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Hmm, my favorite might be Siegfried from the Ring.
That's interesting, and in a number of ways I could prefer it to Gotterdamerung. For one thing, it's a lot shorter, and seldom bogs down, as, say, some of the 1st act of Gott.
Siegfried has a certain overall spookiness to it which I really get off on. The prelude to the 3rd act has some of Wagner's most charged music, the Forest Murmurs are luscious magic, Siegfried's Forging Song (well, what can one say?), and the exchange between Mime and The Wanderer in the 1st act (pace Anna Russell and her '20 questions') absolutely thrilling as those two guys go head to head. (The music really carries the drama.) Could go on and on about that opera...
Haendel Haendel Haendel -- "Giulio Cesare in Egitto" and "Rodelinda." "Partenope" a close third. Almost ANY Baroque and I'm there.
Any of Rossini's fun ones.
Mozart's opera, also anything, again especially the fun ones.
After a lifetime of growing up in an opera-mad household, I can honestly say that as much as I love good voice and always will ... I'm well and truly sick of:
"Then the chick died. The end."
"Then the chick committed suicide. The end."
"Then the chick went nuts and died. The end."
"Then the chick died of tuberculosis while singing her lungs out. The end."
"Then the chick was murdered to punish her father/husband/brother/son for his crimes. (That'll show `im!) The end."
Yuck. 45 years of that and it starts to grate on you. Gimme Haendel any day of the week.
Last edited by J Cortese; 08/30/1104:39 PM.
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J Cortese, I saw Alcina this summer and it was fantastic.
Ooh, "Verdi prati." :-) Who sang it -- a mezzo or a counter?
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Haendel Haendel Haendel -- "Giulio Cesare in Egitto" and "Rodelinda." "Partenope" a close third. Almost ANY Baroque and I'm there.
Any of Rossini's fun ones.
Mozart's opera, also anything, again especially the fun ones.
After a lifetime of growing up in an opera-mad household, I can honestly say that as much as I love good voice and always will ... I'm well and truly sick of:
"Then the chick died. The end."
"Then the chick committed suicide. The end."
"Then the chick went nuts and died. The end."
"Then the chick died of tuberculosis while singing her lungs out. The end."
"Then the chick was murdered to punish her father/husband/brother/son for his crimes. (That'll show `im!) The end."
Yuck. 45 years of that and it starts to grate on you. Gimme Haendel any day of the week.
That's interesting, and in a number of ways I could prefer it to Gotterdamerung. For one thing, it's a lot shorter, and seldom bogs down, as, say, some of the 1st act of Gott.
Siegfried has a certain overall spookiness to it which I really get off on. The prelude to the 3rd act has some of Wagner's most charged music, the Forest Murmurs are luscious magic, Siegfried's Forging Song (well, what can one say?), and the exchange between Mime and The Wanderer in the 1st act (pace Anna Russell and her '20 questions') absolutely thrilling as those two guys go head to head. (The music really carries the drama.) Could go on and on about that opera...
Your summation of it actually brought tears to my eyes.....I couldn't agree more. There's also a powerfully beautiful interlude in act 3....I think Siegfried is perhaps his most underrated opera.
Haendel Haendel Haendel -- "Giulio Cesare in Egitto" and "Rodelinda." "Partenope" a close third. Almost ANY Baroque and I'm there.
Any of Rossini's fun ones.
Mozart's opera, also anything, again especially the fun ones.
After a lifetime of growing up in an opera-mad household, I can honestly say that as much as I love good voice and always will ... I'm well and truly sick of:
"Then the chick died. The end."
"Then the chick committed suicide. The end."
"Then the chick went nuts and died. The end."
"Then the chick died of tuberculosis while singing her lungs out. The end."
"Then the chick was murdered to punish her father/husband/brother/son for his crimes. (That'll show `im!) The end."
Yuck. 45 years of that and it starts to grate on you. Gimme Haendel any day of the week.
I have heard some wonderful orchestral highlights from Wagner's operas, but every time I have caught some of the actual operas on the radio or TV, I can't stand the way they are sung. I feel like I would need to know the scores intimately to be able to tune into the intended notes from their haze of dodgy intonation and overblown vibrato. Sorry if this makes me a philistine, and if someone would like to recommend some well-sung Wagner, I'd like to give it another try.
Thanks moscheles001 and Pogo for highlighting Bellini; I'll try some.
La Bohème (too many beautiful arias in it to mention a favourite!), La Traviata (ah, how I love the final aria "Parigi, o cara"), L'Elisir d'Amore (I love in particular the aria "Una furtiva lacrima")... Oh, and "The Magic Flute" of course. And "Madama Butterfly"... I could list more of course, but as this was a "favourite" thread...
"And if we look at the works of J.S. Bach — a benevolent god to which all musicians should offer a prayer to defend themselves against mediocrity... -Debussy
"It's ok if you disagree with me. I can't force you to be right."
Let's add to things and see who everyone's favorite diva is...
"And if we look at the works of J.S. Bach — a benevolent god to which all musicians should offer a prayer to defend themselves against mediocrity... -Debussy
"It's ok if you disagree with me. I can't force you to be right."
My favourite operas in order are 1 'Bliss' by Brett Dean 2 'Einstein on the Beach' by Philip Glass 3 'Albert Herring' by Britten 4 'Nixon in China' by John Adams 5 'Das Rheingoldt' by Wagner 6 'The Cave' by Steve Reich 7 'Doctor Atomic' by John Adams
Last edited by Froglegs; 08/30/1108:47 PM.
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