Originally Posted by Florestan
"J'ai dit qu'il ne suffisait pas d'entendre la musique, mais qu'il fallait encore la voir" (Stravinsky)
Nice quick overview of the Ring. This video confirms why, with two exceptions (Tosac and the Ring), I avoid these operas. She says near the end, "now you know what opera is all about," but we know that is not so as there are many beautiful operas that are not typical of what was summarized here. I don't think I need to give examples. Still, a neat video.
"Ah,non credea mirarti si presto estinto, o fiore." --Bellini, La Sonnambula (also written on his tomb).
Yeah nah, not gonna work for Baroque plots. Too many requited lovers, unrequited lovers, despotic fathers, despotic rulers, despotic lovers, capricious gods, benevolent gods, honest soldiers, quests and banishments, faithful servants, moaning servants, assorted wildlife and foliage, cross-dressing, disguises and inexplicable changes of heart to fit into this format. Not to mention sorting out whether the mezzo in trousers is a girl disguised as a boy or an actual boy, and understanding that the guy singing higher than the soprano is actually the heroic virile Top Lover.
Natalie
"Ah,non credea mirarti si presto estinto, o fiore." --Bellini, La Sonnambula (also written on his tomb).
That's the best description of baroque I have ever read!!!!!
"Every theatre is an insane asylum, but an opera theatre is the ward for the incurables."
FRANZ SCHALK, attributed, Losing the Plot in Opera: Myths and Secrets of the World's Great Operas
Natalie
[Hasse, Cleofide]
no, it's just and expression of confusion to the not untypical baroque 7+ principle characters in the story...
I normally use colour crayons to make a plot map but usually run out of colours
I hope you realize that you just did what our friend asked for - a description in one paragraph. Yours above applies to virtually all Baroque operas so it can be used for each and every one (with some rare exceptions), hehehe
"J'ai dit qu'il ne suffisait pas d'entendre la musique, mais qu'il fallait encore la voir" (Stravinsky)
For my 'looking for bargains around the town' walk today I needed something a bit longer than usual as this weather I have my mp3 player in a pocket buried underneath various layers of clothing and I'd have to almost strip off to get to it.
Italie! Italie! Italie!
I wish ROH would revive the McVicar.
"Every theatre is an insane asylum, but an opera theatre is the ward for the incurables."
FRANZ SCHALK, attributed, Losing the Plot in Opera: Myths and Secrets of the World's Great Operas
"Ah,non credea mirarti si presto estinto, o fiore." --Bellini, La Sonnambula (also written on his tomb).
Because it makes me happy!
"Ah,non credea mirarti si presto estinto, o fiore." --Bellini, La Sonnambula (also written on his tomb).
ha ha! snap... well almost
I was listening to a different telling of the story. Actually I've been listening to it a number of times
Haydn: L'anima del filosofo, ossia Orfeo ed Euridice
Cecilia Bartoli (Euridice/Genio), Uwe Heilmann (Orfeo), Ildebrando D'Arcangelo (Creonte), Andrea Silvestrelli (Pluto)
The Academy of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood
Recorded Henry Wood Hall December 1995 and a little bit more a little bit later.
also listening to another one of my favourites in the French Baroque area
Leclair, J-M: Scylla et Glaucus
Emöke Barath (Scylla), Anders Dahlin (Glaucus), Caroline Mutel (Circé), Virginie Pochon (Dorine/Vénus), Marie Lenormand (Amour/Témire), Frédéric Caton (Hécate/Chef des peuples)
Les Nouveaux Caractères, Sébastien d’Hérin
Recorded Oct/Nov 2014, Opéra Royal du Château de Versailles
I knew it would be dangerous to take CDs out of the library. Now I want to get my own copy of this. Something about the Russian language makes male vocals better than they have ever sounded to me before. Anna very good, and young, here too.
"Ah,non credea mirarti si presto estinto, o fiore." --Bellini, La Sonnambula (also written on his tomb).
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