The Teatro Juárez in Guanajuato, where the final version Chávez's The visitors premiered in 1999 Guatimotzin by Aniceto Ortega del Villar (1823–1875) – premiered 1871, Gran Teatro Nacional, Mexico City.Ildegonda by Melesio Morales – premiered 1868, Teatro Pagliano, Florence.Pietro d’Abano by Cenobio Paniagua – premiered 1863, Gran Teatro Nacional, Mexico City.Catalina de Guisa by Cenobio Paniagua (1821–1882) – premiered 1859, Gran Teatro Nacional, Mexico City.Giovanna di Castiglia by Luis Baca – never staged.Leonor by Luis Baca (1826–1855) – never staged.Los dos ribales en amore by Manuel Arenzana – premiered 1805/1806 season, Teatro Coliseo, Mexico City (music and libretto lost).El extrangero by Manuel Arenzana – premiered 1805/1806 season, Teatro Coliseo, Mexico City (music and libretto lost).La Parténope by Manuel de Sumaya – premiered 1711, Viceregal Palace, Mexico City (music lost).The first Mexican opera seria was Paniagua's Catalina de Guisa (composed in 1845 and premiered in 1859).Ĭenobio Paniagua, the composer of the first Mexican opera seria 18th century He is known to have written at least two works performed during the 1805/1806 season at the Teatro Coliseo in Mexico City – El extrangero and Los dos ribales en amore.

However, the first Mexican composer to have his operas publicly staged was Manuel Arenzana, the maestro de capilla at Puebla Cathedral from 1792 to 1821. The first opera by a Mexican-born composer was Manuel de Zumaya's La Parténope, performed in 1711 before a private audience in the Viceroy's Palace in Mexico City. Although the vast majority of later Mexican operas have Spanish librettos, there have been 20th century works set to English texts, most notably The visitors by Carlos Chávez with a libretto by the American poet Chester Kallman.

Both Gustavo Campa's Le roi poete and Ricardo Castro Herrera's La légende de Rudel had French librettos, while Catalina de Guisa by Cenobio Paniagua and several other notable operas of this period had Italian librettos. However, the practice of using French or Italian librettos was common in 19th and early 20th century Mexico when much of the opera in that country was performed by visiting troupes largely composed of European singers unaccustomed to singing in Spanish. Many of the operas listed have librettos in Spanish, the official language of Mexico.

Rolando Villazón in the L'elisir d'amore in Vienna 2007.

Mexican opera cake