# What the World Needs Now



## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

is a book that reveals to the world the previously hidden secrets of OPERA LOVE!!

I mean, really, would reading Opera News ... or any opera weekly or monthly ... get you interested in opera? There's no passion. There's no love. The punk rock lady on the street, how can she be expected to understand the addiction, if no one gets the word out?

Suggested title: "The Great Big Book of Opera Love: The Real Story of Why We Cannot Stay Away"

or perhaps, "My Heart Exploded: The True Story of Opera Experiences, by Those Who Know"

I figure it would consist of three or four hundred 500-word essays by people EXACTLY LIKE US, each individual writing about their favorite opera experiences. This would both subliminally reveal the incredible diversity of opera love and also make clear the access points of each opera. But it would actually secretly be for US, people that are already opera fans, so we can revel in our own wonderfulness! Huh? Right?


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## Dakota (Jun 30, 2012)

guythegreg said:


> or perhaps, "My Heart Exploded: The True Story of Opera Experiences, by Those Who Know"


I am going with that title; it says it ALL!!!


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Dakota said:


> I am going with that title; it says it ALL!!!


I know, right? You can thank Emiellucifuge for the first three words, the Parsifal review (below) gave that!


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

My heart literally exploded last weekend at Les Troyens, and I didn't expect it to. I was a horrible wreck, but a happy one! Nothing could equal that experience for emotional intensity, and probably only you guys can truly understand this.


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## Dakota (Jun 30, 2012)

And we DO........... when I lived in NYC, I would be on such a high coming out of an opera or a concert that I could NOT confine myself to the subway and just HAD to walk (dance?) home! Obviously, I lived in Manhattan in those days, LOL.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

mamascarlatti said:


> I was a horrible wreck, but a happy one!


Ain't it wonderful! I'm so happy for you.


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## powerbooks (Jun 30, 2012)

mamascarlatti said:


> My heart literally exploded last weekend at Les Troyens, and I didn't expect it to. I was a horrible wreck, but a happy one! Nothing could equal that experience for emotional intensity, and probably only you guys can truly understand this.


It used to be so rare to stage Les Troyens. I was so excited to finally caught it in Met five or six years ago, after nearly 25 years of absence from their repertoire, I had to see it twice, just like when they re-staged Tristan und Isolde for Ben Heppner Jane Eaglen ten years ago.


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## Dakota (Jun 30, 2012)

And, lucky us, Les Troyens is returning to the Met in the 2012-13 season so you can see it again and again  and I get to see it for the first time.


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## powerbooks (Jun 30, 2012)

Dakota said:


> And, lucky us, Les Troyens is returning to the Met in the 2012-13 season so you can see it again and again  and I get to see it for the first time.


Yes, indeed! Looking forward to Susan Graham's Dido, and compare Aeneas from Heppner and Giordani!


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

To be honest I don't think Giordani will be right as Enée . He's just too stodgy. But I love Susan Graham.


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## Dakota (Jun 30, 2012)

mamascarlatti said:


> To be honest I don't think Giordani will be right as Enée . He's just too stodgy. But I love Susan Graham.


Giordani: unfortunately, I agree. I am having trouble getting electrified by any of the current tenors; only heard Kaufmann once so far (die Walkure) but his acting was so wooden that it was distracting. I am coming to appreciate Flores as a fine musician and great comedic actor/singer but his voice has a real edge to it that I never look forward to hearing. I was keeping a list for a while of singers I just HAD to hear more of and the tenor section was thin........ I still enjoy hearing Domingo but have moved him to my baritone group.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Dakota said:


> Giordani: unfortunately, I agree. I am having trouble getting electrified by any of the current tenors; only heard Kaufmann once so far (die Walkure) but his acting was so wooden that it was distracting.


Yes, he wasn't at his acting best in Walkure.

Try these:



















> I am coming to appreciate Flores as a fine musician and great comedic actor/singer but his voice has a real edge to it that I never look forward to hearing.


