1945–1964 thumb|Benjamin Britten 1945 Peter Grimes (Benjamin Britten). A landmark in the history of British opera, this work marked Britten's arrival on the international music scene. 1945 War and Peace (Sergei Prokofiev). Prokofiev returned to the tradition of Russian historical opera for this epic work based on Leo Tolstoy's novel. 1946 Betrothal in a Monastery (Prokofiev). A romantic comedy with music drawing on the opera buffa style of Rossini. 1946 The Medium (Gian Carlo Menotti). Considered by many to be Menotti's finest work.Bruce Archibald, writing in Grove 1946 The Rape of Lucretia (Britten). Britten's first chamber opera.Arnold Whittal, writing in Grove 1947 Albert Herring (Britten). Britten's comic opera is heavily based upon use of the ensemble. 1947 Dantons Tod (Gottfried von Einem). Einem's opera is a compressed setting of Georg Büchner's play about the "Reign of Terror" during the French Revolution. 1947 Les mamelles de Tirésias (Francis Poulenc). Poulenc's first opera is a short surrealist comedy based on the play by Guillaume Apollinaire. 1947 The Telephone, or L'Amour à trois (Menotti). An opera buffa just 22 minutes in length. 1949 Il prigioniero (Luigi Dallapiccola). Much of the music for this opera is based on three 12-note tone rows, which represent the themes of prayer, hope and freedom that dominate the opera. 1950 The Consul (Menotti). This opera contains some of Menotti's most dissonant music. 1951 Amahl and the Night Visitors (Menotti). This Christmas story was the first opera specifically written for television. 1951 Billy Budd (Britten). The plot for Britten's large-scale opera was based on a story by Herman Melville. 1951 The Pilgrim's Progress (Ralph Vaughan Williams). Set to his own libretto, Vaughan Williams's work was inspired by John Bunyan's famous allegory of the same name. 1951 The Rake's Progress (Igor Stravinsky). Stravinsky's most important operatic work looks back to Mozart musically and has a libretto by W. H. Auden inspired by the engravings of William Hogarth. 1952 Boulevard Solitude (Hans Werner Henze). Henze's first full-length opera is an updating of the story of Manon Lescaut, also the source for important operas by Massenet and Puccini. 1953 Gloriana (Britten). Composed for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, this opera looks back to the relationship between her namesake Elizabeth I and the Earl of Essex. 1954 The Fiery Angel (Prokofiev). Prokofiev never saw what is often regarded as his most avant-garde composition performed on the operatic stage. 1954 The Turn of the Screw (Britten). A chamber opera based on the ghost story by Henry James. It is remarkable for its tightly laid out key scheme and active orchestral role. 1954 Troilus and Cressida (William Walton). Walton's opera about the Trojan War was initially a failure. 1955 The Midsummer Marriage (Michael Tippett). Tippett's first full-scale opera was set to his own libretto. 1956 Candide (Leonard Bernstein). Operetta, based on Voltaire. The soprano aria "Glitter and Be Gay" is a parody of Romantic-era jewel songs. 1957 Dialogues des Carmélites (Poulenc). Poulenc's major opera is set in a convent during the French Revolution. 1958 Vanessa (Samuel Barber). Vanessa won its composer a Pulitzer Prize in 1958. 1959 La voix humaine (Poulenc). A short opera with a single character: a despairing woman on the telephone to her lover. 1960 A Midsummer Night's Dream (Britten). Set to a libretto adapted from the Shakespeare play by himself and his partner Peter Pears, Britten's work is rare in operatic history in that it features a countertenor in the male lead role. 1961 Elegy for Young Lovers (Henze). Henze asked his librettists, W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, for a scenario that would inspire him to compose "tender, beautiful noises". 1962 King Priam (Tippett). Tippett's second opera, set to another of his own "recondite" libretti, was inspired by Homer's Iliad. 1964 Curlew River (Britten). A modern liturgical "church opera" intended for performance in an ecclesiastical setting.
