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Opera

Shirl said:
I have been listening to Madame Butterfly recently. I'd never bothered with it before but I'm loving it. There are plenty of operas that I like and listen to but so far I'm loving almost all of Madame Buttefly.
I'm no opera buff, I've only been to see three live at the theatre so I maybe have no idea what's great.

Geri I've been listening to La Boheme a bit too but the male chorus's annoy me a bit.
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I LOVE every single second of it ...it is a joyous listen!
 
tastebud said:
I saw Madame Butterfly last year and it was spellboundingly superb. It costs a lot, yes (like at least a hundred quid for front row-ish seats, which is what I had), but it ends up being one of those completely unforgettable cultural experiences/memories in life. MB was heart achingly moving. And if you think of how many times one goes to see average, or even slightly crap films in a year, it becomes a bit more relative. :)
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Where was that? Front row seats at the Bristol Hippodrome are about forty quid.
 
Happy to keep again in life opera treat. Just wish to share I had watched on youtube few operas. Madam Baterfly is film opera, again watched Tosca absolutely love it.
 
Sadly this treat is almost dead, wish to keep going for those whom love operas.
Król Roger to be live streamed on 16 May 2015
Kasper Holten's new Royal Opera production of Szymanowski's epic will be streamed on YouTube and a new Digital Platform from Opera Europa.

I would not call masterpiece but interesting opera.

I would advice to listening Will Self Can a production ever rupture opera's moneyed bourgeois complacency? Will Self argues that opera cannot be as subversive in the 21st century as it once was. Brilliant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=rPqlMsyZoug
 


Nixon in China, set during his 1972 visit and all on Youtube. It's in English so you even know what they are singing about :cool:
It is still quite heavy going though, tbh I haven't watched the entire thing. I find with opera I want to enjoy it more than I truthfully do, but there are some brilliant songs in this.
 
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John Adams' The Chairman Dances, with images from the revolutionary Chinese ballet, The Red Detachment of Women. The ballet was used as inspiration for the third act dance scenes in Adams' opera, Nixon In China.


This was performed for Nixon when he visited China. The first three minutes are incredible I think, propaganda posters come to life, dreamlike.
 
Last bit of John Adams, I promise! But as to whether opera can be a contemporary, subversive art form, these are both beautiful, artistic, (apologetic, kitsch, camp?) American treatments of Communism and apocalyptic Middle Eastern rhetoric, unlike anything you will encounter in other media.





 



Okay last, last bit. There was a criticism (I think well founded, in light of how good this is) that the 1985 performance of Nixon in China used white actors to portray Chinese characters, on the basis that there weren't enough Asian opera singers and ballet dancers. Not true! Hence this.
 
The last opera I saw was Nabucco ( I see its already mentioned), this chorus is sublime and wil drive me to tears




To encourage my other half to get into opera ( though not classical i know) we are of to G&S The Pirates of Penzance at the Colesium directed by Mike Leigh. apart from composers already mentioned, I dont recall seeing Rossini mentioned.
 
As well as the cinema showings they do big screen relays as well - we have been to a few in Millenium Square, Bristol. Annoyingly though this year they are showing La Boheme twice (and they showed it last year as well!) with no sign of Tosca or Madama Butterfly. La Boheme is OK but the two best arias are in the first act and then I get bored and fall asleep.
 
Some tunes are good but going to the opera, / opera as a medium for conveying a story, bollocks IMO. Been to 2, was bored at both. To give some perspective, I hate musicals too but like a good play.
 
So there I was at the Collesium last night to see the pirates; more of a musical, I know, but was reminded how difficult this piece is, imagine singing this without tripping up!
 
I can see myself getting quite into going to cinema showings... much cheaper, see it close up, interesting features in the interval. Saw Andrea Chenier at my mum's local cinema at the start of the year, it was excellent.
 
Funny last night I watched
L'Orfeo absolutely loved. From Royal opera house, is on youtube and is free wonderful and got English subtitles even singing in English.
 
In Nottingham on July will be opera BP big screen, my husband not keen to go if anybody wish to come with me we could have good company with some drinks. Many thanks
 
I unexpectedly got tickets to Opera
North and went to see two one act operas by Puccini - Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica. Really enjoyed it, esp Suor Angelica which was very moving.
Going to see Der Rosenkavalier tomorrow
 
So do people go to opera to see a theatrical show that happens to have some singing in it, or do they go to see some singing that happens to be part of a theatrical show :confused:
 
bi0boy said:
So do people go to opera to see a theatrical show that happens to have some singing in it, or do they go to see some singing that happens to be part of a theatrical show :confused:
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they go cos they like opera. mind you, i imagine many listen to it at home without seeing the theatre aspect of it, but would probably not want to watch it on telly with the sound turned off
 
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