opera for dummies (me)

[Libre]

I feel ready to get into opera - a musical genre I've avoided all my life.
But these days, when I walk into the classical section of a record store, and they have opera playing - where once I would have covered my ears and run screaming from the room in anguish and pain, now I stand there transfixed to the spot - extremely attracted to what I'm hearing. I don't know when the change happened - but it happened.
Problem is, the literature is so huge, I just don't know where to begin. Those of you that know my musical predilections, and also know something about opera, could you point me in the right direction with a few recommendations -composers, works, artists? Specific recordings?
I already know I like Carmen and La Boheme. But, well, what are the best introductory works for a neophyte?
I'd be grateful.
Thanks.

[cgram@adelphia.net]

I'm also trying to listen to more recordings of opera. However, I'm still unsure of how to listen to and appreciate them. An opera is a complete musical dramatic performance, and while the arias are often sublime and the instrumental writing excellent, the dramatic dialogue (recitativo secco), usually in Italian or German (languages I have, sadly, not yet mastered), seems to be lost on me, without any context of the complete, visual performance. I'd like to actually go to operas, but just listening to a recording wouldn't seem to do the works complete justice. There's a 14-Disc Ring cycle set on Amazon for 54 bucks (which I'm hoping to get for Christmas). So I may be delving into that soon. I don't know if that's the best place to start, as it's pretty heavy stuff, but Wagner is certainly one of the quintessential opera composers. Maybe it would be better to start with Mozart though, or Rossini, the real classics. Also, Delibes and Verdi's works are essential part of a music collection. There's a lot out there, but it's definitely a great avenue to explore. Good luck!

James

P.S. I was going to suggest Dallapiccola's Il Prigioniero, one of my favorites, but then I remembered the part about your musical predilections. Maybe best to avoid that one.

[Libre]

An opera is a complete musical dramatic performance, and while the arias are often sublime and the instrumental writing excellent, the dramatic dialogue (recitativo secco), usually in Italian or German (languages I have, sadly, not yet mastered), seems to be lost on me, without any context of the complete, visual performance.
Precisely!
That's my problem too. Plus, complete operas seem to run at least 3 to 3 1/2 hours - I'd be squirming in my seat after an hour. Add to that the cost of tickets! Ouch!
Maybe renting dvd's of performances would be a good idea.

[Michelob]

"Le ali dorate" e "le piume al vento" sono italiane, lo stesso Mozart non ne ha potuto fare a meno, forse perche' " Cosi' Fan Tutte" o "a cenar teco mi invitasti son venuto"... ma il Rigoletto di Verdi, un'orchestra con direttore Italiano -e il mio amico di infanzia- Paolo Gavanelli nel ruolo del Rigoletto e' semplicemente divino.

I would start right there, and spaghetti will never taste as good as they do, while "la donna e' mobille...."

[Libre]

Thanks Mich.
Don't forget, I'm a dummy. Especially in Italian!
Puccini and Verdi - that part I got. Maybe that's enough for a start.

[Pepe Vergara]

I would recommend start with the zarzuelas (Spanish opereta), they are funny, fun, and lively. They have the picaresque of the Spanish culture, a good transition from Spanish guitar. You may enjoy Placido Domingo doing what he does best, singing as a Baritono, not as a Tenor.

Michelob: You made me "sonno affamatto"!

[dgpratt]

I don't have any advice on what to listen to, but I will say that if you get the opportunity to see opera live, take it. I never appreciated opera until I was walking down the hall at Eastman here in Rochester and a woman was singing in one of the practice rooms. Holy Cow! I had to stop in the hall and just listen. The POWER in the live voice just gets so lost in a recording. I was blown away.

[campbell]

My personal reccomendation would be "the Elixir of Love" by Donizetti. It's definately a 'Bel Canto' piece, filled with marvelous arias ('una furtiva lagrima' amongst others). The plot is almost a Shakespearian comedy of cross-dressing lovers, traveling snake-oil frauds, and kind hearted villagers singing up a joyful storm. It's also a very short opera at under three hours. If you can see it staged it's easily the best intro to grand Italian opera in my opinion.

[Guitar Slim]

I don't why, but this topic heading immediately made me think "Help!...P-p-piglet (me)" (I spend way too much time with my two-year-old.)

Can't say I'm a big opera fan. But I've really enjoyed the few live opera performances I have attended. And you're probably spoiled Marc, living in NYC. Maybe tickets for some other company besides the Met would be less expensive? Or -- maybe not.

From my very limited experience, I've really enjoyed the Mozart operas I've heard. And I've heard some Verdi arias that have reduced me to tears -- but I'm so ignorant of the genre that I have no idea what arias, or which operas they came from. Same goes for Richard Strauss -- some of the most etherally beautiful vocal music I've ever heard on the radio turned out to be by Strauss. Although, those may have been songs or leider -- not arias. Didn't he write some song cycles for voice and orchestra, instead of piano?

