( Act IV La Boheme, San Francisco Opera)
Ok you're bored, we're all bored. Nothing to read, no new movies, you're done binge watching on Netflix, forget about the news. You need something wild, different, off beat how about . . . opera. No wait! Before you run away or go to another page hear me out.
Opera has been around for over four hundred years. It wasn't always entertainment for rich snobs, in the 18th and 19th century it was the mainstream entertainment for everyone. Juicy stuff too, intrigue, love, murder, rebellion and that's just the first act.
If you're new to the genre, what can you expect? For starters the singers today are not large fat people standing still and bellowing indecipherable words. Most are good looking and can act. Most theatres now use surtitles- words projected above the stage so you can follow what's going on.
What should you see/hear first? I always recommend four operas to newbies. Carmen, The Barber of Seville, La Boheme, and L'elisir d'amore (the elixir of love).
Early Baroque opera was filled with Gods, mythological and royal figures. Bizet's Carmen changed all that with it's earthy characters and dramatic plot. It has a lot of familiar music, the overture, Habenera, the flower song, the march of the Toreadors. The story is about two people who should never have met up- it doesn't end well for either. For drama there's La Boheme by Puccini. A typically romantic story of young love. If you don't tear up at the last scene, you're a heartless bastard.
For comedies, there's Rossini's The Barber of Seville, filled with familiar music and stock characters. Donizetti's The Elixir of Love is a two act comedy that is easy to follow and has delightful tuneful music.
If you're more adventurous or literate go with Mozart, he wrote some of the best music ever. "The Marriage of Figaro" picks up the characters years after the Barber of Seville, based on a controversial play by Pierre Beaumarchais- it dared to question the class system of master/servant.
If it's rip roaring drama you want go with Verdi's "Il Trovatore" featuring saber rattling, a love triangle and Gypsies. "Rigoletto" has the single most recognizable tune ever written- "La Donna e mobile".
Pretty much anything French is going to be grand and sensational- you may need a flow chart to keep check of things. Where do you think soap opera, the term for convoluted plots comes from?
I'd advise staying away from Saint-Saens saccharine "Faust" and the heavy weight Wagner unless you want to seat through hours of German mythology.
The style of singing can be an acquired taste. In some operas there is spoken dialogue, otherwise there is recitative- a kind of singing speech. Sopranos and Tenors get most of the show stopping arias, while Baritones and Basses play villains or fatherly roles.
If you're timid or overwhelmed by the genre, listen to a recording first and follow along with the libretto- that's the text of the opera to get a feel for the music and what to expert. Opera is not for everyone, it can be the most thrilling way to express emotions or a crashing bore. There's only one way to find out.
Listen.
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