# How am I supposed to consume Opera?



## Boldertism (May 21, 2015)

How am I supposed to consume Opera? Are you supposed to listen only to the "good parts?" Or are you supposed to listen to the whole thing? Can you actually listen to an Opera? Or should you watch it on DVD?

Also, what's a good first Opera?


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## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Of course, one is free to do as one wants ... 

Information about your musical taste in general would help, regarding which operas to suggest.


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## dgee (Sep 26, 2013)

Well, leaving aside the obvious "there's a way for everyone" you should probably consider the following points that might be useful:

Basically, if you want to get into a new type of music, do some research - everything is much better with just a little bit of research
Your first opera should coincide with your music tastes more generally - for me it was Tosca while in a period of teenaged late romantic "sound and fury" fetishism - for you it might be different
Try and go to a whole real one or watch one on DVD
If you want to/can listen only, checking out highlights (where available) will give you music anchor points which should prove useful to enjoyment of the whole thing
If watching is an option, work out what is happening before you try watching - as a general rule operas are basically crappy at storytelling but good at music
Just listen to a bunch of stuff over time before deciding if its for you - it takes time!!


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Boldertism said:


> How am I supposed to consume Opera? Are you supposed to listen only to the "good parts?" Or are you supposed to listen to the whole thing? Can you actually listen to an Opera? Or should you watch it on DVD?
> 
> Also, what's a good first Opera?


I would start with your favorite composers and their operas. Another way would be your favorite period and operas written then. If that didn't help, start with Mozart's _Le nozze di figaro_ and or Bizet's _Carmen_. These are one of the most popular operas and greatest operas ever written.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

As you like Beethoven, arguably the best way to start is by taking the plunge into "Fidelio". 

I would recommend to watch the opera. Operas are meant to be staged, though of course you can also enjoy them in CD, on a concert performance, thru a radio broadcast... but it's always better to watch an opera in the theater, or in a visual media.

There are several Fidelios complete in youtube, so you can easily take a first look. This is a very recent one:






It will also pay if you read about the plot first, and use a libretto, or subtitles, if you can't understand the sung German. Also, if you feel it's too long, listen one day to Act 1, and next day to Act 2.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Fwiw, I think you did the right thing asking your question in the general discussion area rather than the opera subforum--you'd have at least 600 recommendations by now, I'm sure.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Purists will scoff at how I started - on highlight CDs listening in my car - and that lead on to me watching live opera once I knew what I liked.
Opera DVD is a great alternative to a love performance - and much cheaper!


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

NB I would not recommend Fidelio to start - even if you do like Beethoven. Try Carmen or The Magic Flute, or Il Trovatore/Traviata - and La Boheme.


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## Arsakes (Feb 20, 2012)

The term you put in the topic, reminds me of the "Music Industry" and how the listeners aka consumers are supposed to consume musical products!
Which is bad.

Listen to good parts I think... until you can memorize/remember it all. Now that's the time to move to the other parts of that opera!


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

I started as a lad by getting the Solti Rigoletto with Merrill / Moffo. Paid £4 for it in those days which was quite a lot for a lad at school with a part time job. It was a very good place to start for a young person as Solti didn't hang around and there is lots of excitement. These days I want something a bit more langarous and measured but Moffo and Merrill (and Krauss) are excellent and the storm scene in the final act is terrific. I played it and played it. Have it on cd these days for sentimental value.


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## The nose (Jan 14, 2014)

Another approach is to star with an opera in your mother language (it really depends on which language it is, for me it's easy to say, i speak italian ). It's normally more easy to appreciate the narrative aspect of an opera if you can understand the text clearly.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

My parents took me to the Metropolitan opera in 1994, was 9 years old then, still hooked.:tiphat:


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## motoboy (May 19, 2008)

ArtMusic said:


> I would start with your favorite composers and their operas. Another way would be your favorite period and operas written then. If that didn't help, start with Mozart's _Le nozze di figaro_ and or Bizet's _Carmen_. These are one of the most popular operas and greatest operas ever written.


Opera depot has a free download of "Figaro" right now.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I found that it really helps to get a DVD and watch the whole opera with the subtitles a couple times so you have a picture of it in your head for when you listen on CD. Then you should be able to appreciate it on CD. Reading through the libretto is helpful to reinforce the story. I don't like highlights sets and generally always listen to the whole opera. Make sure you select a DVD with the staging that suits you (traditional, modernized, weird, whatever--I prefer traditional in most cases).