Sorry I couldn't be more help. Clearly I'm one of those "dummies" too...

[cgram@adelphia.net]

Yeah, Strauss did compose some lieder for soprano and orchestra in addition to his operatic output. His last composition, actually, consisted of four such songs. Also, Mahler has his beautiful song cycle, Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, for baritone, I think it is, and orchestra. There's a good Deutsche Grammophon recording with Bernstein conducting the first and fifth Mahler Symphonies, paired with these lieder. Lieder are something quite different from opera though; to me they come through more completely in an audio recording, because there's not as much extra-musical content. The DVD idea may be a good one for opera, though.

[TxClassPlayer]

1) Hansel and Gretel by Engelburk Humperdink (yes, that really is his name...the pop singer borrowed the composers name!!!) is considered a children's story but is a really neat opera and is performed in English many times.

2) Mozart's Magic Flute is a very fun opera with a lot of comedy in it if you can understand what is happening...may be found in English possibly. I know that the Magic Flute is on DVD or tape.

3) Puccini wrote some of the most beautiful music in the world...Madama Butterfly will tear your heart out if you listen to it. Turandot is about love overcoming everything...even a cold-hearted princess...and has one of the most beautiful arias ever written. The Met went to China a few years back to do performance of Turando in the Emperador's City (I can't remember the name of the city!!!!!) and the chinese took one look at the costumes, declared them unappropriate (the Met's costumes mixed several different periods of styles together) and Chinese artisans made the performers a whole new, matching wardrobe. That performance should be on DVD someplace.

4) Tales of Hoffman - Offenbach: The adventures of a overly-romantic young fool wandering around trying to find true love. Should be versions in English.

Most live opera performances these days have English subtitles so don't be afraid to go to a live performance. As with any form of performing...it is only as good as the people performing it are. If you saw a bad/boring opera it's because the performers weren't very good...and it takes an amazing amount of practice and skill to sing opera well.

There are very few "fat ladies" anymore and the emphasis is much more on movement, staging and acting these days.

Find and read a synopsis of the story...even if you don't know exactly what's being sung the music should fit the story line. If you are listening to a recording and have the time, follow the words as they are sung...the recording may be in a foreign language but there is usually an english translation next to it.

Wagner is the heaviest of the opera composers...He is very dramatic, very long-winded, louder than anyone else...you almost have to learn how to like his operas. You can turn yourself off to opera as a whole if you try to listen to all of his Ring cycle without some fun time inbetween. He is my favorite but you have to be very dedicated or very crazy to like him.

The Metropolitan has recorded quite a few operas which you should be able to find somewhere...and they should have english subtitles. They did an amazing Ring series a few years ago.

Good luck in your exploration.

[Libre]

Thank you to all who replied.
I once saw a live opera - at the Met.
It was Faust by Gounod.
I enjoyed it immensely - but had trouble making it all the way through 4 acts and over 3 hours.
Let's face it - it's not the most accessible art form.

[BrentinFL]

Rossini's Barber of Seville is a CLASSIC! It's got the Bugs Bunny music in it (although I think that might be the other way around) plus there are 2 pieces where Figaro sings to GUITAR accompaniment. I played the guitar parts for the University opera production while in school, mostly simple arrpeggios, but I got to sit in the pit next to the hot violinists!

[oc chuck]

I guess I am a pseudo-opera lover,
LOVE those italian arias......

A quick and cheap way to get started
is Netflix under opera and operetta.....

[Richard]

His operas are classic, beautiful and perhaps even recognizable: Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute and The Marriage of Figaro.
You should get buy "Best of..." CDs that have selected arias from Puccini, Verdi and Mozart operas for a good taste.

[cgram@adelphia.net]

Ach! I hate best of CD's. I think you're much better off getting the complete work, and hearing it as it's supposed to be heard (although, again we return to the problem of opera's really needing to be heard live). But that's just me, I guess it could be a good idea for you.

[Libre]

I ususally hate BEST OF cd's too - except in this case it might be a good idea. The less knowledge you have as a base, the better those CD's really are. I mean, a BEST OF BACH cd would be a joke for me, because I have detail knowledge of his body of work. But a BEST OF OPERA would be pretty enjoyable, and give me a little more foundation from which to expand upon.

[Richard]

I actually was referring to a Best of Pucinni or Best of Mozart Opera type thing, not a Best of Opera CD. Your typical individual opera is over three hours long. I only suggested this approach because Libre said he's looking for a way to quickly survey the field before plunging deeper.
Otherwise, I agree with you, cgram.

[srjohn]

I've been listening to opera for about twenty years or so, I suppose, and when I started I had a friend who told me to start with the most lyrical ones, the ones he said had "the best tunes in them." Well, the ones with the "best tunes" are Italian, in my opinion, and Verdi is the place I started. For me, La Traviata is the most lyrical of all operas, and I have four versions of it. It's just good music! Eventually, I went to Mozart, but the recitative (spoken dialog) was hard to get used to, despite the glorious music. Story-wise, Wagner is perhaps the most interesting, but I'm telling you that if you don't like early Verdi and eventually Puccini, you won't like opera.

