of “Tosca’s Kiss” lies in its tender portrayal of these artists, highlighting their enduring love for opera, even in their twilight years.
You Can’t Make This $hit Up: One resident is caught belting out arias in the hallways at age 90, proving the music never leaves them.
You can watch “Tosca’s Kiss” for free on Hoopla (with library card) and Amazon has it for rent for $3.99 last I checked. Here are the latest streaming options: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/il-bacio-di-tosca
4) The Opera House
Release date: January 13, 2017
“The Opera House” is a fascinating look at how New York’s Metropolitan Opera reinvented itself in the 1960s.
Directed by Susan Froemke, this 114-minute doc dives deep into the construction of the new Met at Lincoln Center. It wasn’t just about building an opera house—it was about a cultural revolution.
And Robert Moses, New York’s master planner, was right in the middle of it. His influence shaped the city, including the Lincoln Center project, forcing the Met to leave its old digs.
Through rare footage and interviews with legends like Leontyne Price, who opened the new Met in 1966, we see how high the stakes were. The transition wasn’t smooth.
Politics, protests, and a race against time to complete the building nearly derailed the dream.
You Can’t Make This $hit Up: The chandeliers were installed at the last minute, almost shutting down opening night. Somehow, they sparkled just in time.
This doc celebrates the grand vision of the new Met and the scrappy effort to bring it to life.
You can watch “The Opera House” on Apple TV ($4.99 last I checked). Here are the latest streaming options: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-opera-house
5) Maria Callas: La Divina – A Portrait
“Maria Callas: La Divina – A Portrait” gives us the wild, emotional rollercoaster that was Maria Callas’ life and career.
Directed by Tony Palmer, this 91-minute doc digs into why Callas was either adored as the greatest opera singer of the 20th century—or slammed as an overrated diva.
Palmer uses rare interviews and archival footage to capture Callas’ rise to fame with her raw, imperfect voice. But it wasn’t just her voice that made headlines—it was her fiery personality, both on and off the stage.
Callas’ ability to pour emotion into roles like Tosca in Tosca or Violetta in La Traviata made her unforgettable.
But that same passion often sabotaged her personal life, leading to messy scandals and dramatic falls from grace.
Palmer highlights these tensions, showing Callas at her peak and in her darkest moments.
You Can’t Make This $hit Up: Callas once stormed offstage mid-performance, leaving an entire audience—and her co-stars—stunned.
You can watch “Maria Callas: La Divina – A Portrait” for free on YouTube by clicking the video embed above.
6) Mario Lanza: The Best of Everything
Release date: October 28, 2017
“Mario Lanza: The Best of Everything” is a wild ride through the highs and lows of an opera star turned Hollywood rebel.
Directed by Alan Byron, this 90-minute doc digs into the life of Mario Lanza, the kid from Philly with a voice that knocked people out.
He wasn’t just a singer—he was a sensation. Lanza made waves in The Great Caruso, and his voice was called “the best of the century.” But the fame got to him. Fast.
Lanza’s life offstage was as dramatic as any opera. The guy battled booze, weight, and a bad attitude. It all led to a tragic crash—he was dead by 38.
You Can’t Make This $hit Up: Lanza once vanished from a film set for days, leaving everyone hanging, while he dealt with his personal demons.
This doc nails the brilliance and chaos of a guy who had everything—until it all spiraled out of control. You’ll cheer and shake your head at the same time.
You can watch “Mario Lanza: The Best of Everything” for free on Freevee and Amazon Prime Video (both with ads) and rent it on Amazon and Apple TV ($2.99 to $3.99 last I checked). Check here for the latest streaming options: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/mario-lanza-the-best-of-everything
7) The Oratorio
Release date: October 7, 2020
“The Oratorio” digs into a wild slice of New York history—an 1826 Italian opera performance that changed the city’s cultural landscape forever.
Hosted by Martin Scorsese, this doc pulls us into the forgotten world of early Italian immigrants and their mark on America’s music scene.
Directed by Alex Bayer and Jonathan Mann, the film tells the story of Father Felice Varela, a fiery Italian-American priest who staged The Oratorio at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral—years before it became a famous landmark.
It was the first Italian opera ever performed in the U.S., and it happened in a church, of all places.
Scorsese, who grew up near the cathedral, adds personal insights, reflecting on how the Lower East Side shaped him.
The doc pieces together history with rare archival material, interviews, and a 2018 revival of The Oratorio that brings this nearly-lost gem back to life.
You can’t make this $hit up: The 1826 performance was almost forgotten—until a random researcher stumbled across a mention of it in church records!
I watched “The Oratorio” for free on Kanopy (with my library card) here: https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/oratorio-documentary-martin-scorsese
8) Eun Sun Kim: A Journey Into Lohengrin
Release date: October 9, 2024
“A Journey into Lohengrin” is a making-of doc of the San Francisco Opera’s massive production of Wagner’s Lohengrin.
With Music Director Eun Sun Kim steering the ship, it’s a behind-the-scenes look at how this epic opera gets staged.
Director Elena Park (In Song) follows weeks of intense rehearsals. The cast is stacked: Simon O’Neill (Lohengrin) and Kristinn Sigmundsson (King Heinrich) are veterans, while Julie Adams (Elsa) and Judit Kutasi (Ortrud) face the beast for the first time.
They talk openly about the brutal vocal demands. Kim? She’s juggling 71 orchestra members, trumpeters hiding throughout the Opera House, and singers spread across the stage.
You’ll see how the team wrangles everything—from giant choral scenes to Lohengrin’s tricky logistics, like coordinating dozens of backstage crew. The orchestra even talks about their “Vulcan mind meld,” a near-telepathic connection developed in rehearsals.
And Kim’s stories? Priceless. The doc captures her relentless drive and first-time experience conducting this behemoth.
You can watch the doc for free by clicking the video embed above.
9) Leonard Bernstein: Reaching for the Note
While Leonard Bernstein was prolific in other areas (Broadway scores, ballet scores, film scores, etc.), his contributions to opera are vast.
They include:
- Trouble in Tahiti (1952): This one-act opera was Bernstein’s first foray into the genre17. It’s a short piece exploring the disillusionment of suburban American life.
- Candide (1956): Often classified as an operetta, “Candide” is based on Voltaire’s novella17. It blends operatic and musical theater elements, showcasing Bernstein’s ability to bridge classical and popular styles.
- A Quiet Place (1983): This three-act opera serves as a sequel to “Trouble in Tahiti”17. It was Bernstein’s last and most ambitious operatic work.
You can watch “Leonard Bernstein: Reacing for the Note” for free on Youtube by clicking the video embed above.
10) Einstein on the Beach: The Changing Image of Opera
Release date: 1985
I know. Some old-school opera folks are going to hate me for this.
“Einstein on the Beach: The Changing Image of Opera” is on the making of one of the most avant-garde operas of the 20th century.
Directed by Mark Obenhaus, this 58-minute documentary explores the collaboration between composer Philip Glass and theater director Robert Wilson.
They shatter the traditional opera mold by ditching conventional storytelling and embracing repetition, minimalism, and abstract visuals.
It’s a new take on opera, that’s for sure.
Featuring interviews with Glass and Wilson, the doc gives insight into how they pulled off this bold project, mixing snippets of live performances and rehearsals.
You Can’t Make This $hit Up: The opera runs over five hours without a traditional narrative or even an intermission—audiences were encouraged to come and go as they pleased.
I probably would have hit the bathroom and bar at least 4 times.
You can watch “Einstein on the Beach: The Changing Image of Opera” for free on YouTube by clicking the video embed above.
Thanks for reading!
-Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc