The thirteenth classical recording: #331 Guiseppe Verdi - La Traviata
I think this is my first full length opera, and it's one of the most famous - apparently the most performed in the world. It's familiar - just the fifteen minutes sound incredibly familiar, in a way that sounds epic and evokes the right atmosphere now I know where it's from and when it's played. I occasionally looked up the video - clarifying what was happening - but just listening explains it quite well. It sets up a simple love story, but does so well, as well as putting you in the place of the party that's going on. Even so, often the music and song can carry you away without knowing the details. Story aside, this is an evocative piece to listen to, and performed well in the given version.