Opera Is Llst On Me.

[Theland]

I have heard rave reviews about opera.
Believe me, I have tried and tried to listen to it, understand it, enjoy it, but with me it falls on deaf ears.

I simply don't get it, don't enjoy it, don't even like it.

Is it the Emperors New Clothes again? You know, kid yourself that it is good, to impress others?

It must be good for some, but it,is lost on me.

[emmie]

can't get it to play for some reason Danny

[dannyk13]

Emmie, Strange, I have just played it.

[murraymints]

both Gigli and Bjorling are big favs of mine and of dad..and of course Lanza and Caruso

[davebro]

And ballet. I must be a philistine!

[vulcan42]

I love opera but a friend of mine is totally obsessed. He once travelled to Italy to hear a certain opera in Italian and the following year went to France to hear the same opera in French.

[dannyk13]

Not a great fan of French opera, apart from the duet from The Pearl Fishers.

[dannyk13]

[vulcan42]

In my opinion this version of the pearl fishers duet is the best.

[dannyk13]

Snap Vulcan :-)

[vulcan42]

Sorry Danny didn't realise you were going to post, at least we agree!

[dannyk13]

Vulcan, have you heard the Andrea Bocelli/Bryn Terfel version:-
https://www.google.com/search?biw=1360&;bih=657&ei=WXIEXsT6F7TB8gLYqoK4BA&;q=bryn+terfel+andrea+bocelli+pearl+fishers&oq=bryn+terfel+andrea+boce%3Blli&;gs_l=p

[naomi24]

People are often unaware that music they like comes from opera - in adverts for example.

https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/10-opera-tunes-you-wont-know-that-you-know_43637.html

My advice to anyone who says they don’t like opera is to go to see a live performance. Television just isn’t the same. Not any old opera though. Treat yourself to Puccini’s La Boheme or Bizet’s Carmen for starters. You will know much of the music and most theatres use surtitles translating ‘forrin’ to English. Carmen is on in Liverpool next March.

(Among other places, we go to the opera in Verona fairly often - staged under the stars in the vast Roman Arena there. Magical!).

[dannyk13]

Naomi, on one night in 1934 40,000 people packed the Verona stadium to hear La Giaconda with Gigli.

[naomi24]

It's a big place, danny, but that seems a lot. Staging there is magnificent often with huge casts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verona_Arena

[dannyk13]

Naomi, It does seem a lot, but I have a copy of Gigli's memoirs and there is a photograph of that night with a footnote that 40.000 people.attended.

[naomi24]

I expect it was standing room only, danny. Perhaps they took all the seats out of 'the round'.

[dannyk13]

Naomi, looking at the photo it does seem as though everyone is standing, maybe in 1934 they hadn't yet installed any seating.

[emmie]

whatever the case it;s a wonderful medium
we went to the Metropolitan Opera House in NY
and saw some of La Traviata, the place was so hot that people including us fell asleep....

[emmie]

would love to go to the Opera in Italy, that would be wonderful.

[naomi24]

That sounds likely, danny. I'm pleased they got around to it eventually though. Being seated on the surrounding steps where the vast majority are seated is taking your life in your hands! Once experienced, never forgotten - and never repeated! They don't 'do' health and safety!