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Opera Music

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Dali

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.... I do have songs I'm familiar with or like, for instance 'Flower Duet' (and no, I did not hear it for the first time on an airline commercial! LOL)

Haha, sadly I did.


Some sopranos just sound painful and almost like they're strangling their vocal cords when they sing.

Have you heard Maria Guleghina when she pushes her voice? (clips on youtube) Urgh.


And I've taken a few operatic singing lessons and some voice lessons in the 'bel canto' tradition.

Would love to hear ya. You have any clips online? Feel free to PM them to me if you do.


Especially operatic singing it's so much about breath and diaphraghm (sp?) work, I was amazed at the LOUD sounds coming from me and I always thought I was going to pass out.

If you master your breath support, you're more than halfway there. I've given up on trying to do that for now. When the urge to sing hits me, I just open my mouth and scream out the aria. Have you heard a bass-baritone attempting to sing The Bell Song?

Not a pretty sight. :mellow:

YouTube - Sumi Jo - Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor - Mad Scene (I also saw that clip where Karajan auditioned her when she new on the scene. Sweet!)
 

Splittet

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WhichMagic Flute movie did you see? Is it the recent 2006 one?

I saw the Ingmar Bergman version from 1975.

Btw, you probably know this but a lot the Amadeus movie had quite a bit of fiction in it (e.g. Salieri and Mozart's relationship). Hollywood. :rolli: But it was definitely entertaining to watch.

Yeah, I am very well aware of it... Still love the movie though. I don't think it's important it's not historically correct. The movie isn't even about Mozart, I think it's rather about genius... I see the movie rather as loosely based on Mozart, and full of myths, in order to tell what the director wants to say or discuss when it comes to genius... That's how I choose to watch the movie, at least.
 

phoenix13

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What's:

1. Your favourite opera
2. Your favourite composer
3. Your favourite artists

Or you could answer just one of the above. I love comparing my favourites with other aficionados!

1. Massenet's Werther
2. Dmitri Shostakovich :heart:
3. Not too knowledgeable here, but Marian Anderson (she's a mutant...), Pavarotti (omg, surprise!), and Joan Sutherland. I HATE Andrea Boccelli.
 

INA

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Great taste! I didn't mean this post to be too esoteric so perhaps you could tell me in your own terms which particular operas you liked.
Carmen was my childhood favorite, which I discovered incidentally through the Dorothy Dandridge/Harry Belafonte movie (Carmen Jones) based on the opera. The actual opera was better than the movie. :) Then I heard an excerpt from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana in a movie for a class on Italian Americana, and started listening again. Now, I'd say La bohème is a contender for favorite.
Salome rocks my socks off!
I saw a not-so-great production of this in Berlin. Was not pleased. Maybe I'll give it another listen.
 
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Dali

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1. Massenet's Werther
2. Dmitri Shostakovich :heart:
3. Not too knowledgeable here, but Marian Anderson (she's a mutant...), Pavarotti (omg, surprise!), and Joan Sutherland.

Ha! I was just watching a fantastic Pav/Sutherland duet from Lucia di Lammermoor.


I HATE Andrea Boccelli.

Marry me. :wubbie:


Carmen was my childhood favorite, which I discovered incidentally through the Dorothy Dandridge/Harry Belafonte movie (Carmen Jones) based on the opera. The actual opera was better than the movie. :) Then I heard an excerpt from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana in a movie for a class on Italian Americana, and started listening again. Now, I'd say La bohème is a contender for favorite.

I do think che galida malina... si, mi chiamano mimi have to be two of the most romantic and beautiful (in their simplicity) arias in the world.

YouTube - Jussi Bjorling-Renata Tebaldi-"La Boheme" from Puccini-Part1

(my favourite interpretation evah. the singing starts at 00:46)


I saw a not-so-great production of this in Berlin. Was not pleased. Maybe I'll give it another listen.

Let me guess; the soprano had a small voice? :doh:

Salome has dense orchestration and you need a true-blue Dramatic Soprano to be able to be heard clearly over such a large orchestra. I mean, I don't want to hear a Dramatic Soprano rampaging like an elephant through the delicate textures of an opera like La Boheme but I sure as hell dont want to hear a small voiced Lyric Soprano whose sound is lost in the Wagner and Strauss orchestration.

The best Salome that ever lived - YouTube - Nilsson Salome

Nobody bar none has ever sung the final scene like that.
 

aguanile

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1. Die Zauberflote (favorite for the music and the action, keeps my interest)
2. Mozart (perfection)
3. Fleming, Pav (I really don't think there is a more perfect Tenor), Florez, Te Kanawa, Hvorostovsky, D'arcangelo, Bartoli, Price, Tebaldi, Sills, Sutherland, Moffo, Latonia Moore, Simionato.
 
D

Dali

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2. Mozart (perfection)

I agree.


3. Fleming, Pav (I really don't think there is a more perfect Tenor), Florez, Te Kanawa, Hvorostovsky, D'arcangelo, Bartoli, Price, Tebaldi, Sills, Sutherland, Moffo, Latonia Moore, Simionato.