Good luck, and Merry Christmas!

Steve

[Guitar Slim]

Rossini's Barber of Seville is a CLASSIC! It's got the Bugs Bunny music in it (although I think that might be the other way around) plus there are 2 pieces where Figaro sings to GUITAR accompaniment. I played the guitar parts for the University opera production while in school, mostly simple arrpeggios, but I got to sit in the pit next to the hot violinists!

:-D:-D:-D

Ah yes, the heartwarming story of a man, a bunny -- and a straight razor!

"Yell & scream & rant & rave
It's no use you need a shave
(oh ouch ouch oh ouch oh oh ouch)
There, you're nice and clean
Although you're face looks like it might have gone through a machine..."

And let's not forget Wagner and "What's Opera Doc".

"Oh Bwunhilda, you're so wovely.."

The final consumation of that cross-dressing game Bugs and Elmer played for decades.

Those cartoons were SO sick...

Back on topic: let's not forget Giuliani's Rossinianas (Rossininani?). And J.K. Mertz's many "opera reviews."

In fact Marc, maybe you could start by listening to some of the operas specifically quoted in one of those pieces -- and then tackle the piece!

[Richard]

In the Bugs Bunny-Wagner vein, don't forget Elmer Fudd's famous "Kill da Wabbit, kill da Wabbit...." I love high culture!

[Kikkoman]

I always thought Berg's Wozzeck was pretty rad. Unless you hate atonal music, in which case, move along

[DWPC]

Like classical music, opera encompasses a broad range of styles from stiff Baroque to lush Italian lyric opera to edgy contemporary stuff. I'd suggest focusing on the style or composer you like and working from there. There's a lot of wonderful opera. Most people are originally hooked on Verdi or Mozart, or maybe Wagner, then acquire appreciation for others. I got hooked because my Dad always listened to the Texaco "Live from the Met" that's been on radio (now FM) every saturday morning since the 40s. Its sponsored by others now, but I stopped buying Texaco gas when they dropped it. Netflix also carries opera dvds, but don't expect Hollywood camera work.

[Libre]

Well, I've gone and done the unthinkable by the purists, and picked up 2 CD's:
The Best Opera Album In The World ...Ever!
and
The Best of Italian Opera

Have not listened to either one yet - have to get into the proper mood now.

I also picked up Mahler's 5th symphony. The 4th movement is one of the greatest pieces of symphonic music ever - it's astonishinly beautiful. Can't say the same about the other 3 movements though. Maybe they'll grow on me.

[cgram@adelphia.net]

I haven't really gotten to the fifth yet, but there's lushly beautiful writing in all of the Mahler symphonies. I just got a 12-CD set of Bernstein's complete Mahler, so I have a lot of listening to do. Whose fifth did you get? Just curious.

[Libre]

I bought the Herbert Von Karajan.
The fourth movement of the fifth is just mind-blowing.
If you don't mind listening to it "out of order" please go put it on when you have a chance, and tell me what you think.
I know there must be beautiful writing besides just that one movement - but I had that movement in mind when I bought the CD - thinking I remembered correctly - and there it was.

You got the full set?
I have to put it on my list.

[cgram@adelphia.net]

Mahler seems to have had an extraordinary talent for writing stunningly beautiful, evocative fourth movements. I listened to the one from the fifth; it's like a bittersweet memory, a recognition of light and beauty in sadness. The fourth movement of the second symphony, the Resurrection, is also among the most tear-eliciting and ethereal pieces of music, although, like, I suspect, the fifth's Adagietto, it only has its full impact when heard in context. I'll do a careful listening of the whole fifth tonight and see how that changes my perception.

I'm reading an interesting book now that you might like, Marc. It's calling The Rest Is Noise, by Alex Ross, and it's essentially a broad history of music of the twentieth century, set in its broader sociopolitical context and unravelled in a charming narrative. It provides an interesting glimpse of Mahler and R. Strauss, the two last great icons of the Romantic era, at the outset of the new century, simultaneously maintaining romantic traditions and providing impetus for the atonal movement, the Second Viennese School, with subtle innovations. It's fascinating stuff, and I've found it a good companion to a lot of listening.

Have fun

James

[G]

Libre, glad to hear you got interested in the opera. I think it's a very important genre to listen to for a classical guitarist. A perfect way to learn how to sing with a melody in a classical style piece, how to handle the accompanying voices and how to breathe in general.

[brian richardson]

Libre-

Carmina Burana-carl orff
i think mine has charles dutoit conducting?

at times pretty head banging.


forgot all about this one.
interesting story about it's 'creation'.
drunken monks??