OPERA - breaking new, gossip, slander, lies etc.

Mr. Tea

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
Poisonous Dart said:
Everyone knows that Bizet's "Carmen" is THE definitive opera. In a minute I'm gonna post a list of the 25 greatest operas of all time...I have an East Coast/Golden Era of Opera bias when it comes to them so my list may seem a little too "canon" or "traditional" to most Dissensian opera heads. LOL.

One.
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Oh maaan, not that tired old East Coast/West Coast 'opera wars' bullshit, still...? ;)
 
Z

zhao

there are no accidents
Carmen's status as the 36 Chambers of opera is highly debatable, if not outright false.

if the Baroque era was the Old School, when these street kids was just fucking around with their voices, make-up and costumes, prancing around on stage, acting out lewd and rude scenes, then it follows that the Italian Romantic period of Bel Canto, 19th Century, would be the Golden Age. with heavy hitters like Verdi, Rossini, Pacini, etc., ruling the scene, dropping all time untouchable classics like Tosca, Otello, and La Traviata.

Carmen in the cannon is actually a fairly light and commercial work, probably at the time and even still dissmissed by serious heads. but it was catchy as hell, becoming unexpected popular amongst the general population. to keep our metaphorical line, it would be like the, um... Low End Theory of Opera.
 
H

hamarplazt

100% No Soul Guaranteed
Octopus? said:
Just one question, for "Bluebeard's Castle" I can find listings for three versions currently available in North America, one featuring Sally Burgess and Sir John Tomlinson on Chandos Records, one on Philips (which I sadly can't find info on) and a Deutsche Grammophone edition conducted by Boulez (the one I'm leaning towards). Can either of you fine fellows shed some light on a preferable version.
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Of those I only know the Boulez version, which is excellent. But there's countles editions of Bluebeards Castle, and it's possible to find many of them dirt cheap as second hand lp's, so it's easy to check some different versions out.

Octopus? said:
Too bad to hear about "Loudon...", I love Penderecki's Threnody and I was excited for the concept (and really sold by some production photos I saw of a performance).
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I don't think you should dismis this one right away, actually. It might not be up there with Threnody or his St. Lukes Passion (well, what is?), but I certainly think it's exciting nevertheles. A bit extreme-for-the-sake-of-it maybe, but Penderecki is a composer where that certainly can be a treat.
 
M

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
Interestingly I asked a m8 who does Garsington and he couldn't come up with any situations where opera had become actually violent, with regard to real life situations, best he came up with was

"an early twentieth century composer called enrique granados , who died when, on returning to europe from a rectial of his work in america , his ship was torpedoed by a u-boat - he saw his wife 'flailing in the water', jumped in to rescue her, and drowned . Ironically, he'd always had a morbid fear of water...
...another composer (19thC) called Alkan , who died because a wardrobe fell on him"

So, no-one in opera keeps it real then.
 
G

gabriel

The Heatwave
mistersloane said:
Interestingly I asked a m8 who does Garsington and he couldn't come up with any situations where opera had become actually violent, with regard to real life situations, best he came up with was

"an early twentieth century composer called enrique granados , who died when, on returning to europe from a rectial of his work in america , his ship was torpedoed by a u-boat - he saw his wife 'flailing in the water', jumped in to rescue her, and drowned . Ironically, he'd always had a morbid fear of water...
...another composer (19thC) called Alkan , who died because a wardrobe fell on him"

So, no-one in opera keeps it real then.
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or, given that so many operas (e.g. carmen) feature murders, doesn't this finally put paid to the argument that music about senseless violence causes its listeners to carry out acts of senseless violence?
 
M

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
gabriel said:
or, given that so many operas (e.g. carmen) feature murders, doesn't this finally put paid to the argument that music about senseless violence causes its listeners to carry out acts of senseless violence?
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Yeah, it was one of the reasons I was asking about it, of course we don't have any figures about the senseless murders carried out by opera FANS, only libretto writers and performers, murders by fans may be in their millions...
 
N

Numbers

Well-known member
This thread started good, but died off too soon. Any of you interested in reviving it? That list Poisonous Dart promised, would be a good revival. (hint :))
 
empty mirror

empty mirror

remember the jackalope
funny i have been really into Dido's Lament in Dido & Aeneas
Flagstad's version is the most moving in my opinion
opera in English does it for me

check the lyrics:
when i am laid in earth
may my wrongs cause no trouble in your breast
remember me but forget my fate


that slays me
perfect for listening to at max volume in a darkened basement
with a glass of wine (some hash) and lit candles
:cool:
 
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