Opera

Oooh I saw Madama Butterfly last night! It's actually the first time I've ever seen it live. The lead tenor (who played Pinkerton) was SO GREAT! I can see why this opera is so popular but... damn it was SAD!!

I can't say I know many operas that don't have that real tear jerking drama in it.
but then again we don't get many operas where I live so I've been to very little.

@Woven Elegy.. yes, when an opera is tragic it's really but some of my favourites are comedies! Le Nozze di Figaro has me falling out of my chair when it's done well.. and hopefully in the next few weeks I'll go see Rossini's L'Italiana in Algieri which I've heard called one of the silliest comic bel canto operas I hope so!

@Lyrinan

I knew there had to be Comedy Operas. People were telling me otherwise saying that only operas focus around the genres of drama and romance. Ahh this makes me happy now.

Thanks Lyrinan for letting that bit of information dawn on my neanderthal self.

Personally, I prefer the lighter and more uplifting sound of Operettas myslef.

Operas in general are centered around a kind of tragedy as you all konw, and is something I struggle to listen to, much like the opera that is played in that oh-so disturbing scene in the film Philadelphia (which I was forced to see , I'd have given another example, though it was the only one I could think of). However, imo, some operas are interesting due to their variations in sound and atmosphere, and this keeps me interested and of course, this is what constitutes a good opera (imo again).

Written by [user id=12867] on 13.10.2006 at 08:40

Personally, I prefer the lighter and more uplifting sound of Operettas myslef.

Operas in general are centered around a kind of tragedy as you all konw

Read the two posts directly above yours

There are many different levels of comedy in opera as well of operettas (love Gilbert and Sullivan!). Besides obvious "comic" operas (Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Cosi Fan Tutti, Die Fledermaus, ...) there are many other non-tragic operas, such as fantasy themes

Written by Susan on 13.10.2006 at 09:13

Written by [user id=12867] on 13.10.2006 at 08:40

Personally, I prefer the lighter and more uplifting sound of Operettas myslef.

Operas in general are centered around a kind of tragedy as you all konw

Read the two posts directly above yours

There are many different levels of comedy in opera as well of operettas (love Gilbert and Sullivan!). Besides obvious "comic" operas (Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Cosi Fan Tutti, Die Fledermaus, ...) there are many other non-tragic operas, such as fantasy themes

Sorry Lyrinan... , I just read the explanation for the topic and went my own way from there;D

Written by heresiarch on 29.06.2006 at 00:34

Favourite opera singer Placido Domingo tenor

And favourite woman is Cecilia Bartoli Colorature soprano. She is amazing ,I allways thought that nobody can't surpass the passion of Maria Callas or singing technic of Kiri Te Kanawa but I was wrong her vibrato is uncanny and she is coming to Finland next May I'm so gonna be there

to be honest i do not enjoy listening to most of this music too much, for me there's only few stuff i like, i know the sopranos and tenors are good on their jobs, i've listened to few 'songs' that's why i could say there are good stuff; i also know some stuff from good composers as mozart, vivaldi and they are great, but i'm not really into this genre and it's not the music i exactly like so far, 'cause i still get bored with that style, maybe when i got a Better Taste of it i might give another opinion; and i like opera only if the soprano is singing in a metal gothic band

(just kiddin' )

Written by heresiarch on 16.10.2006 at 19:38

Written by heresiarch on 29.06.2006 at 00:34

Favourite opera singer Placido Domingo tenor

And favourite woman is Cecilia Bartoli Colorature soprano. She is amazing ,I allways thought that nobody can't surpass the passion of Maria Callas or singing technic of Kiri Te Kanawa but I was wrong her vibrato is uncanny and she is coming to Finland next May I'm so gonna be there

You're going to see Cecilia?!!?!?!!!?!!!! Oh man I'm so jealous. She is fabulous (despite the silly faces she makes, lol). We listened to many of her recordings in school while studying Italian diction and I completely fell in love with her voice. Definitely my favourite mezzo out there

