# Favourite opera ships?



## Sieglinde (Oct 25, 2009)

I don't mean the seafaring kind, of course 

Which character pairs do you like most?


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Romeo et Juliette
Eugene Onegin & Tatiana
Mimi & Rodolfo
Desdemona & Otello
Butterfly & Pinkerton
Carmen & Don Jose
Manon (Lescaut) & De Grieux
Tosca & Cavaradossi
Violetta & Alfredo
Maddalena & Andrea Chenier
Adriana Lecouvreur & Maurizio
Minnie & Mr. Johnson


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Périchole and Piquillo
Lauretta and Rinuccio
Eva and Walther


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Violetta & Alfredo.
Alfredo & Germont
Eugene Onegin & Tatiana
Elizabeth & Don Carlo 
Thaïs & Athanael
Carmen & Don Jose 
Tosca & Cavaradossi
Mimi & Rodolfo
Desdemona & Otello

Armida & Rinaldo ( Rossini)


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Calaf x Liu
Figaro x Rosina


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Sieglinde said:


> I don't mean the seafaring kind, of course
> 
> Which character pairs do you like most?


Oh and I was going to say the ship in Tristan und Isolde and second place Abraham Lincoln in Madama Butterfly.

But to go with what you ask for I say Tristan and Isolde.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I don't understand the word 'ship' in this context, has something got lost in translation?

N.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

The Conte said:


> I don't understand the word 'ship' in this context, has something got lost in translation?
> 
> N.


I have the same problem.

Is opera perhaps a substitute for partner? Opera-ships = operatic partnerships? If so, it's not very clear. And do we mean operatic characters or colleagues? If the latter, then I nominate Callas and Gobbi - a symbiotic relationship if ever there was one. I'd also nominate Callas and Karajan. I know they only worked together on three projects but the results reveal their deep musical rapport.

Now that I think of it I can think of quite a few amazing musical partnerships (not necessarily operatic). Maybe I should start another thread in the main forum,


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## Sieglinde (Oct 25, 2009)

The Conte said:


> I don't understand the word 'ship' in this context, has something got lost in translation?
> 
> N.


Oh, right, I forget this forum is probably full of older people. Ship is just short for relationship, and I meant between characters.

Although sometimes singers are just made for each other! You put the right singer pair together and the energy and intensity is fantastic. Like Callas and Gobbi, as said, or Corelli and Bastianini.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Yelena Popova and Grigory Smirnov. Walton's opera,_The Bear_ (after the short story by Checkhov), is almost exclusively a joust between these two characters.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Sieglinde said:


> Oh, right, I forget this forum is probably full of older people. Ship is just short for relationship, and I meant between characters.
> 
> Although sometimes singers are just made for each other! You put the right singer pair together and the energy and intensity is fantastic. Like Callas and Gobbi, as said, or Corelli and Bastianini.


I always think Corelli sounds better with... well, Corelli! (Although in Nilsson he met his match.)

Corelli and Price is also a winning combination.

N.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> Romeo et Juliette
> Eugene Onegin & Tatiana
> Mimi & Rodolfo
> Desdemona & Otello
> ...


I never realized that I could choose non-romantic couples.
#1 for me is definitely King Philippe and The Grand Inquisitor from _Don Carlo_.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

But you said "characters" not "singers" (like Gobbi/Callas)
That's an entirely different pairing.


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## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

Marina and Rangoni :devil:


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

nina foresti said:


> But you said "characters" not "singers" (like Gobbi/Callas)
> That's an entirely different pairing.


Indeed. Though I think mine's more interesting - especially if expanded to include non singers.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

*HMS Pinafore*, Gilbert & Sullivan


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

pianozach said:


> *HMS Pinafore*, Gilbert & Sullivan


And this would be in the operatic ships of a different kind (a topic that I think more interesting) thread!

N.


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## Sieglinde (Oct 25, 2009)

Well, for me, Carlo and Rodrigo, and definitely romantically. I mean, have you seen how singers play them.









































And these are just a few examples because I can't attach more XD.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Sieglinde said:


> I don't mean the seafaring kind, of course
> 
> Which character pairs do you like most?