Here is one DVD recommendation for you. It is a very interesting and well produced opera with great singing and acting. In very brief, the story is about a guy who is a nobody and is in love with the wealthy landowner lady, who ignores him. A charlatan comes to town selling cures and sells him some love potion which is really just cheap wine. In the end he gets the girl after many challenges including a pompous army sergeant who is planning to marry her.

I'll add that my first step was to read many opera synopses to see what ones appealed to me, then I started looking for DVDs.


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

I believe....

Always WATCH an opera FIRST. Realistically speaking, on DVD, but go out and see one sometime too. It really is very interesting, even if you decide that opera isn't going to be the way you spend your dear sweet dinero. Ideally, start with a relatively "traditional" rendering (i.e. Don Giovanni looks approximately like an early modern European nobleman) but don't entirely dismiss more creative productions (i.e. Don Giovanni looks approximately like a colorblind Sith Lord). A lot of opera is visual spectacle - it was what film is today. There were 'splosions. Besides, the singers are often actually decent actors. And a lot of talent goes into the scenes, costumes, choreography, etc.... There's a lot to enjoy.

Second, if you liked it at all, listen to it. Once you know the plot, you can enjoy the music more attentively without the visual distraction. In this case, you can skip the "boring parts" (recitatives).

So that's how to watch it.

Which to watch?

I don't believe in just doing whatever I want. I'm not here to have a good time; I'm here to educate myself. I find I have more fun that way, and life is a paradox.

So, first of all, if you have an opportunity to see something live, start there. But if you're doomed to starting in your own living room, or whenever you get around to that after all those drunken nights out at the show, I believe in starting out with Mozart's _Don Giovanni_, then _The Marriage of Figaro_. That's opera's opera. Move on to Verdi, Wagner, Puccini... and don't neglect the Renaissance, Baroque, or Modern periods! (Sure, don't actually neglect the Classical and Romantic periods, either, but nobody neglects those.)

Next, you choose recordings. For _Don Giovanni_, start on DVD with EITHER James Levine and the Met with Bryn Terfel playing the Don OR Lorin Maazel and the Paris Opera with Ruggero Raimondi. (Something I've never gotten around to is the Furtwangler DVD, so I can't say to start there, but you want to know about it in case your arounds get more quickly than mine.) Then the Giulini recording on CD; later, for something more HIPPI ("historically informed performance - period instruments") maybe René Jacobs.

These aren't particularly "insightful" recommendations, and that's the point! If you get going, you get six or seven operas under your culturally loosened belt, you might have a sense that you'd like to try zarzuela or that you don't want to watch operas anymore or that you want to see/hear everything that Prokofiev ever shook out, or whatever and stuff.

I haven't slept in 24 hours, so I'm probably right. But yeah well that's just like my opinion man.


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## rspader (May 14, 2014)

Public libraries often have some opera DVDs in their collections, especially in larger cities. Also, there are a number of opera DVDs available through Netflix if you have the DVD subscription service.

When I first started getting into opera, nothing helped me to appreciate it more than reading a detailed synopsis in advance. Many opera story lines are pretty lame and the actual lyrics, especially in translation, are often absurd. It is the music and singing that carry the story rather than the actual lyrics. Knowing what is going on in advance makes it easier to listen without being obsessed with the subtitles.


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2016)

With some fava beans and a nice Chianti?


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

While not saying anything negative about Mozart's operas, probably Rossini also, I am not sure that they would be the best as in coming to opera, the secco recitative in what is (presumably) a foreign language can be rather off-putting. And for that reason, if going to Carmen, make sure it is the version without spoken dialogue.


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## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I agree with The nose: the mother tongue is a great start. Since the greatest operas are in German, I have a head start. If your mother tongue is not German, start with the German ones anyway, as you'll be getting _die erste Sahne _:tiphat:

Do your homework first. Find out which stories and composers are likely to interest you and commit to them by buying yourself a copy. When they are in your collection, you are more likely to give them serious attention. Files on the net come and go and they just get lost in the millions upon millions of other files. If you are serious about developing an interest, $20 is not a lot to get started.

Put it on and let it play for a few days-not exclusively, but at least a disc (or act-or scene) of it per day, if you can. After the third or fourth day, you will likely notice that parts of it are sounding familiar and you are anticipating them. This might suffice for your first exposure.

The next time you decide to hear it, perhaps do some background work, like reading the synopsis. If you can, try to listen while following along in the libretto. This is a bit strenuous and requires considerable attention and time, but it helps _a lot!_

I don't like picking out the 'good' parts  If an opera only has good parts, then I don't think it's a very good opera. Pick a good one  one you are interested in. I enjoy listening to CDs, but a DVD gives you the visuals, too. Now, this requires considerable and undivided attention-you can't easily watch and putter around the house, exercise, etc. For me, this puts a big constraint on my listening, as it presupposes a free 2 or more hours. I would find myself putting it off for the weekend, then next weekend, etc.


