Some thoughts about opera.

[Dr. A. Cula]

You weren't.
Since I have nothing else to contribute here, I think I'll go to lunch.

[MikeH]

Ah... not the browser then. *leaves thread shamefacedly*

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by ixnay
Please tell me I wasn't the only one who came in here expecting a discussion about the internet browser...

Reverse the situation, and now you know how I feel everytime you guys bring up that goddamned browser.

I never did finish my opera summaries thread from ages ago, however...

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Wraith
I just wanted to say that there is a Terry Pratchett book you really need to read...

Wraith
"Well, basically there are two sorts of opera,' said Nanny, who also had the true witch's ability to be confidently expert on the basis of no experience whatsoever. 'There's your heavy opera, where basically people sing foreign and it goes like "Oh oh oh, I am dyin', oh, I am dyin', oh, oh, oh, that's what I'm doin'", and there's your light opera, where they sing in foreign and it basically goes "Beer! Beer! Beer! Beer! I like to drink lots of beer!", although sometimes they drink champagne instead. That's basically all of opera, reely."
-- Nanny Ogg ("Maskerade")

Well, for a certain time, that's somewhat true, at least of Italian Opera. Verdi and Puccini come to mind most in the former, and J. Strauss and Lehar in the latter.

Verdi was pretty humorless in his operas. He attempted a comic opera early on which bombed miserably, no doubt owing in large part to the fact that Verdi's wife and two children died in a cholera epidemic while he was writing it. After its failure, he did not write another comic opera until his very last, Falstaff, when he was in his 90s. Falstaff is a masterpiece. Verdi attempted some lighter comic moments in his tragic operas, but they always come across rather badly (like Fra Melitone in La forza del Destino. Bleeearrgh).

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov

I never did finish my opera summaries thread from ages ago, however...

Damn I musta missed that one

The only opera I've ever wanted to see live is Carmen. Maybe if I do I'll catch the bug, but there's not much chance living here.

[Ecthy]

opera? I'm on 6.05, should I upgrade?

[MikeH]

Yes, definitely 7 is much better.

[JohnT]

<--- Possibly the only person in America who has gone to Opera's, but has never been to a rock concert.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by JohnT
<--- Possibly the only person in America who has gone to Opera's, but has never been to a rock concert.

Guess again.

[Ecthy]

strange, JohnT. it's the other way round for me

getting 7.11 now

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by SpencerH


Damn I musta missed that one

The only opera I've ever wanted to see live is Carmen. Maybe if I do I'll catch the bug, but there's not much chance living here.

Actually, I believe it was a thread monkspider started asking for recommendations for opera listening. It started out with recommending excerpts, but I ended up giving these huge plot summaries and musical highlights. The first opera I recommended was Carmen, actually. It's probably the best opera for the uninitiated.

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov


Guess again.

"Possibly", Boris.

[Boris Godunov]

With me here, you should have known that such a "possibility" was nil!

[MikeH]

7.11? I need to upgrade.

[Ecthy]

yep.began to download from a hungarian site, then added a German server for competition.... despite having started late, the Humboldt Uni server in Berlin could catch up quite well. wasn't checking when it finished, but it must have been close.

7.11 looks nice. I love how I now have the option to filter only automatic pop-ups but can accept requested ones