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expanding my opera "collection"

I'm sorry, Britten's Peter Grimes is where my nascent ability to listen to opera comes thoroughly unstuck.

I've made it through the entire Ring Cycle rather more than once, and even have a sneaking admiration for / take pleasure in Schubert Lieder. But once the fat people sing their shopping-lists in English it all falls apart. The chap behind the green curtain isn't a wizard, he's just a fat man with a thoroughly annoying vocal mannerism.
 
Opera is at its heart musical theatre. It is in the same vein as the finger clicking sharks and jets, needing to shape up because you are the one that I want, and being able to tell by the way I use my voice that I'm a woman's man - no time to talk.

Sometimes a really beautiful piece of music is created along the way. Be it Lakme and her slave girl or that greaser and Olivia Newton John.

I think I'm with Martin on the singing shopping lists - OK if I can't follow the language fast enough and as long as they get back to the nice arias soon.

Wagner (and probably sort of started by Mozart) created some majorly "classic" influenced "high art" opera. Not quite as off as Medieval Babes or those slim female quartets who play their electric violins and cello at the waters edge whilst wearing salt sprayed white linen. But sort of like that a bit - but reversed. Making the popular into high art instead of the classic seem popular.

Some amazing music though.

May I just add, for any of the great unwashed who may be reading, although I only go to Covent Garden on occasion - thanks for subsidising my seats with your lottery money. I appreciate that many of you went without that extra pint of two of milk or glass of beer in order that my seats (which I could already afford) were that little bit cheaper. Cheers!

(Ballet - better or worse than Opera?)
 
I'm not sure I could concede Grease as containing 'really beautiful music'.

Peter Grimes is a mystery, but a bit of G&S still amuses.

Paul
 
OK - so Grease might not be quite as interesting as The Magic Flute.

I was hoping that whole post would have led to a bit more lively debate. It has a go at just about everybody.
 
Jonathan Ribee said:
OK - so Grease might not be quite as interesting as The Magic Flute.

I was hoping that whole post would have led to a bit more lively debate. It has a go at just about everybody.
Click to expand...

grease is twice as interesting as the magic flute.

i love Opera , and for a long time I idolized Jerome Hines, James Morris, and George London (and Pape, and Matti Salminen), I was working hard at a career at it....but over time I saw how pretentious and up its own -arse the whole Opera world is.


that being Said

Grimes

Don Giovanni

ther rakes progress

akhnaten

lady mcbeth of mtensk(french EMI sound here is absolutey stunning...the abolute (**WIDEST(( soundstage ever)

the light operas

turn of the screw

Rigoletto

The Elixer of Love

Salome

Ring Cycle

Faust

Porgy and Bess
 
I don't know if Thomas K is still expanding his opera collection, but this was such a fine thread I thought I'd give it a bump.

In answer to the original post (specifically enjoying operas on record), it's all about that great side of vinyl, where the needle drops and you sit back to 20-30 mins of great singing and drama.

Surely the Madame Butterfly love duet (Vieni la sera, etc) is one of the most notable cases and - how shall I put this - if you happen to return home one night 'with company', then if you're both still clothed at the end of playing this side of vinyl then there's something serious wrong. Same with the La Boheme duet. (Hmm, those were the days).

Anyway... that's not what I intended to write about, but it almost is. Playing a whole opera on vinyl takes a couple of hours, but playing a great side of vocal brilliance can be very enjoyable and stimulating. I even have favourites I play before heading out for a game of squash (Il Trovatore, Otello).
 
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