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## Harold in Columbia (Jan 10, 2016)

What you do is, have a wedge of Mahler ready, then sprinkle some Stravinsky on the back of your hand - or wait, are you supposed to suck the Mahler first? I can never remember.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I'm more a fan of the music and phonetic aspects of the singing, so I listen to CDs exclusively. I'm not really interested in the crazy plots and story lines. If you like that aspect then read the libretto or watch DVDs.

You can also investigate which operas prominently feature musical elements you prefer. Predominantly male or female vocals, choral singing, etc... Operas such as Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle, or Debussy's Pelleas et Melisande feature only a couple of vocalists. For a richer tapestry of singing there's Russian operas including Borodin's Prince Igor, and Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov.


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## Xaltotun (Sep 3, 2010)

1) If you're a complete beginner, you may, or may not, want to start with the "good bits"/"bloody giblets". They'll help you to familiarize yourself with the sound-world of the work in question. Also, read about the plot and themes etc, and decide if you're interested. If yes...

2) ...watch the whole opera on live stage/DVD/Met broadcast in a film theater. Only then you'll begin to truly understand the work. Keep watching on different media and enjoy! Then...

3) ...when you're familiar with the work, and wish to enjoy it while doing something else (cooking, cleaning, etc.), use some audio-only media (CD, LP, computer thingies). You'll know the work well enough, then, that you'll always know what's happening. And in opera, to know what's happening is to enable you to enjoy the music.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

schigolch said:


> As you like Beethoven, arguably the best way to start is by taking the plunge into "Fidelio".
> 
> I would recommend to watch the opera. Operas are meant to be staged, though of course you can also enjoy them in CD, on a concert performance, thru a radio broadcast... but it's always better to watch an opera in the theater, or in a visual media.
> 
> ...


There are also operas by composers contemporary with Beethoven. I would recommend Der Freischütz and Euryanthe by Carl Maria von Weber and La donna del lago and Wilhelm Tell by Gioacchino Rossini.


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## Guest (Jan 23, 2016)

Sit down and listen with headphones or not, while following along with the libretto. 
OR watch the DVD. 
Nothing beats a live performance of course.

Once you "know" an opera, you can get something out of listening to it without following along with the libretto/surtitles. But otherwise you're just missing most of it. Opera doesn't lend itself well to "background music" unless you create specific playlists with arias that you like. That being said, I do sometimes put operas on that I like while I do other things*—*but only operas I know well.


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## Chronochromie (May 17, 2014)

DoReFaMi said:


> Sit down and listen with headphones or not, while following along with the libretto.


Not to single you out, as other people have said this but: nothing would have turned me away from opera faster than this.

Following the libretto while listening is quite difficult especially for first impressions, following both the music and the story can make you miss both if you aren't used to it. At least in my experience.


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## Guest (Jan 24, 2016)

Just sharing my experience. This is what I do when I want to discover a new opera:

First I read the synopsis (the argument) a few times to get acquainted with the plot. Most opera plots are not that complicated. I also read a few times the list of characters and their voice type. 

Then I'll either watch the DVD or listen to the opera while reading the libretto. Usually the latter. 

That's just me. 

Also, I don't get bogged down on details of the story. The music is more important. For example, in a big duo when their singing about their loves and all the voices intercross, I briefly read the words but make a mental note "they're singing about their love to each other" and then I pay attention to the music. It doesn't matter what exact words they say. You just want to know what this particular part is about...


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## Chronochromie (May 17, 2014)

DoReFaMi said:


> Just sharing my experience. This is what I do when I want to discover a new opera:
> 
> First I read the synopsis (the argument) a few times to get acquainted with the plot. Most opera plots are not that complicated. I also read a few times the list of characters and their voice type.
> 
> ...


Yes, I think a synopsis is a better idea. Anyway, I can speak Italian, so Handel, Rossini or Verdi operas are not my problem, but Wagner, Berlioz and the like.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

schigolch said:


> As you like Beethoven, arguably the best way to start is by taking the plunge into "Fidelio".


Yep, that was my entry into opera. I was just going to do Fidelio, that was it. But it snowballed and now, a couple years later, I have 37 opera DVDs! Some are different performances of the same opera (9 Fidelio, 4 Maria Stuarda), and one is still in the mail (my third La Sonnambula).


