What opera have you been listening to, lately?

[HarpsichordConcerto]

La Chulapona what? Who wrote that? Never heard of it.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

La Chulapona what? Who wrote that? Never heard of it.

It's a zarzuela by Federico Moreno Torroba, who also wrote Luisa Fernanda which is lovely:

Placidone playing the baritone role:



and the tenor role.



As I love this I'm hoping La Chulapona is as good.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Just watched Carmen on Youtube (in good quality) with Jonas Kaufmann, Vesselina Kasarova, Isabel Rey, Michele Pertusi.

Kaufmann's Don Jose is utterly brilliant, a weak man who got caught up in a whirlwind and never recovered (this Jose never killed anyone). And he sings wonderfully.

Kasarova is committed, but what with the funny scrunched up faces and vocal whooping and scooping and register breaks, I just couldn't stand to listen and had to keep fast forwarding. I've got a couple of albums from the 90s and she used to sound OK, although admittedly they are mainly Mozart and bel canto arias.

[Schigolch]

Actually, my grandmother loved better La Chulapona than Luisa Fernanda, so who knows?.

My own view is that Luisa Fernanda can be easily enjoyed by most people, while to fully savour La Chulapona you probably need some background in Zarzuela.

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

Actually, my grandmother loved better La Chulapona than Luisa Fernanda, so who knows?.

My own view is that Luisa Fernanda can be easily enjoyed by most people, while to fully savour La Chulapona you probably need some background in Zarzuela.

Funny-sounding title. What does La Chulapona stand for in Spanish? In Portuguese, it would be, I think, something like The Big Steak, and in jargon, The Big Slap.

[Schigolch]

[Schigolch]

Funny-sounding title. What does La Chulapona stand for in Spanish? In Portuguese, it would be, I think, something like The Big Steak, and in jargon, The Big Slap.

In Madrid, the inhabitants of certain old quarters of the city, are called "chulapos" when they are dressed using a certain dressing code. Then, "la chulapona" is a particularly distinguished "chulapo" woman.

This is the dress:

[Luiz Gazzola (Almaviva)]

Does the word "chulapo" in itself have a dictionary meaning, outside of representing this particular dress code?

[Schigolch]

By extension, it also represents the people dressing like that, a member of Madrid's working classes, not only the dress. This is the only meaning.

[Ann Lander (sospiro)]

My current marching music. Don't have to words to describe how much I'm enjoying this, it's just perfect.

[MAuer]

Kasarova is committed, but what with the funny scrunched up faces and vocal whooping and scooping and register breaks, I just couldn't stand to listen and had to keep fast forwarding. I've got a couple of albums from the 90s and she used to sound OK, although admittedly they are mainly Mozart and bel canto arias.

Yes, this is what drives me crazy about her Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito. And I fast-forward past her arias, too.

[HarpsichordConcerto]

It's a zarzuela by Federico Moreno Torroba, who also wrote Luisa Fernanda which is lovely:

Placidone playing the baritone role:

Thanks. I have tht version of Luisa Fernanda, sitting in the unwatched pile.

[Soave_Fanciulla]

Dig it out HC. It's charming. And I'm sure you will love the production.

[Tardis]

I actually have the exact opposite reaction.

Yes, this is what drives me crazy about her Sesto in La Clemenza di Tito. And I fast-forward past her arias, too.

[Aramis]

I totally share Almaviva's admiration for beautiful soprano, Anna. It's just he constantly confuses the last names.

By the way, I love how Meyerbeer enriched this 6-minutes long vocal cadence with few seconds of aria.