I thought this would be about operas where part of the action takes place on a ship. Oh well. Here are a few opera ships for ya:

Fritz Kobus and Suzel

Amina and Elvino

Florestan and Leonore


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## Ina (Dec 24, 2019)

Having attended La Cenerentola tonight, I'd definitely ship Don Magnifico and Dandini as the funniest couple of this opera.


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## Sieglinde (Oct 25, 2009)

Also: in Roberto Devereux, Nottingham really seems to be into Roberto. Sadly, he's a dumbass tenor and manages to betray everyone who loves him.

































Nottingham even goes to beg the queen to spare his (boy)friend, in a rather unusual flip of the typical soprano/baritone dynamic in that it's the baritone begging the soprano for the tenor's life. Then he finds out about the Betrayal(TM) and goes the way of every betrayed baritone husband.


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## Autumn Leaves (Jan 3, 2014)

For anyone who needs some more help with the definition of "ship", this wiki, I think, covers the phenomenon very thoroughly: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Shipping

Among the "official" character couples, my favorites are Radames and Aida, Laca and Jenufa (if, of course, acted believably), the Dutchman and Senta. A rather strange case with Robert and Matilda from Tchaikovsky's ''Iolanta'', because Matilda never actually appears, but just listening to the way he says her name gets one to ship them.

The "unofficial" couples:

Dulcamara and Adina (I think every third production has them flirt every time they share a scene, and I've already mentioned it somewhere here that I would have loved Adina to end up with the only lead who has actual brains)
Gérard and Maddalena - I don't mean Gérard in his third-act condition, of course, I mean they could have been together if it hadn't been for a) the outer circumstances being very much against it, b) Gérard making one wrong choice after another
Attila and Odabella - I don't seem to be the only one with this ship. I have yet to meet anyone who roots for Foresto/Odabella. 
And those who were on the site several years ago might remember how I was always squeeing about Fasolt and his love for Freia. Well - I _still_ ship them!


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## Sieglinde (Oct 25, 2009)

A TvTropes link? Ah yes, you click it and then, several hours later, notice the sun is out. (L'aurora bianca il mio veron!)

I always feel bad for Fasolt. He really was in love.


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## Autumn Leaves (Jan 3, 2014)

Another opera ship which is very popular, if the comments on YouTube are any indication: Prince Yeletsky and Liza in _The Queen of Spades_. Seriously: Yeletsky is a wonderful man, he is always loving and kind with Liza, and the worst he does is bet against Herman in the finale. In the world of opera, where even the heroic characters go madly jealous and torment their love interests with that pretty often (or should it be "more often than not"?), it's a rarity.

And the aria.






Why and how did Liza choose Herman, again?


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

So now I understand a little better what the term means, then I'd definitely agree with Carlo and Rodrigo from "Don Carlo". It is quite obvious that Carlo is in love with Rodrigo.

How about Onegin and Lensky? The duel only comes about because Onegin, piqued by Lensky's happiness, flirts with Olga solely to anger his friend. It makes a great deal more sense if you think Onegin was actually in love with his friend.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Macbeth and his Lady for their insane relationship.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Franco Corelli and Ettore Bastianini in *La Forza Del Destino*, especially in the duet, *Solenne in quest'ora*!


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Once again, Corelli and Bastianini, this time in *Poliuto*.


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## Sieglinde (Oct 25, 2009)

Onegin and Lensky definitely. There was a production that made it explicit (in Munich, where else), but apparently it hasn't been filmed.

Also, I think Kurwenal has a big gay crush on Tristan.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

*Gilbert & Sullivan. Ruddigore*.

Adam: _"But I bring you good tidings. Your foster-brother, Richard, has returned from sea - his ship the *Tom-Tit* rides yonder at anchor, and he himself is even now in this very village!"_

But *Robyn Oakapple* (a disguised *Sir Ruthven Murgatroyd*) and his faithful servant *Adam Goodheart* (who renames himself *Gideon Crawle* in the Second Act)


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