Lawrence Brownlee has a similar voice but without the goatiness:








> I was keeping a list for a while of singers I just HAD to hear more of and the tenor section was thin........


Tenors I like at the moment include Joseph Calleja, Arturo Chacón-Cruz, Charles Castronovo, Toby Spence, Ian Bostridge, Mark Padmore, Klaus Florian Vogt, Piotr Beczala, Ed Lyon, Joseph Kaiser, John Mark Ainsley... can't think of any more at the moment but they must exist.


> I still enjoy hearing Domingo but have moved him to my baritone group.


He WILL be pleased! I have to say I'm not totally convinced.


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## Dakota (Jun 30, 2012)

Okay, okay, Jonas gets another chance.......  Out of that group I have heard only Brownlee, Calleja and Beczala so I need to do some browsing on You Tube. 

And I will bite...... is there an actual musical definition of "goatiness"?? A term I have never heard before but I have been looking for a way to describe Flores' voice. One place I DO appreciate Flores is when he has to cut through a massive chorus; he is like a hot knife through butter.......


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> Tenors I like at the moment include Joseph Calleja, Arturo Chacón-Cruz, Charles Castronovo, Toby Spence, Ian Bostridge, Mark Padmore, Klaus Florian Vogt, Piotr Beczala, Ed Lyon, Joseph Kaiser, John Mark Ainsley... can't think of any more at the moment but they must exist.


This. And my future husband(s) Daniel Behle and Topi Lehtipuu.

And yes. Get the Kaufmann Lohengrin. It's total amazeballs.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Aksel said:


> This. And my future husband(s) Daniel Behle and Topi Lehtipuu.


I thought Joseph Kaiser (swoon) was your future husband! You fickle fickle boy, you:scold:.

(can't believe I forgot Topi Lehtippu. Must investigate Daniel Behle, not on my radar yet)


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Dakota said:


> And I will bite...... *is there an actual musical definition of "goatiness*"?? A term I have never heard before but I have been looking for a way to describe Flores' voice. One place I DO appreciate Flores is when he has to cut through a massive chorus; he is like a hot knife through butter.......


No, but there should be:lol:.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> I thought Joseph Kaiser (swoon) was your future husband! You fickle fickle boy, you:scold:.
> 
> (can't believe I forgot Topi Lehtippu. Must investigate Daniel Behle, not on my radar yet)


ALL THE HUSBANDS!
Daniel Behle is most excellent. He was the Tamino on the Rene Jacobs Zauberflöte. Also he's the Don Ramiro to Marlena Ernman's (who I guess one could say I have a massive girl-crush on, but I'm not sure what one would call it) Cenerentola in a filmed production of Cenerentola from Stockholm (it's on the Tubez. And here, I think. Somewhere). Also, he plays the trombone. Definitely a keeper, that one.

And yes. Joseph Kaiser is delicious.

Also one to take not of is Charles Workman, whom I just discovered this Friday. A very good Prince in Love for 3 Oranges. And rather dashing.

EDIT: I just noticed that my 1500th post here was me declaring my undying affection for Topi Lehtipuu and Daniel Behle. Coincidence? I think not!


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Aksel said:


> ALL THE HUSBANDS!
> Also one to take not of is Charles Workman, whom I just discovered this Friday. A very good Prince in Love for 3 Oranges. And rather dashing.


OK so now you REALLY want this.










A lot of chest in act 2. Not to mention Ceci being kittenish.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> OK so now you REALLY want this.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


It has Ceci in it. How could one not want it. And also, huge plus for a Charles Workman _not_ in clown make-up and Pierrot garb.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Aksel said:


> It has Ceci in it. How could one not want it. And also, huge plus for a Charles Workman _not_ in clown make-up and Pierrot garb.


Slight bonus too that it's once of Handel's even greater operas (some of them are great and some of them are greater).