Written by Susan on 04.11.2006 at 07:52

Written by heresiarch on 16.10.2006 at 19:38

Written by heresiarch on 29.06.2006 at 00:34

Favourite opera singer Placido Domingo tenor

And favourite woman is Cecilia Bartoli Colorature soprano. She is amazing ,I allways thought that nobody can't surpass the passion of Maria Callas or singing technic of Kiri Te Kanawa but I was wrong her vibrato is uncanny and she is coming to Finland next May I'm so gonna be there

You're going to see Cecilia?!!?!?!!!?!!!! Oh man I'm so jealous. She is fabulous (despite the silly faces she makes, lol). We listened to many of her recordings in school while studying Italian diction and I completely fell in love with her voice. Definitely my favourite mezzo out there

Or cource I'm going concert was sold out in 2 hours but I managed to get tickets , all I have to do is find a girl who wants to go with me
I don't care about facial expressions her vibrato shakes booty I love her tooooo

You need a girl to go with? I'll go! Well, that might be a problem since I don't live in Finland, but if you can't find a date then send me a plane ticket

Two way ticket to Seattle ...uuhh gonna cost me a lot of money wait a minute , didn't Seattle had a quite active classical music scene? I've heard , I mean that Cecilia wiil pay a visit to your city oneday

My favorite singers are basses and/or baritones. Guys like Thomas Hampson, Nelson Eddy, Bryn Terfel, and Lious Otey have amazing voices. I would kill to be able to sing like Nelson Eddy!
I really haven't listened to enough full operas to be able to have a credible opinion on which I like best, but there is something really unique about Eugene Onegin that really stands out for me. Also, I have seen a damn fine performance of Don Giovanni with Bryn Terfel.
Has anybody heard of a Russian Composer named Glinki? I just checked out a CD with purely orchestral versions of his stuff and it sounds very good. I definitely have a thing for big brassy Wagnerian stuff and he seems to really fit the bill!

Opera is definately one of my largest musical passions. Wagner is probably my favorite composer, or possibly Puccini. You have to love Madama Butterfly; I can't wait to see it this spring. It really is a tragedy, though.

At the same time, Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen is my favorite opera, all things considered. The battle cry in Die Walkure gives me chills everytime I hear it. Jane Eaglen is probably my favorite singer, or any of the late Wagnerian greats; Kirsten Flagstad, Birgit Nilsson, or Astrid Varnay.

I've always actually wanted to see the real version of "Phantom of the opera." I mean, maiden is good but, I just wanna see the origional.

I'm currently studying opera in a course that I'm taking in university called The Musical Experience. It is probably one of the best and most ambitious genres of music to come out of the late Baroque period. All the time, money, effort and creativity that went into the productions back in the 18th Century was ridiculously amazing and quite evolutionary.

Written by Arian Totalis on 28.11.2006 at 06:07

I've always actually wanted to see the real version of "Phantom of the opera." I mean, maiden is good but, I just wanna see the origional.

I really would not call "The Phantom of the Opera" an opera. It is a lot too modern (bah...I don't like using that word) to be called an opera.

Ah...what the hell do you call it, then? A musical? Since opera is a form of musical theater it seems kind of weird to differentiate the two by saying the one is just a musical.

I used to sing basso in a latin choir and all, with counter tenors and string accompanyment and all that. Tried that for a year, because my school required me to do so for extra curricular activities. This thread provokes alot of old memories, seeing people talk about madame butterfly, wagner, is really cool, because thats the kind of stuff I grew up with as well.

Written by El Vikingo on 04.12.2006 at 08:29

Written by Arian Totalis on 28.11.2006 at 06:07

I've always actually wanted to see the real version of "Phantom of the opera." I mean, maiden is good but, I just wanna see the origional.

I really would not call "The Phantom of the Opera" an opera. It is a lot too modern (bah...I don't like using that word) to be called an opera.

Ah...what the hell do you call it, then? A musical? Since opera is a form of musical theater it seems kind of weird to differentiate the two by saying the one is just a musical.

Ah well, that just shows the extent of my ignorance when it comes to this music.

Haha...I have never heard somebody NOT call The Phantom of the Opera an opera. I hear it so often, I almost think that they are right!