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## Abraham Lincoln (Oct 3, 2015)

You do not eat opera. You watch and listen to it.


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## trazom (Apr 13, 2009)

Abraham Lincoln said:


> You do not eat opera. You watch and listen to it.


You mean you've never torn up an opera libretto and the music score into tiny pieces of paper and mixed them in with your food, so that your body could incorporate the opera into itself, and it would become a part of you forever?


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## Mahlerian (Nov 27, 2012)

trazom said:


> You mean you've never torn up an opera libretto and the music score into tiny pieces of paper and mixed them in with your food, so that your body could incorporate the opera into itself, and it would become a part of you forever?


Umm...no...not more than once, anyways. Or twice...


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## Abraham Lincoln (Oct 3, 2015)

trazom said:


> You mean you've never torn up an opera libretto and the music score into tiny pieces of paper and mixed them in with your food, so that your body could incorporate the opera into itself, and it would become a part of you forever?


That would really only be eating paper with ink on it.


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## trazom (Apr 13, 2009)

Abraham Lincoln said:


> That would really only be eating paper with ink on it.


In a literal sense, yes. Okay, what about playing the opera on DVD, opening your mouth, putting it up next to one of the speakers and staying there for the entire duration?


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

First find a voice you like. Then listen with libretto to that singer's recordings. 

The OP asked for the first great opera. The standard answer is Monteverdi's Orfeo, and it is probably the correct answer.


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## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

If you like watching movies, you may consider to start from one of those amazing opera films such as The Magic Flute (Bergman), Don Giovanni (Losey), Carmen (Rosi) or La traviata (Zeffirelli). 

The Bergman is my favorite, I'd really recommed to watch it. It's on DVD, I don't know if it's available on YT as well.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Boldertism said:


> How am I supposed to consume Opera? Are you supposed to listen only to the "good parts?" Or are you supposed to listen to the whole thing? Can you actually listen to an Opera? Or should you watch it on DVD?
> 
> Also, what's a good first Opera?





ArtMusic said:


> I would start with your favorite composers and their operas. Another way would be your favorite period and operas written then. If that didn't help, start with Mozart's _Le nozze di figaro_ and or Bizet's _Carmen_. These are one of the most popular operas and greatest operas ever written.


There are as many opinions on the best _first opera_ as there are operas themselves.

Personally I would never advise anyone to see Le nozze di Figaro (or any Mozart opera come to that) or Carmen because recits (spoken parts) do my head in. I tolerate these operas as I enjoy the music but have to block out the recits.

My suggestion as a best 'first' would be one where you probably know or have heard at least one tune and my suggestion would be Rigoletto.

It's a simple plot and has a well known tune. From the pin up boy himself.


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

Recitals and Highlights is the traditional way in. Try to read the album notes so you know what the aria is about or read a synopsis on line. If you like what you hear pick an opera with some arias or music you like and go for the whole thing. With a libretto, or subtitles on if its a dvd. Relax and enjoy


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

sospiro said:


> There are as many opinions on the best _first opera_ as there are operas themselves.
> 
> Personally I would never advise anyone to see Le nozze di Figaro (or any Mozart opera come to that) or Carmen because recits (spoken parts) do my head in. I tolerate these operas as I enjoy the music but have to block out the recits.
> 
> ...


that's absurd - no recit? then forget Rossini and all who came before.
There are plenty of boring bits in Verdi/Puccini - even though no recit.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

There are many roads to Rome

As the previous posts suggest, there is no 'right' way, no 'short-cut' to 'getting it'. Each person has a different approach and there has been plenty of advice given .... almost all of it good.

There is a huge range of different types of opera with different styles of singing, different styles of 'drama', different styles of music and people tend to have some areas that they like better than others - hence why recommendations are so difficult to agree upon.
My advice is not to force it. Opera is (for many of us) a great enjoyment and if it isn't enjoyable, then it isn't worth it. Whether you enjoy listening to highlights in the car, watching DVDs borrowed from the library, reading the plot before listening to one opera over and over until you remember bits, go to watch a live opera (or whatever other strategy takes your fancy) or whatever other strategy you adopt, just listen for enjoyment ... and if it doesn't work now, then keep an open mind and try again at some later stage.
Good luck and enjoy yourself :tiphat:


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

stomanek said:


> There are plenty of boring bits in Verdi/Puccini - even though no recit.


Not the best opinion to air for a newbie who is looking to start enjoying opera, perhaps?

