One reason for that obscurity: “Idaspe” was last performed – anywhere – in the year of its creation, nearly three centuries ago. But he’d had no concept of “Idaspe,” or of Broschi either, until this year, when Quantum Theatre announced it was staging the show. Jim Cassaro is head of the University of Pittsburgh’s Finney Music Library, and a music professor who’s studied 18 th- and 19 th-century opera. What is surprising is that even some people who pay close attention to such things haven’t heard of this 1730 opera at all, even though it starred the famed castrato Farinelli. So, it’s not too surprising that Riccardo Broschi’s “Idaspe” isn’t well known.

LaScala offers modest prices while Eschenbach is known for its high-quality German construction.Quantum Theatre Zoie Reams (standing) and Vivica Genaux in 'Idaspe' You'll also find the popular LaScala and Eschenbach brands, both leaders in the field. The company considered the smallest details when it comes to the wearing experience and vision enhancement, so naturally, we placed it at the top spot.

The KabukiGlasses Ultra are expertly designed, of extremely high quality, and feature-rich. Conversely, the Levenhuk Broadway 325N and Aomekie Mini provide a classic lorgnette-style construction, with the former even having a built-in LED light for illuminating seat numbers and programs without interrupting the experience of other attendees. The Vixen Optics Pink are ideal for users with weaker vision, extremely far away seats, or simply anyone who'd rather have a modern-looking unit. That being said, we still thought the Bushnell Spectator merited a spot, despite having an atypical design, because they're versatile and provide a generous field of view. We gravitated toward designs that employed broadband coating technology, which contributes to a clearer picture with better contrast, especially in low-light conditions, as well as a wide field of vision so that users could glimpse an entire stage at once. For this list, we prioritized portability, thoughtful optics, ergonomics, pleasing aesthetics, adjustability, and field of vision.

Modern opera glasses