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Dakota said:


> I am having trouble getting electrified by any of the current tenors


I didn't notice before, but you're right; the current list of tenors doesn't seem to have too many good dramatic tenors in it ... with perhaps an exception for Joseph Calleja. I don't know enough about tenors (or enough about Enee) to know if he'd be right for that role, though ...


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

guythegreg said:


> I didn't notice before, but you're right; the current list of tenors doesn't seem to have too many good dramatic tenors in it ... with perhaps an exception for Joseph Calleja. I don't know enough about tenors (or enough about Enee) to know if he'd be right for that role, though ...


No, too light and bright.

Bryan Hymel who einsprang for Jonas in the ROH version was pretty good but I just can't get excited about his voice.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

guythegreg said:


> I didn't notice before, but you're right;* the current list of tenors doesn't seem to have too many good dramatic tenors in it* ... with perhaps an exception for Joseph Calleja. I don't know enough about tenors (or enough about Enee) to know if he'd be right for that role, though ...


Nor has it ever, to be frank.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Dakota said:


> And I will bite...... is there an actual musical definition of "goatiness"?? A term I have never heard before but I have been looking for a way to describe Flores' voice. One place I DO appreciate Flores is when he has to cut through a massive chorus; he is like a hot knife through butter.......


Flores certainly has a lot of power, which is rare ... but for myself, I get the impression he's not really a singer. I mean, he's been told how to sing, he's studied it, he's followed his teachers' and his coaches' instructions as carefully as possible ... but he hasn't really internalized all these instructions and come up with anything that's his own. Brownlee is a SINGER. I think he has become a real craftsman. But he doesn't have as much power. Well, whaddayagonnado? lol


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Aksel said:


> It's total amazeballs.


And YOU get the prize for best phrase of the thread!!


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

guythegreg said:


> Flores certainly has a lot of power, which is rare ... but for myself, I get the impression he's not really a singer. I mean, he's been told how to sing, he's studied it, he's followed his teachers' and his coaches' instructions as carefully as possible ... but he hasn't really internalized all these instructions and come up with anything that's his own. Brownlee is a SINGER. I think he has become a real craftsman. But he doesn't have as much power. Well, whaddayagonnado? lol


It's very interesting that you say this. A friend of mine who does interviews for Opera magazine says that Florez is the most boring singer he has ever interviewed, and that exactly as you say he has had a lot of coaching but is not really all that bright.
That said I think he phrases like an angel and his legato is to to die for.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> *That said I think he phrases like an angel and his legato is to to die for.*


I do too. And I actually like his voice. Certainly not the most pleasing, but it sure beats Rockwell Blake's.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

mamascarlatti said:


> That said I think he phrases like an angel and his legato is to to die for.


Well, and you know what else: I bet you've heard him in things I haven't, and vice versa. That always makes a difference. I had just finished talking about how Netrebko's special tone doesn't come through for me in recordings, when poof - I listened to a recording of hers that had it right there. wtf?

So now I am wondering: what's your favorite JDF recording?


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

guythegreg said:


> Well, and you know what else: I bet you've heard him in things I haven't, and vice versa. That always makes a difference. I had just finished talking about how Netrebko's special tone doesn't come through for me in recordings, when poof - I listened to a recording of hers that had it right there. wtf?
> 
> So now I am wondering: what's your favorite JDF recording?


His debut recording of Rossini arias! It's awesome!


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## Dakota (Jun 30, 2012)

guythegreg said:


> Flores certainly has a lot of power, which is rare ... but for myself, I get the impression he's not really a singer. I mean, he's been told how to sing, he's studied it, he's followed his teachers' and his coaches' instructions as carefully as possible ... but he hasn't really internalized all these instructions and come up with anything that's his own. Brownlee is a SINGER. I think he has become a real craftsman. But he doesn't have as much power. Well, whaddayagonnado? lol


That is an interesting comparison and I will be thinking about it and listening to both over the next few weeks...............