FWIW, I find very few boring bits in either Puccini or Verdi .... when it is performed well


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## Chordalrock (Jan 21, 2014)

If you're curious about operas as music or because of the music, I'd just listen through some promising ones and note down the good passages for later use. Knowing what the singers are singing about can make the music better or can make the music worse. Seriously, it's like betting. You have to decide if you want to take the risk, which I guess should depend on how easily you get a sort of trauma from bad aesthetic experiences that will ruin later experiences of the same passage.

I recommend the first act of Die Walkure (don't ever go near the libretto), Parsifal (the libretto can enhance the music), Tristan und Isolde (I kind of hope you don't understand German), "Don Giovanni, a cenar teco" from Don Giovanni (great with the libretto). So, Wagner and Mozart. Everyone else is probably better in their other works (at least if you aren't into Italian opera or 20th century music).


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## Richannes Wrahms (Jan 6, 2014)

Theatres are highly flammable.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

stomanek said:


> that's absurd - no recit? then forget Rossini and all who came before.
> There are plenty of boring bits in Verdi/Puccini - even though no recit.


I have a friend who is totally obsessed with opera but she can't even _listen_ to Mozart opera because of the recits and also because the harpsichord sets her teeth on edge. :lol:

Horses for courses and all that.


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

stomanek said:


> Purists will scoff at how I started - on highlight CDs listening in my car - and that lead on to me watching live opera once I knew what I liked.
> Opera DVD is a great alternative to a love performance - and much cheaper!


Not really. I think that's a good enough start. Nothing worse than sitting through 3hrs of music you don't like. Find an opera with music you enjoy and build from there. Just keep in mind that it's meant to be seen as well as heard.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

stomanek said:


> Purists will scoff at how I started - on highlight CDs listening in my car - and that lead on to me watching live opera once I knew what I liked.


Not me. I started by listening to José Carreras collections, then operas with him in them (I fast forwarded everyone else  )

Mine and other members' opera journeys. (Sad that there are names on here we don't see on the forum any more)



stomanek said:


> Opera DVD is a great alternative to a *love performance* - and much cheaper!


Freudian slip?


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

OP: You are not "supposed to" do anything except pay taxes and die.

If you don't like opera, it's no crime. Don't force yourself!


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

hpowders said:


> OP: You are not "supposed to" do anything except pay taxes and die.
> 
> If you don't like opera, it's no crime. Don't force yourself!


:clap:

Well said!


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

sospiro said:


> Not me. I started by listening to José Carreras collections, then operas with him in them (I fast forwarded everyone else  )
> 
> Mine and other members' opera journeys. (Sad that there are names on here we don't see on the forum any more)
> 
> Freudian slip?


I wondered if anyone would pick up on that - what a typo. the edit function had gone by the time I noticed it.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

GioCar said:


> If you like watching movies, you may consider to start from one of those amazing opera films such as The Magic Flute (Bergman), Don Giovanni (Losey), Carmen (Rosi) or La traviata (Zeffirelli).
> 
> The Bergman is my favorite, I'd really recommed to watch it. It's on DVD, I don't know if it's available on YT as well.


In general I'd avoid films as the dubbing is usually not very well done. The exception I would make are those done by Jean Pierre Ponnelle - especially Rossini's Cenerentola. Maybe start with that. If you don't like it then you're probably not going to like opera.


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## Harold in Columbia (Jan 10, 2016)

DavidA said:


> The exception I would make are those done by Jean Pierre Ponnelle - especially Rossini's Cenerentola. Maybe start with that. If you don't like it then you're probably not going to like opera.


Strongly doubt this to be the case, given that I live for certain operas and could take or leave _La cenerentola_. Really, how is that supposed to be a litmus test for anybody? It's not exactly the best opera by not exactly the best opera composer and gives nothing like a comprehensive notion of what's possible in the form. It's like saying people won't like symphonic music if they don't like... well, for example, the _La cenerentola_ overture.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

DavidA said:


> In general I'd avoid films as the dubbing is usually not very well done. The exception I would make are those done by Jean Pierre Ponnelle - especially Rossini's Cenerentola. Maybe start with that. If you don't like it then you're probably not going to like opera.


I don´t like Cenerentola and I like operas.

La Cenerentola have secco recitatives so I would suggest to avoid that.


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## dgee (Sep 26, 2013)

DavidA said:


> Rossini's Cenerentola. Maybe start with that. *If you don't like it then you're probably not going to like opera*.


Yeah nah. I got told something similar about Rigoletto and boy did that put me off opera for a while. Cinderella seems a left field suggestion to say the least


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## Ilarion (May 22, 2015)

I'd consume it *shaken, not stirred* 

Seriously, a good first opera imo is Rossini's Barber of Seville...