1945–1964 thumb|Benjamin Britten 1945 Peter Grimes (Benjamin Britten). A landmark in the history of British opera, this work marked Britten's arrival on the international music scene. 1945 War and Peace (Sergei Prokofiev). Prokofiev returned to the tradition of Russian historical opera for this epic work based on Leo Tolstoy's novel. 1946 Betrothal in a Monastery (Prokofiev). A romantic comedy with music drawing on the opera buffa style of Rossini. 1946 The Medium (Gian Carlo Menotti). Considered by many to be Menotti's finest work.Bruce Archibald, writing in Grove 1946 The Rape of Lucretia (Britten). Britten's first chamber opera.Arnold Whittal, writing in Grove 1947 Albert Herring (Britten). Britten's comic opera is heavily based upon use of the ensemble. 1947 Dantons Tod (Gottfried von Einem). Einem's opera is a compressed setting of Georg Büchner's play about the "Reign of Terror" during the French Revolution. 1947 Les mamelles de Tirésias (Francis Poulenc). Poulenc's first opera is a short surrealist comedy b.ased on the play by Guillaume Apollinaire 1947 The Telephone, or L'Amour à trois (Menott.i). An opera buffa just 22 minutes in length. 1949 Il prigioniero (Luigi Dallapiccola). Much of the music for this opera is based on three 12-note tone rows, which represent the themes of prayer, hope and freedom that dominate the opera. 1950 The Consul (Menotti). This opera contains some .of Menotti's most dissonant music. 1951 Amahl and the Night Visitors (Menotti). This Christmas story was the first opera specifically written for television. 1951 Billy Budd (Britten). The plot for Britten's large-scale opera was based on a story by Herman Melville. 1951 The Pilgrim's Progress (Ralph Vaughan Williams). Set to his own libretto, Vaughan Williams's work was inspired by John Bunyan's famous allegory of the same name. 1951 The Rake's Progress (Igor Stravinsky). Stravinsky's most important operatic work looks back to Mozart musically and has a libretto by W. H. Auden inspired by the engravings of William Hogarth. 1952 Boulevard Solitude (Hans Werner Henze). Henze's first full-length opera is an updating of the story of Manon Lescaut, also the source for important operas by Massenet and Puccini. 1953 Gloriana (Britten). Composed for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, this opera looks back to the relationship between her namesake Elizabeth I and the Earl of Essex. 1954 The Fiery Angel (Prokofiev). Prokofiev never saw what is often regarded as his most avant-garde composition performed on the operatic stage 1954 The Turn of the Screw (Britten). A chamber opera based on the ghost story by Henry James. It is remarkable for its tightly laid out key scheme and active orchestral role. 1954 Troilus and Cressida (William Walton). Walton's opera about the Trojan War was initially a failure. 1955 The Midsummer Marriage (Michael Tippett). Tippett's first full-scale opera was set to his own libretto. 1956 Candide (Leonard Bernstein). Operetta, based on Voltaire. The soprano aria "Glitter and Be Gay" is a parody of Romantic-era jewel songs. 1957 Dialogues des Carmélites (Poulenc). Poulenc's major opera is set in a convent during the French Revolution. 1958 Vanessa (Samuel Barber). Vanessa won its composer a Pulitzer Prize in 1958. 1959 La voix humaine (Poulenc) A short opera with a single character: a despairing woman on the telephone to her lover. 1960 A Midsummer Night's Dream (Britten). Set to a libretto adapted from the Shakespeare play by himself and his partner Peter Pears, Britten's work is rare in operatic history in that it features a countertenor in the male lead role. 1961 Elegy for Young Lovers (Henze). Henze asked his librettists, W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, for a scenario that would inspire him to compose "tender, beautiful noises". 1962 King Priam (Tippett). Tippett's second opera, set to another of his own "recondite" libretti, was inspired by Homer's Iliad. 1964 Curlew River (Britten). A modern liturgical "church opera" intended for performance in an ecclesiastical setting.