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## Dakota (Jun 30, 2012)

mamascarlatti said:


> Bryan Hymel who einsprang for Jonas in the ROH version was pretty good but I just can't get excited about his voice.


Dakota takes out her pocket dictionary and licks the tip of her pencil:

Goatiness: a dynamite word in search of a meaning.............

Einsprang: well, at least she can imagine what that must mean..........


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

Your heart literaly expoloded ? I'm surprised you're still alive !


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

superhorn said:


> Your heart literaly expoloded ? I'm surprised you're still alive !


I did think I might die on the spot....


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Dakota said:


> Dakota takes out her pocket dictionary and licks the tip of her pencil:
> 
> Goatiness: a dynamite word in search of a meaning.............
> 
> Einsprang: well, at least she can imagine what that must mean..........


Einspringer = cover or understudy in German. I turned it into Germglish.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

mamascarlatti said:


> Einspringer = cover or understudy in German. I turned it into Germglish.


we call that Milwaukee Deutsch: "the cow hat over the fence gejumped"


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Aksel said:


> His debut recording of Rossini arias! It's awesome!


I'll have to try those at the library - don't want to buy it until it really is, you know ...


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

guythegreg said:


> I'll have to try those at the library - don't want to buy it until it really is, you know ...


It's also on Spotify, if you have access to that (we have just got it in NZ and it's very exciting, lots of try before you buy opportunities)


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Huh! learn all sorts of things here. I'll have to check out Spotify. 

On a related note, I don't suppose you know why my new headphones are making strange noises, do you? (Like a doorbell. I'm in the middle of listening to one of your lovely submissions from youtube, and a doorbell goes off right in the middle! I back up and play the same stretch again - no doorbell. wtf?)


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

guythegreg said:


> I'm in the middle of listening to one of your lovely submissions from youtube, and a doorbell goes off right in the middle! I back up and play the same stretch again - no doorbell. wtf?


That was me ringing your door bell to complain about the noise - wasn't loud enough 

(seriously - don't know why, sorry)


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## Hesoos (Jun 9, 2012)

guythegreg said:


> is a book that reveals to the world the previously hidden secrets of OPERA LOVE!!
> 
> I mean, really, would reading Opera News ... or any opera weekly or monthly ... get you interested in opera? There's no passion. There's no love. The punk rock lady on the street, how can she be expected to understand the addiction, if no one gets the word out?
> 
> ...


I'd like to buy a book like that. It's a great idea!!
If anyone is interested in do it, I'd like to colaborate, it would be some collection of interviews. That would be easy to make in this forum, some thread where all we can find interviews and ask them. 
So good idea can't pass up. All the titles are right. I thought another title, "Opera lover's experiences"


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## Hesoos (Jun 9, 2012)

guythegreg said:


> I didn't notice before, but you're right; the current list of tenors doesn't seem to have too many good dramatic tenors in it ... with perhaps an exception for Joseph Calleja. I don't know enough about tenors (or enough about Enee) to know if he'd be right for that role, though ...


I like a lot Alagna. And for me Flórez is not so bad, his voice is really wonderful, I have I puritani with Flórez and he sounds fantastic "a te o cara, amor talora..." and for me nobody sings better "A mes amis" from Fille du regiment like Flórez.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Hesoos said:


> I'd like to buy a book like that. It's a great idea!!
> If anyone is interested in do it, I'd like to colaborate, it would be some collection of interviews. That would be easy to make in this forum, some thread where all we can find interviews and ask them.
> So good idea can't pass up. All the titles are right. I thought another title, "Opera lover's experiences"


There ya go, we can collect them here in this thread! If we start now, we should have 500 in ... um ... three months.

New favored title: "My Heart Exploded: The Secret Story of Opera Love"

We'll have to start with Emiellucifuge's tale of Parsifal. I'll work on my Tales of Hoffmann review. And YOU will have to submit one!


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