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

A good first opera would be a shorter one and a simple on. La Serva Padrona (Pergolesi) would be a good one. 

After having "consumed" about 1.5 dozen operas, I gave Rossini's Barber of Seville a try. I don't like it other than Teresa Berganza was in it. Other than that I would probably trade in the DVD for something else. But maybe that one takes a second watch to really get into it.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Florestan said:


> A good first opera would be a shorter one and a simple on. La Serva Padrona (Pergolesi) would be a good one.
> 
> After having "consumed" about 1.5 dozen operas, I gave Rossini's Barber of Seville a try. I don't like it other than Teresa Berganza was in it. Other than that I would probably trade in the DVD for something else. But maybe that one takes a second watch to really get into it.


For a shorter opera to begin with I would rather suggest Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni or Bluebeard´s Castle by Bartok.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

I would strongly recommend for short operas Puccini's one act opera _Gianni Schicchi_.


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## Harold in Columbia (Jan 10, 2016)

Ilarion said:


> I'd consume it *shaken, not stirred*
> 
> Seriously, a good first opera imo is Rossini's Barber of Seville...


Better than _La cenerentola_, anyway, but I think you're all doing this wrong. If you're recommending opera that aren't really offering anything you can't get from a good Broadway musical or pop album, then what reason are you giving for bothering with opera at all?

My suggested method of losing one's virginity would be, I guess, _The Marriage of Figaro_ - fun _and_ nourishing - by means of the Royal Opera DVD, for lack of better options:






http://www.amazon.com/Mozart-Nozze-di-Figaro-Schrott/dp/B0013HA838/

(The music for the Ponnelle film is of course some of the best available, but unfortunately Ponnelle is trying to be an artist.)


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

ArtMusic said:


> I would strongly recommend for short operas Puccini's one act opera _Gianni Schicchi_.


I would recommend Le Villi.
A supernatural themed opera set in Germany with music by Puccini. 
A perfect combination.


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## dgee (Sep 26, 2013)

C'mon guys! I really liked how the OP asked how to consume opera, but not what to consume...


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## Harold in Columbia (Jan 10, 2016)

Well, somebody mentioned miso soup. We're just arguing about which course should be eaten first.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Sloe said:


> I would recommend Le Villi.
> A supernatural themes opera set in Germany with music by Puccini.
> A perfect combination.


Yes, I can agree to that. A great introduction to the music of Puccini.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

People are different. Opera didn't do that much for me until I encountered Wagner. For many, though, his works would be the worst place to start.

My advice: don't lose heart. If an opera doesn't appeal to you, try a completely different period, nationality, style. Eventually, something will click.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

hpowders said:


> OP: You are not "supposed to" do anything except pay taxes and die.
> 
> If you don't like opera, it's no crime. Don't force yourself!


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Florestan said:


> A good first opera would be a shorter one and a simple on. La Serva Padrona (Pergolesi) would be a good one.
> 
> After having "consumed" about 1.5 dozen operas, I gave Rossini's Barber of Seville a try. I don't like it other than Teresa Berganza was in it. Other than that I would probably trade in the DVD for something else. But maybe that one takes a second watch to really get into it.


Barber of Seville's fame is partly based on 2 truly great arias - the rest is quite a challenge for a starter to get through. not recommended


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## Harold in Columbia (Jan 10, 2016)

stomanek said:


> Barber of Seville's fame is partly based on 2 truly great arias


These being, of course, "La calunnia" and "Quando mi sei vicina."


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Harold in Columbia said:


> These being, of course, "La calunnia" and "Quando mi sei vicina."


:tiphat:

Of course!!!


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Harold in Columbia said:


> These being, of course, "La calunnia" and "Quando mi sei vicina."


la la la la la la laaaaa


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

stomanek said:


> Barber of Seville's fame is partly based on 2 truly great arias - the rest is quite a challenge for a starter to get through. not recommended


The main reason to avoid it is that it have secco recitatives.


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## Harold in Columbia (Jan 10, 2016)

Sloe said:


> The main reason to avoid it is that it have secco recitatives.


Saw a production last year that replaced them with dialog and translated everything into the local language (German). This was, of course, a great improvement.

Unfortunately, the director thought he was an artist.


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

Harold in Columbia said:


> These being, of course, "La calunnia" and "Quando mi sei vicina."


Surely 'Ecco ridente' and 'Se il nome'? 

