Opera Goers! Would like your opinion please.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 5:12 am

I'd like to know who here has been to an opera, which ones have you seen, who was in them? Which operas are your favorites and why? Which do you recommend? Which do you not like at all?

Also I know it can't compare, but for someone like me who doesn't live anywhere near live opera, what opera videos would you recommend I rent?

I'm not familiar with opera as much as some, my only experience being Live at Wolftrap. Thanks!

Indian Princess · Post by **Indian Princess** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 6:06 am

-Phantom Of The Opera

-les Miserabe-think I spelled it wrong, you can now rent it as a movie and not an opera with Liam Nielson

Indian Princess · Post by **Indian Princess** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 6:07 am

-Avita

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 7:22 am

I adore Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera, although these are operetta's rather than opera's. Evita I wasn't keen on.

Why not try Carmen or Don Quixote as I'm sure you'd like those.

I'm not really a fan of true opera so I'll leave someone else to recommend those to you. Happy viewing.

The Rob · Post by **The Rob** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 8:39 am

I have not actually attended an opera performance, but would like to see Don Giovanni simply based upon this scene.

[EDIT] And I really want that costume. [/EDIT]

cinamin · Post by **cinamin** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 8:50 am

Oh, at first glance I thought this thread was about Oprah.:wah:

chocoholic · Post by **chocoholic** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:09 am

Love opera but have never been lucky enough to see one live - (live too far away and can't afford it).

Can recommend DVD's of Carmen (Placido Domingo and Maria Ewing-best version in my opinion)

Manon Lescaut; Aida (very spectacular); Tosca (if you can get hold of a copy of the version transmitted live from Italy, set in all the historic buildings referred to in the story this is quite wonderful), also love La Fancuilla del West{The Girl of the Golden West}

As you can see I am a particular fan of Placido Domingo (best tenor ever in my humble opinion) and the composer Puccini (although not all of the above are written by him).

I love Carmen for the music, Manon Lescaut and Tosca for the stories, Aida just has everything, great arias and spectacle and La Fanciulla is just a fun opera.

Also love Wagner's ring cycle but they can be a bit heavy at first hearing so would suggest you don't start with them!

Why don't you try a DVD of great opera scenes first, that will give you a taster of lots of different operas and will help you decide which you want to see in the full version.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:44 am

Thanks everyone who's replied!

I've seen Tosca and really liked it, can't remember who was in it though. Saw only part of Carmen. I'm due for a trip to the video store.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 11:40 am

RedGlitter;691889 wrote: I'd like to know who here has been to an opera, which ones have you seen, who was in them? Which operas are your favorites and why? Which do you recommend? Which do you not like at all?

Also I know it can't compare, but for someone like me who doesn't live anywhere near live opera, what opera videos would you recommend I rent?

I'm not familiar with opera as much as some, my only experience being Live at Wolftrap. Thanks!

Try youtube and do searches under Mozart, Verdi, Strauss, Offenbach,Berlioz etc. There are bits and pieces you can listen to . I think you will be surprised how much you recognise.

one of my favourites

weeder · Post by **weeder** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 12:14 pm

Phantom of The Opera. Saw it twice. 5th row orchestra right under the falling chandelier. New Yorks City Center. I have never forgotten it.

Chookie · Post by **Chookie** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 2:01 pm

I'd suggest Die Fleidermausmensch (The Flying Dutchman), Rigoletto, The Magic Flute, and oh-so-many others, but you will just have to experiment to find out which type of Opera appeals to you most.

I recently saw La Incarnazione del Poppea during the Edinburgh Festival and it was awesome. Disturbing, but awesome.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 11:57 am

thought this might appeal to you red. This guy stunned the judges in Britain's got talent-a reality TV show. . Even simon Cowell was gob smacked.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 12:40 pm

gmc;692391 wrote: thought this might appeal to you red. This guy stunned the judges in Britain's got talent-a reality TV show. . Even simon Cowell was gob smacked.

Jeepers, that guy brought a tear to my eye. So did the audience's reaction.

Thanks gmc.

Thanks everyone who's replied, you're giving me a lot of ideas. I appreciate them.

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 3:43 pm

That DVD version of Carmen, recommended by Choco, with Placido Domingo is mindblowing!!! Don Giovanni's good too. Other lighter operas which might be good places to start are Madame Butterfly (Miss Saigon is a later version of this sad tale), Gounod's Faust, Aida, Tosca, La Boheme. I enjoy a few snippets from Wagner, but am not a big fan, otherwise. My eccentricity does extend, however, to Handel - especially when sung by Joan Sutherland. And I adore her Mad Scene from Lucia di Lammermoor.

On a small tangent - I only read this in the paper after his death - it was Aussie Joan Sutherland who gave Luciano Pavarotti his first musical break.

Wicked Opera - Anna Russell's take on Wagner's Ring.

http://www.markelliswalker.net/music/al ... -ring.html

:sneaky:

koan · Post by **koan** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:04 pm

gmc;692391 wrote: thought this might appeal to you red. This guy stunned the judges in Britain's got talent-a reality TV show. . Even simon Cowell was gob smacked.

I ended up watching a few videos of Paul Potts. Amazing... the guy was selling cel phones!

I saw an opera in English in Toronto once.

English is not the proper language for opera.

I'd love to see Mozart's The Magic Flute.

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 5:55 pm

Yes, Magic Flute is awesome too!! And I agree it's better not to be able to actually understand the words. Opera stories are often pretty silly.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 5:42 am

Try Carl Orff as well. best known for carmina burana. Yo will have heard most of it at some time or another.

The lyrics are based on medieval erotic poetry, it's in Latin so therefore great "art". The BBC did a production but had the words translated and the performance was done with subtitles. It was hilarious, if they were singing in English it would be banned as obscene.

koan · Post by **koan** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 3:21 pm

Lots of versions of Carmina Burana... I bet this one kind of makes some people cringe -

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 3:33 pm