[agbassano]

Ugh...to use an already overused expression--the best things don't come easy.

Welcome to Opera.

I've seen the wonderful admiration of Mahler...not only here...just look at the pages devoted to him on the American Record Guide (ARG) site--much more than Verdi or Wagner.

According to ARG "It is no insult to those others (Puccini, Albeniz, Wolf, Arensky, and Delius, Strauss and Sibelius ) to suggest that their genius pales next to Mahler's ".

But ask yourself why, Beethoven, Mozart and other supreme composers tried so hard to write Opera.

Why?

If I can share anything with my Head-Fi family, I want to share the soul, passion and magic of opera!
In addition to being the easiest way to learn another language--the human voice adds to the music in every respect!

Embrace Opera--and your life will scream with passion, longing and understanding. (and I think a few members could use a little more "interaction" with the fairer sex

)

al

 

[Snake]

I kind of not an Opera fan. I say "kind of" because years ago I had a revelation.

Many, many years ago I was surfing through television channels and stumbled upon a PBS telecast of Wagner's Ring cycle. I stopped for a moment and realized something...that they were broadcasting it with full English subtitles. I stopped surfing for a few mintues to watch.

I couldn't turn it off. For 4 days.

4 days of telecasts of the Ring cycle with full English subtitles.

It was absolutely amazing.

Sex, debouchery, incest, murder, rampaging, plotting, backstabbing, greed...all the good human emotions in that one

But truly, being able to understand the story line while listening to the fabulous music made everything...click. I was in awe. Classic musicals - of simply stunning proportions.

I now have an appreciation for opera - not exactly a "fan", but I can indeed listen to opera and throughly enjoy it (if it's good, that is) and I'd die and go to (higher places) if I could ever see the Ring cycle live (and hopefully very well done). I now see why, when a top opera company performs the full Ring cycle, people come from all over the world to see it. It is truly one of the great theater spectacles.

Honestly, though, I must admit that the greatest enjoyment is when you know (and / or understand) what is happening in the story. Otherwise it's just music (good music) but the meaning is lost, and that's half the point. It is exactly like listening to a soundtrack of a musical while never having seen the musical (which is what it is, really). The music is there to tell the story, and unless you know the story the music just doesn't make sense, with no mental images to recall and conjour up to connect the two.

 

[jpelg]

"Some people say that opera is an acquired taste, but I don't believe it. You can always tellwhen someone goes to the opera for the first time. They either love it or hate it. Those who love it will always love it; those who hate it might come to appreciate it, but they'll never truly love it." - Edward f/Pretty Woman

While I am not usually inclined to quote from movies as such, but this one always rang true to me. Btw, consider me one of the 'lovers'.

 

[danaa]

Well, I have a few operas in my collection. For me, being somewhat new to the genre, it is always exhausting, but very satisfying to see/listen/read an opera. In a way, it's like reading a book. Once I get started with a good one, I can't put it down. And, it is reading for me to first understand the plot, then to read the translation while also trying to listen to the music.

 

[daycart1]

Many great composers had to write for opera because of its popularity with the "public". Imagine a time with no TV, no Movies, no Head-Fi.... Opera was a major form of entertainment for rich folk.

A good wayto get into opera is to start with instrumental excepts, then singing excerpts, then finally live performance and DVD!

 

[Music Fanatic]

Snake, that's a wonderful story. I bet you saw the Boulez/Chéreau/Bayreuth production, which, you'll be happy to know, is now out on DVD.

 

[Masonjar]

Quote:

Originally posted by agbassano But ask yourself why, Beethoven, Mozart and other supreme composers tried so hard to write Opera. Why? al

For Beethoven and Mozart, I'm sure Opera was their breadwinner.

For Mahler, well, he was a conductor. He knew opera, he was one of the most respected opera conductors of his day.

It's just that he chose to express himself via the Symphony and Song.

For one, I appreciate Opera, but yea, it does take some work, there's the language barrier (even sitting there with the libretto is distracting).. there's some amazing music contained in Opera, no doubt about it. I just have never had the time.

-jar

 

[agbassano]

I can't say that I've fully studied Mozart or Beethoven's interest in Opera. From what I have read, as Beethoven was especially known to do, that he wrote and re-wrote and was never quite fully happy with his Fidelio. It's amazing how these giants had a particular problem with opera (musically simple according to some elitists).

I know that Mahler didn't write any opera, but I was trying to make an analogy of the less "classically structured" music he wrote and Opera, which was popular during his day.

I must say that I've learned more German and Italian--the easy way, through studying Opera, than in class....but again, it does require a lot of work....

al

 

[KR...]

I am not a huge fan of Opera but I do LOVE Wagner! I only have "The Flying Dutchman" as a complete Opera as well as many collection CDs.

For beginers and long tiem fans, many Operas have been performed in English. As seen here : http://www.chandos.net/searchres.asp...ot=0&counter=0


Hello Snake,

You must check this set out :

http://www.chandos.net/hiresart/CHAN%203065.jpg


They are also sold on their own.

 

[Snake]

Thank you all for the wonderful links and support!!

I must check them out.

In regards to the DVD collection, is that the only version ever broadcast on PBS? It was quite a long time ago, and I am not sure, but I do not think the setting was quite so "modern".

And in regards to the CD collection, I guess they sing in English. Does that change the music's pacing any?

Thanks again all!!

 

[Music Fanatic]

I'm not sure -- I don't know all Ring cycles that have broadcast on PBS. Do you remember the year? Anything about the production?

Personally, I can't stand the idea of opera in translation. Frankly, it is no easier for me to understand operatic English than foreign languages!

 

[scottder]

I'm on vaca next week, maybe take some time to sit down with an opera and libretto and see how I like it. I've asked this before. Any good choices for a "beginner" with Opera?

Scott

 

[Masonjar]

Quote:

Originally posted by scottder I'm on vaca next week, maybe take some time to sit down with an opera and libretto and see how I like it. I've asked this before. Any good choices for a "beginner" with Opera? Scott

Puccini LA BOHEME.

It was the first Opera I heard live (in English) and I really enjoyed it.

-jar

 

[zotjen]

Quote:

In regards to the DVD collection, is that the only version ever broadcast on PBS? It was quite a long time ago, and I am not sure, but I do not think the setting was quite so "modern".

The production you probably saw was the Met's. It was broadcast in the Spring of 1990 and is also available on DVD. It is a very traditional production and is pretty much the way Wagner intended it to be. Although the Chéreau production was also broadcast, it was shown in several parts instead of four consecutive nights. I'm very partial to the Met production, considering I've seen it live three times and I'm going for number four in May.

As far as opera being an aquired taste, from my own experience it sort of was and wasn't. Although I started attending performances in 1988, it took me a couple of years to "get" opera. Although I wasn't totally bowled over at first, there was something there to keep me coming back. At a performance of Don Giovanni everything came together - the music, the singing, the story, the performers. It all just clicked.

Since then I've been spending a small fortune on operas, recitals, concerts, etc. I would say that about half of my CD purchases are opera related. BE WARNED: opera can be addictive and even worse than this place!

Tom

 

[KR...]

It should be noted that Richard Wagner himself approved the English translation when it was 1st produced on stage way back when. The Cds I listed above were the legendary recordings of the 1970's, they have been remastered to true audiophile standards and release on CD.