Quite an eclectic list there! Hadn't heard of D'arcangelo before but I've just YouTube'd him and wow, what a beautiful vocal colour. We may just have a successor to Samuel Ramey after all.
 

INA

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YouTube - Jussi Bjorling-Renata Tebaldi-"La Boheme" from Puccini-Part1

(my favourite interpretation evah. the singing starts at 00:46)
Renata Tebaldi. :wubbie:

Let me guess; the soprano had a small voice?

Salome has dense orchestration and you need a true-blue Dramatic Soprano to be able to be heard clearly over such a large orchestra. I mean, I don't want to hear a Dramatic Soprano rampaging like an elephant through the delicate textures of an opera like La Boheme but I sure as hell dont want to hear a small voiced Lyric Soprano whose sound is lost in the Wagner and Strauss orchestration.
Well, put it this way: it sounded like the orchestra was like a herd of over-loud large elephants that totally drowned out the soprano.
 

aguanile

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I agree.

Quite an eclectic list there! Hadn't heard of D'arcangelo before but I've just YouTube'd him and wow, what a beautiful vocal colour. We may just have a successor to Samuel Ramey after all.

Yes, his voice is glorious and he's not too rough on the eyes either!
 

Ivy

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I had never heard Andrea Bocelli before now. Seems more "popera" than opera to me, like Charlotte Church.
 

phoenix13

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Salome rocks my socks off!

I listened to Strauss's Salome and it's absolutely fantastic! I mean, that opera is SICK! Good stuff...

I had never heard Andrea Bocelli before now. Seems more "popera" than opera to me, like Charlotte Church.

His music isn't so bad... it's his voice. I'm sure it's phenomenal, but I really really hate it. It sounds like he's moaning all the time. I want full round intensity, yo!
 

INA

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I had never heard Andrea Bocelli before now. Seems more "popera" than opera to me, like Charlotte Church.

Popera is a good description. Doesn't he sing straight pop as well? I don't think he sticks to the opera genre.
 

phoenix13

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Popera is a good description. Doesn't he sing straight pop as well? I don't think he sticks to the opera genre.

Everytime I see the word popera, I think "poopera" in my head.

an adult at 22.99726? I think not...
 
S

Sniffles

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I don't know if I have a particular favorite opera.

As far as composers are concerned, I generally enjoy those from the Baroque period. Off the top of my head, some favorites of mine: Bach, Handel, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky.
 
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Dali

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I don't know if I have a particular favorite opera.

As far as composers are concerned, I generally enjoy those from the Baroque period. Off the top of my head, some favorites of mine: Bach, Handel, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky.

Sometimes, some sumptuous rich operas get too heavy for me, much like having a large pizza with everything right before bedtime, and I then crave the comparatively gossamer-thin delicate textures of a Baroque opera. Handel's Rodelinda is my favourite of that sub-genre.
 

CzeCze

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Mo, I'll save you heart ear ache now.

I can't sing. Oh *no*. I'm not being modest here. Can't.

I'm simply shameless. :yes:

And voice lessons are just another thing to learn on my never-ending ENFP quest to try things out. :D

I recommend taking voice lessons to most anyone. Especially opera lovers. ;)

Seriously, I think learning the theory and practice of operatic singing will only enrich your appreciation of it. And give you so many more ways to critique the operas you hear.
 
D

Dali

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I recommend taking voice lessons to most anyone. Especially opera lovers. ;)

Seriously, I think learning the theory and practice of operatic singing will only enrich your appreciation of it. And give you so many more ways to critique the operas you hear.

I'd love to get voice lessons; I can get a nice (to my ears at least) operatic sound going on some days and it would be great to train it. :yes:
 

spartan26

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I love Porgy & Bess, so it's not surprising that I also love Leontyne Price.
A friend of mine was telling me she was at the SF Opera House in the early 80's to see a performance, maybe Samson et Dalila and both principles were out. I think she was saying it was one of those deals where certain talent play Wed, Fri, Sat and the other plays Thurs, Sunday and so the alt fill in was Plácido Domingo. Placido just happened to have a guest in town that w/e, Leontyne Price, who on a moment's notice decided to sing w/her friend and play Dalila. I'm so insanely jealous of her. I saw the performance w/Denyce Graves, who's prolly my current favorite. Though I wouldn't say that's my favorite opera.

I remember seeing after 9/11, Leontyne came out of retirement to sing at some public schools in NYC. Adults were crying. I'm sure the kids were too young to get it.

Opera really has some issues to work out to survive. I'd like to hear a new performer come out and not put Ava Maria or O Mio Babino Caro on her album. Seriously, it's like the labels are a cross between top 40 radio and American Idol. Judge this one based on only 10 songs that you've already heard before.

I've been listening to Anna Netrebko of late. A little Denise De Niese, who always reminds me of Jessica Alba, which I kinda wonder will that help or hurt her? Well obviously help but I wonder if that'll prevent her from getting street cred about her skillz?
 

aguanile

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Re: De Niese. She is gorgeous. I will give her that. But I don't think her voice is outstanding in any way. I am not a hater. I just think that she is going places not based on talent.
 
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