Sometime in the mid 1990s, I got Marriage of Figaro from the library and listened to it in my car to and from work. After about two weeks, I was hooked.
Why Marriage of Figaro? It was featured in the great movie Shawshank Redemption. In the movie, it is the record that Andy chooses to play when he takes over the prison PA system. After watching that movie, I just had to listen to the opera in its entirety and I'm glad I did.
Actually, what really got me into it was the advice of one of my early piano teachers. he told me if I wanted to acquire a true legato tone and how to shape a phrase, don’t listen to other pianists. Go to the opera house and listen to the singers and pay attention to how they do it.