Perhaps the OP should listen to De Lucia.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Sloe said:


> The main reason to avoid it is that it have secco recitatives.


That will restrict you to the vastly inferior era of romantic opera with its soaring melodies and agressive rythms plus other paraphernalia of that step backwards in musical art.

Buy Klemperer's Magic Flute - 2 discs of pure heaven - no dialogue - just music.


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## Biwa (Aug 3, 2015)

If a complete opera seems too daunting, start with some highlight discs. 

Bizet:
Carmen 

Mozart:
The Marriage of Figaro
Don Giovanni 
Magic Flute

Puccini:
La Bohème
Tosca
Madame Butterfly

Verdi:
La Traviata
Rigoletto

Wagner:
Das Rheingold
Die Walküre

Don't forget these oldies but goodies from the Baroque...

Monteverdi:
L'Ordeo

Purcell:
Dido and Aeneas

Händel:
Xerxes
Giulio Cesare (Julius Caesar)


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I will reiterate: You really have to watch an opera on DVD with subtitles to fully appreciate opera. DVD is probably better than liver performance in that you will be close up on a well-produced DVD.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

stomanek said:


> That will restrict you to the vastly inferior era of romantic opera with its soaring melodies and agressive rythms plus other paraphernalia of that step backwards in musical art.
> 
> Buy Klemperer's Magic Flute - 2 discs of pure heaven - no dialogue - just music.


That is how you see it. Personally I prefer operas from the romantic era.
Why use a term like inferior it is not like the operas will go in a fight against each other.

Here is something for you:


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## Gironabalie (Jan 13, 2016)

starthrower said:


> *I am more a fan of the music and phonetic aspects of the singing, so I listen to CDs exclusively.
> 
> I'm not really interested in the crazy plots and story lines.*


Opera is primarily about drama. If the audience is not able to follow the story, then the opera or it's presentation has failed.


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## Fugue Meister (Jul 5, 2014)

Perhaps a few 5 hour energy drinks would suit you when going to the opera. They work for me...


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## Chronochromie (May 17, 2014)

Gironabalie said:


> Opera is primarily about drama. If the audience is not able to follow the story, then the opera or it's presentation has failed.


But how is this relevant to someone who has chosen to ignore the story?


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## science (Oct 14, 2010)

I'd bet that there are blind people who enjoy opera, and that there are deaf people who enjoy it. If you can see or hear or both, you can enjoy any number of aspects of opera.


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## Harold in Columbia (Jan 10, 2016)

I can think of performances that the deaf and blind would presumably have enjoyed more than anybody.


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## Gironabalie (Jan 13, 2016)

Chronochromie said:


> But how is this relevant to someone who has chosen to ignore the story?


Of course music is important, and indeed arguably the defining element that distinguishes opera from other dramatic art forms, but I would be of the opinion that it's the dramatic component that is the most important element.

Opera is primarily about drama. Music, like the singing, like the libretto, like the direction and production design are ALL vital components, but how important one is above another depends very much on the individual work in question, what it needs most to put its dramatic message across, and how successfully it does that. Or to put it another way, an opera of beautiful music is of no use if it isn't supported and works in conjunction with all the other elements that are needed to get its dramatic essence across. The music is in service to the drama, as is every other aspect of an opera.


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## Chronochromie (May 17, 2014)

Gironabalie said:


> Of course music is important, and indeed arguably the defining element that distinguishes opera from other dramatic art forms, but I would be of the opinion that it's the dramatic component that is the most important element.
> 
> Opera is primarily about drama. Music, like the singing, like the libretto, like the direction and production design are ALL vital components, but how important one is above another depends very much on the individual work in question, what it needs most to put its dramatic message across, and how successfully it does that. Or to put it another way, an opera of beautiful music is of no use if it isn't supported and works in conjunction with all the other elements that are needed to get its dramatic essence across. The music is in service to the drama, as is every other aspect of an opera.


Well, ideally an opera should have both great music and a great libretto, but it doesn't seem to happen that often.


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## Harold in Columbia (Jan 10, 2016)

To paraphrase an observation by Stephen Sondheim: if an opera doesn't have a great libretto, it probably won't have great music; if an opera has great music, the libretto is probably great.


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

science said:


> I'd bet that there are blind people who enjoy opera, and that there are deaf people who enjoy it. If you can see or hear or both, you can enjoy any number of aspects of opera.


That's true, not to mention that concert performances of operas are quite common (i.e. not staged in an opera theater but just performed and sung in a concert hall).


