Spectrum #35: Order these operas by premiere — the solution

The Spectrum puzzle from September 18, 2026: six things on one hidden scale, earliest to latest, with every figure and where the checks were best spent.

The puzzle

Order these operas by premiere, earliest at the top and latest at the bottom. The board opened in this order:

1. The Barber of Seville
2. La Boheme
3. Turandot
4. The Magic Flute
5. Carmen
6. Madama Butterfly

Nothing was in its place; Turandot opened 3 places from home.

The walkthrough

The ends first. The Magic Flute is the earliest of the six at 1791 and Turandot the latest at 1926. Anchor those and the middle four are what is left to place.

Where the scale splits. The widest gap is between The Barber of Seville (1816) and Carmen (1875) — 59 years apart. Everything above that line belongs on the earliest side and everything below it on the latest side, so sorting the six into those two groups is most of the puzzle.

The closest call. La Boheme (1896) and Madama Butterfly (1904) are only 8 years apart — the pair that is a coin flip without the figures, and the place to spend a check: a check locks whatever is already right and leaves only the wrong tiles to swap.

The answer

Previous: Spectrum #34 (Thu, Sep 17) · Next: Spectrum #36 (Sat, Sep 19)

About Spectrum

Spectrum is Noggin’s daily ordering puzzle: six things, one hidden scale, three checks. Tiles in the right place lock green; the figures turn over when the board is done. How to play Spectrum, or play today’s.