# An Open Letter to Bonetan



## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Dear Bonetan:
I cannot thank you enough for these singing competitions. 
Second to my favorite pastime -- attempting to identify whose voice is singing -- these are very fulfilling contests and I run to my computer waiting for the next two singers to compare.
So thank you so much for taking the time and effort to (as Schwarzenegger would say) "make my day".
Cheers, Nina F


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

*looks at title*
"ooooooh! there 'bout to be some drama"

*reads thread*
"...ah. very good"


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

Thank you Nina! You've now made MY day  and it's been my absolute pleasure :tiphat:


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

What they said.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> *looks at title*
> "ooooooh! there 'bout to be some drama"
> 
> *reads thread*
> "...ah. very good"


Yes, no scandals here. Just good feelings. It makes the opera forum a refreshing retreat from sophomoric debates about whether Stockhausen is "objectively great."


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> *looks at title*
> "ooooooh! there 'bout to be some drama"
> 
> *reads thread*
> "...ah. very good"


For me, it was the opposite:

*looks at title*
"Ah! Very Good! There's going be some exciting drama!" [Verdi's dies irae plays in the background]

*reads thread*
"...how disappointing.. way too polite."


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> Yes, no scandals here. Just good feelings. It makes the opera forum a refreshing retreat from sophomoric debates about whether Stockhausen is "objectively great."


Did you mean "objectively grate?"


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I can only echo Forresti's comments. It's been (and continues to be) a fascinating exercise.

N.


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## silentio (Nov 10, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> Yes, no scandals here. Just good feelings. It makes the opera forum a refreshing retreat from sophomoric debates about whether Stockhausen is "objectively great."


Why don't you set up a vocal tournament to compare different performances of Stockhausen's "operas" and invite his fans to join? I am curious about what would be considered good singing and bad singing in Stockhausen's "music".


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

silentio said:


> Why don't you set up a vocal tournament to compare different performances of Stockhausen's "operas" and invite his fans to join? I am curious about what would be considered good singing and bad singing in Stockhausen's "music".


A nifty idea, but I'm afraid someone else will have to do it.


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

silentio said:


> Why don't you set up a vocal tournament to compare different performances of Stockhausen's "operas" and invite his fans to join? I am curious about what would be considered good singing and bad singing in Stockhausen's "music".


It probably depends on the shape of the helicopter blades, something that doesn't often come up when discussing singing in Puccini (at least as far as I can tell; maybe helicopter pilot Puccini nuts will disagree).


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

BachIsBest said:


> It probably depends on the shape of the helicopter blades, something that doesn't often come up when discussing singing in Puccini (at least as far as I can tell; maybe helicopter pilot Puccini nuts will disagree).


I'm sure we'll get a Tosca jumping out of a helicopter eventually.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

silentio said:


> Why don't you set up a vocal tournament to compare different performances of Stockhausen's "operas" and invite his fans to join? I am curious about what would be considered good singing and bad singing in Stockhausen's "music".


I started a thread based on a similar topic, some time ago:
Great avant-garde music vs. Average/Mediocre avant-garde music


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Stockhausen who?


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

MAS said:


> Stockhausen who?


Dear God! I hope there's only one!


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

BachIsBest said:


> It probably depends on the shape of the helicopter blades, something that doesn't often come up when discussing singing in Puccini (at least as far as I can tell; maybe helicopter pilot Puccini nuts will disagree).


A helicopter did manage to get into _Miss Saigon_ though (heavily based on *Madama Butterfly*).


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

vivalagentenuova said:


> I'm sure we'll get a Tosca jumping out of a helicopter eventually.


And she pulls the rip cord and thus survives? Don't give them ideas!

N.


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

The Conte said:


> And she pulls the rip cord and thus survives? Don't give them ideas!
> 
> N.


Yeah, it'll be like that production of Carmen where, instead of Carmen dying, Jose dies! Here, Tosca could pull the ripcord and to die instead we could have, er, well, I dunno. Is anyone else actually still alive at this point in Tosca?


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

vivalagentenuova said:


> I'm sure we'll get a Tosca jumping out of a helicopter eventually.


And wearing anti-gravity boots so she dramatically goes up thorough the whirling blades. Remember the zombie getting the top of his head lopped off by a helicopter in Night of the Living Dead? 

Shreded tosca (hey that sounds like a new salad dish, no?) raining down on Scarpia's Palace.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

SixFootScowl said:


> And wearing anti-gravity boots so she dramatically goes up thorough the whirling blades. Remember the zombie getting the top of his head lopped off by a helicopter in Night of the Living Dead?
> 
> Shreded tosca (hey that sounds like a new salad dish, no?) raining down on Scarpia's Palace.


Compared to this, Brunnhilde's immolation is easy to stage.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> Dear God! I hope there's only one!


Well there's only one Stockhausen, same as there's only one Beethoven, Mahler, Wagner, Britten ad nauseum. All of them unique in their own way.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I have to thank Bonetan (and those who send him requests) again for the superb singer comparison posts.

I've been very busy of late and so have missed a few of them, but what a joy to catch up today and find it's all about my favourite basses, voices I know and love. Then as a bonus I get to hear two of my least favourite sopranos at their best. Confirming old favourites, whilst discovering new jewels!

N.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

With the great feedback inherent in the process it has ended up being like a Ted Talk on great singers and singing from people with different expertise and so many artists I was ignorant about that deserved attention!!!!


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