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## Lyricus (Dec 11, 2015)

Like others, I suggest watching first and listening only to highlights. Years and years ago I got hooked on by Der Hölle Rache. A few years later, I saw Magic Flute at the Met in NY (gosh, also several years before I moved to NYC). From there it's a downward spiral into the world of opera. Now I see a couple a year. But my preferences haven't changed too much. I still prefer-with voices or without-the highlights when listening only. If you cannot watch it, DVDs are great. *Stomank* (p. 1) and *biwa* (p. 6) gave great first recommendations.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Florestan said:


> I will reiterate: You really have to watch an opera on DVD with subtitles to fully appreciate opera. DVD is probably better than liver performance in that you will be close up on a well-produced DVD.


It works for you .... it doesn't for me. For me, watching a live performance is a much more intense experience (even with the disadvantages of being amongst hundreds or thousands of other people) than sitting in the armchair watching a screen.

As I said before - there are many roads to Rome :tiphat:


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## KRoad (Jun 1, 2012)

Like sex, you have to be in the mood to have an edifying and fulfilling experience. As a build-up to the act of consuming an opera I recommend reading first a synopsis of the libretto followed by a thorough reading of the complete libretto. Think of it as foreplay if it helps. Once familiar with the plot it's time to get down to business - I suggest a good CD recording. Repeat till you have a sense of what is coming - musically speaking. Then it's time to experience a DVD performance - check the reviews first. Focus on the staging and acting. Finally, a live performance for the real deal.

Again, like sex, you get out of it what you put in - and an appreciation of opera does I find take time and effort. But it is worth it.


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

KRoad said:


> Like sex, you have to be in the mood to have an edifying and fulfilling experience. As a build-up to the act of consuming an opera *I recommend reading first a synopsis of the libretto followed by a thorough reading of the complete libretto. Think of it as foreplay if it helps.* Once familiar with the plot it's time to get down to business - I suggest a good CD recording. Repeat till you have a sense of what is coming - musically speaking. Then it's time to experience a DVD performance - check the reviews first. Focus on the staging and acting. Finally, a live performance for the real deal.
> 
> Again, like sex, you get out of it what you put in - and an appreciation of opera does I find take time and effort. But it is worth it.


:lol: :lol: :lol:

Phwoar, there's nothing like squinting at the tiny print of a fat CD booklet written in a language you barely understand, to really get you in the mood! 

Personally I've gone through life expecting both sex and music listening to be spontaneous and effortless, but I may have got to the stage of maturity where that ease and spontaneity can no longer be taken for granted- so you may well be on to something there.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

KRoad said:


> Like sex, you have to be in the mood to have an edifying and fulfilling experience. As a build-up to the act of consuming an opera I recommend reading first a synopsis of the libretto followed by a thorough reading of the complete libretto. Think of it as foreplay if it helps. Once familiar with the plot it's time to get down to business - I suggest a good CD recording. Repeat till you have a sense of what is coming - musically speaking. Then it's time to experience a DVD performance - check the reviews first. Focus on the staging and acting. Finally, a live performance for the real deal.
> 
> Again, like sex, you get out of it what you put in - and an appreciation of opera does I find take time and effort. But it is worth it.


But surely not on the same time I presume :lol:


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

KRoad said:


> Like sex, you have to be in the mood to have an edifying and fulfilling experience. As a build-up to the act of consuming an opera I recommend reading first a synopsis of the libretto followed by a thorough reading of the complete libretto. Think of it as foreplay if it helps. Once familiar with the plot it's time to get down to business - I suggest a good CD recording. Repeat till you have a sense of what is coming - musically speaking. Then it's time to experience a DVD performance - check the reviews first. Focus on the staging and acting. Finally, a live performance for the real deal.
> 
> Again, like sex, you get out of it what you put in - and an appreciation of opera does I find take time and effort. But it is worth it.


:lol:

I'm not sure about the analogy but your advised method of preparation is exactly what I do if I'm going to see an opera I don't know.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Headphone Hermit said:


> It works for you .... it doesn't for me. For me, watching a live performance is a much more intense experience (even with the disadvantages of being amongst hundreds or thousands of other people) than sitting in the armchair watching a screen.
> 
> As I said before - there are many roads to Rome :tiphat:


Good point. Live is really the best, and I forgot they do have subtitles in live performances now (not in the 1980s when I attended some operas). The only thing a DVD has over live now is the close-up shots that cannot even be had from the front row. Plus with a DVD you can back up if you miss something.


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

hello I'm new. since Youtube i like to select an opera and find the different versions-voices-costumes of one opera. eg. i found several "queen of the night" arias


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