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Opera for Beginners
- klelatti 3y agoThis seems, well, a little selective, being focused exclusively on 19C Italian Opera and Mozart. I think it's entirely possible not to particularly like these works, whilst enjoying operas by other composers. My starting point in opera was Janáček. The Cunning Little Vixen and Jenufa, for example, are both stunning works, musically and dramatically, and sound entirely different from the operas mentioned in this piece. The recordings by Charles Mackerras are unbeatable. But if you don't enjoy Janáček then try someone else's work as you never know what you might like!
- jeremiahbuckley 3y agoThank you for this. Definitely interested in Janáček but I’d forgotten about him. I liked some of the Moravian Folk Songs, particularly the one named The Bench (the numbering seems to be confused JW V/2 No. 3 on some recordings?)
- klelatti 3y agoYou're welcome. The whole of Janáček's music is influenced by the Czech language and folk songs. Warning that Jenufa can get a bit intense though! Thank you for mentioning the Moravian Folk Songs - added to my playlist now.
- djmips 3y agoI almost skipped past this because I thought it would be about the browser... This is why I hate the confluence of products that use common words as product names.
- kstrauser 3y agoUnlike Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Edge, Brave, Lynx, Mosaic…
- loloquwowndueo 3y agoOther than the browser, the fictional plane and the namesake movie, is Firefox all that common?
- kstrauser 3y agoIt’s another name for a red panda.
- djmips 3y agoI'm not singling out Opera. Edge is the worst.
- smsm42 3y agoI clicked secretly hoping it's about the art, not the browser - and this is one of rare cases where my hopes proven to be true!
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- loloquwowndueo 3y agoDeep end of the pool - Wagner’s Ring Cycle. It’s a bit heavy but as someone who enjoys fantasy literature, role-playing games (dungeons and Dragons) and that kind of thing, these operas pulled me right in. I didn’t enjoy Verdi or Puccini al that much though.
- pulvinar 3y agoNo mention of Gilbert and Sullivan either -- they skewer the big operas!
- smsm42 3y agoFor a beginner-friendly introduction to various aspects of classical music, I'd recommend Robert Greenberg's lectures: https://robertgreenbergmusic.com/courses/ https://robertgreenbergmusic.com/courses/ He's an excellent lecturer and the courses themselves are both illuminating and do not require any special prior knowledge of the subject. Don't be scared by the prices on the site - a lot of them are available through libraries (such as Hoopla system) and Wondrium subscription. I've listened to several of the lectures and they always were great.
- shallmn 3y agoI agree with the article, opera should be seen as well. It’s an event, an opportunity to explore emotions, and an exhibit of talent from musicians, singers, and staff. Some of the arias work well as stand-alone audio recordings, but it is the entire opera that must be seen and heard to really feel the story. Take a chance and attend a few operas.
- recursive 3y agoAllegedly, if you watch the whole opera, then you'll understand the context, and everything will be better. I didn't find that to be the case. I think what would help me the most would be if it were in a language I could understand. Is it against some rule to do opera in English? But don't do it just for me. I still might not like it anyway. I don't know if it's a fundamental part of opera, but I find the heavy vibrato off-putting also.
- jeremiahbuckley 3y agoYouTube is great for watching Opera, although you need the subscription to not be distracted by ads. But, after buying that one entry ticket: state sponsored arts are constantly putting up super high quality new recordings of Operas on YouTube. It’s got subtitles so it’s easy to follow along. Yes the video is high quality watch-a-play-being-performed, not a real movie experience. But it’s great for understanding the whole work. Otello & Don Giovanni https://youtu.be/qcuaN3jN29Q?si=KQAoKDKHVeDCSxmk https://youtu.be/qcuaN3jN29Q?si=KQAoKDKHVeDCSxmk https://youtu.be/8wEMzWH52FA?si=S80Dc_ssXbCBXUtI https://youtu.be/8wEMzWH52FA?si=S80Dc_ssXbCBXUtI