Opera

[BBH]

Call me a Jessie, but I was listening to the song Eskimo Things at the end of the Damian Rice album & I was thinking how nice the opera bit at the end was. Not sure if I am now settling into middle age (am 30) but I thought I may buy an opera CD & see how I like it. Anyone got any suggestions for a firsttimer ??

 

[Titanic]

Most by Richard Wagner... especially:

Lohengrin
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Parsifal

 

[Gwylan]

I'd avoid the Best Opera in the World type of compilation as they don't really give you a full flavour of what opera is like. It's a bit like getting an impression of football from a DVD containing nothing but goals.

If you can't face an entire opera (and they can range between two to Wagner's five hour marathons) then it's best to start with a highlights package. I'd start off with Puccini or Verdi as you can't really go wrong there.
My bet would be Maria Callas singing Tosca - she packs an emotional punch.

You could also try Cav and Pag (Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci) as they're an hour long each and packed with great tunes.

A little later, you could move on to Mozart. Don Giovanni is probably my favourite but a lot of opera buffs think Cosi fan Tutte is the best opera written.

I'd avoid Wagner - it's not the fainthearted. And I'd steer clear of most 20th century stuff at first - although Kurt Weill is pretty accessible.

Nothing jessie about opera BTW. I've been going since 1976 when I was still a teenager.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Try something light to start with....Cosi Fan Tutti is very nice...anything by Mozart is pretty easy listening ( also very nice to sing too!)

Nessun Dorma ( the Pavarotti "football song") comes from Turandot by Puccini...that can get a bit heavy but there are some fabulous Arias in there.

Verdi is very hard work, as is Wagner.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Ignore the snobs and buy an "Opera's Greatest Hits" type CD - nothing wrong with that - I don't want to hear anything of Nabucco but the Hebrew Slaves bit, for example (which incidentally I reckon could form the basis of one mighty superb football song).

If you want whole ones, how about something like the Magic Flute by Mozart or Carmen by Bizet? Great choons all over the shop, I love 'em both. It's not opera but Mozart's Requiem is an incredible piece of music as well as easy to get into. I'd say go with that.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Most by Richard Wagner... especially:

Lohengrin
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Parsifal

Wot no Tannhaeuser?!

 

[Trufflehound]

Any Puccini is probably the easiest to get to like.

Tosca is good. La Boheme, Madama Butterfly and Turandot are all very easy as well for a first timer.

So is Bizet's Carmen.

For something shorter, try a one-act opera like Leoncavallo's Pagliacci (as featured in the Untouchables), or Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

BBH

What harveys said.

BTW if you want to hear Mozarts Requiem sung, we are doing it( along with some Bruchner) at Shoreham College ( The big Church you can see from the Shoreham Flyover) on Good Friday. Its only a few quid ( £5 ish) and we do make a nice noise!

 

[Titanic]

BTW if you want to hear Mozarts Requiem sung, we are doing it( along with some Bruchner) at Shoreham College ( The big Church you can see from the Shoreham Flyover) on Good Friday. Its only a few quid ( £5 ish) and we do make a nice noise!

Isn't that Lancing College ??

and who are WE ?

 

[Gwylan]

Ignore the snobs and buy an "Opera's Greatest Hits" type CD - nothing wrong with that - I don't want to hear anything of Nabucco but the Hebrew Slaves bit, for example (which incidentally I reckon could form the basis of one mighty superb football song).

That's because Nabucco's a crap opera. I saw it at the ENO a couple of years ago and I'm no hurry to see it again.

I don't think it's snobbish to denigrate opera's greatest hits but I don't think it gives a true picture of what opera is like. If you think that it's nothing but a succession of stirring tunes, then you're going to be disappointed when you see a live opera. A whole opera (or even a highlights CD) gives some sense of context and, of course, explains the story.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Yup Lancing College.

Shoreham Oratorio Choir

We are based at St Mary De haura in Shoreham but they are doing stuff to the roof, so we cannot use the Church for a year or so.

we have done:

Mozarts Requiem
Verdi's Requiem
St Matthew's Passion by Bach
Brhams Requiem
Rutter's Requiem ( are you getting the theme here?)
Mozart's Vesperes Solemne
Vaughn Williams Fantasia on Christmas Carols

lots and lots of stuff


great fun

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Buy a Greatest Hits. As Gwlylan says it is a bit like watching the goals highlights. But if you don't like the goal highlights you are not going to like the 0-0 draw on Tuesday night at Torquay.

And chances are it'll be the less heard tracks that take your fancy. It is with me.

 

[BBH]

Nice one people, thanks for that - Have bid for a few on E-Bay including a "Best Of" as well as some others (Puccini Turandot, Barber of Seville) I shall give them a listen & report back!

Am in Spain over Easter & only ever really come back to Brighton for the footy so no can do cheers DTG.

 

[Man of Harveys]

I don't think it's snobbish to denigrate opera's greatest hits but I don't think it gives a true picture of what opera is like. If you think that it's nothing but a succession of stirring tunes, then you're going to be disappointed when you see a live opera. A whole opera (or even a highlights CD) gives some sense of context and, of course, explains the story.

Yeah but if you start off by being determined to hammer four hours of Wagner into your head for the sake of keepin' it reeal, it might be a bit much early on; that's all I meant.

Besides, live is best, of course, and when I went to Covent Garden to see Turandot, I loved the whole thing, the costumes, the sets etc etc. It didn't seem like just Nessun Dorma and some other bits.

 

[Marshy]

get yourself out and buy the Killers album if you havent got it.

Listen to some proper music.

 

[aftershavedave]

wagner is hardly opera for beginners...you'll probably much better enjoy carmen by bizet. very nice indeed.

 

[Gwylan]

Yeah but if you start off by being determined to hammer four hours of Wagner into your head for the sake of keepin' it reeal, it might be a bit much early on; that's all I meant.

Besides, live is best, of course, and when I went to Covent Garden to see Turandot, I loved the whole thing, the costumes, the sets etc etc. It didn't seem like just Nessun Dorma and some other bits.

Jeez, I've been listening to opera for more than 30 years and I find Wagner hard-going. I think he's best avoided by anyone without neo-nazi tendencies

 

[Man of Harveys]

I do enjoy partaking of the old "Flying Dutchman". But that's enough of my smoking habits.

 

[lost in london]

Carmen is good, and with a few 'tunes' that you'll recognise. Try and see it live, it was the first (and only) one I saw and was relatively easy going.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I'd go see some small scale opera - Hever Opera sometimes do local productions - now they are brill.