Written by Arian Totalis on 04.12.2006 at 23:08

Written by El Vikingo on 04.12.2006 at 08:29

Written by Arian Totalis on 28.11.2006 at 06:07

I've always actually wanted to see the real version of "Phantom of the opera." I mean, maiden is good but, I just wanna see the origional.

I really would not call "The Phantom of the Opera" an opera. It is a lot too modern (bah...I don't like using that word) to be called an opera.

Ah...what the hell do you call it, then? A musical? Since opera is a form of musical theater it seems kind of weird to differentiate the two by saying the one is just a musical.

Ah well, that just shows the extent of my ignorance when it comes to this music.

Yes, The Phantom of the Opera is a MUSICAL. Andrew Lloyd Weber writes Broadway musicals, not operas. Opera is VERY different than musical theatre, for starters, opera never uses spoken dialogue. That is a small point given the musical differences between the styles but it's a very accessible point. Most people hear a soprano and a tenor and just ASSUME it's opera. A classical singer has many options besides singing just opera, and musical theatre is one of them!

Many modern musicals (such as Rent, for example) are starting to employ more "pop" style singing, which is probably why it's tough for you to call this a musical (it's also common these days to hear jazz style vocals in some). However, if you look to the extensive past and the history of musical theatre it was all "legitimate" classical singing. Gilbert & Sullivan (operettas), Rogers & Hammerstein, Rogers & Hart, etc. Many composers still write for "legitimate" singing, but in today's market it's (sadly) common to hear them sung "pop."

So, Phantom of the Opera is a MUSICAL about an opera company and it takes place in an opera house. Enjoy!!!!!!

@Lyrinan:Thanks for enlightening me. I apreciate it, Nice sig By the way. And nice thingy below your username as well, I'm a red dwarf fan to, but that's off subject.

Hey, thanks a lot for the info Lyrinan!

I know that The Phantom Of The Opera's a musical, but I saw that movie twice on cinema. I love this movie. One of my sisters sings Opera. So, she's my favorite Opera singer.

Real operas aren't written very often nowadays...I know one modern composer, Erkki-Sven Tüür, an Estonian composer who wrote an opera some years ago...this was called "Wallenberg" if I'm correct....and when it was released it didn't premiere in Estonia but in Germany instead....it premiered here this year I guess...or last year....I don't know about international composers....can any one of you mention any opera that was written in the 21st century?

aa..... I must say just one band I like that called " Virgin Black " with opera gothic genre

Written by Susan on 05.12.2006 at 09:34

So, Phantom of the Opera is a MUSICAL about an opera company and it takes place in an opera house. Enjoy!!!!!!

nice thread! and nobody has used it for a while now!!! shame...
i am not a big fan of opera, although to be honest i have tendencies to like classical music...but i just cannot be bothered to start investigating something i know little about...though every now and then i like going to the opera just for the experience even. because it is an experience!!! the last one i saw and i remember relatively well is "l'elisir d'amore". it was quite funny and uplifting! also the rotal opera house in london is quite cool!!!
any suggestions from the master of this subject in this site apparently on what i should watch?

I'm a fan, not a big one though. Opera is a lot of work. I guess I'm a casual listener, don't go to shows or get into the storylines much. Favourites:

Beethoven's Fidelio
Wagner
Rossini's Guglielmo Tell
Borodin's Prince Igor
Vaughan Williams' The Pilgrim's Progress

I have seen only one opera live - "Prodaná nevěsta" - The Sold Bride - by Bedřich Smetana; that is something like our national opera.
I can recommend it, but I am afraid, that this opera could be for foreigners too czech...

I sometimes listen to Verdi's "Il Trovatore", that is very great (I like the movie "A Night at the Opera" with bros. Marxs too...), and to the overture of Wagner's "Der fliegende Holländer", unfortunately I do not have the whole opera. By Wagner I love the "Ride of the Valkyrs" too.
Another great opera is with no doubt Bizet's "Carmen", and of course Mozart's operas.
And one personal recommendation - "Lady Macbeth Mcenského újezdu" by ?ostakovič, which I have once listened on radio to.