# How do you prepare for operas?



## bigudi (Feb 15, 2017)

Hi guys!

I'm an opera newbie and not sure how to watch operas "correctly".
I never understand what they sing, even if I understand the language in which they sing.
A common solution for this problem are subtitles, but they distract attention away from the music.
Furthermore, subtitles seem to be only available in other languages than the original language.
But what is the alternative? Read the entire libretto? No, thanks.

How do you handle it? Read a synopsis is a standard I assume. Is it maybe enough to know roughly the storyline and just enjoy the music? 

Thanks in advance.


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## Faustian (Feb 8, 2015)

I usually read the synopsis of an opera I'm unfamiliar with before I watch it for the first time, yes. But no, that would not be sufficient for me, as knowing the general outline of the plot doesn't do justice to hearing how the composer handles each dramatic situation and defines each individual character musically. If I'm listening to an opera I'm reading along with the libretto. If I'm watching an opera I'm paying attention to the subtitles. Neither of these distracts me from the music, they only enhance my appreciation of the _music drama_.


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## AJF (Jul 17, 2017)

Many opera enthusiasts believe in listening to an opera in the language in which it was originally written, and there are very good reasons for this.

However, I like to be able to hear the libretto sung in a language I can understand when I first start. I usually prepare for operas by getting the Chandos Opera in English version. They range from excellent to acceptable. They seem to have a recording for most popular operas you will be seeing. Some are posted on Youtube so you can try them for free.

Once my simple peasant brain has connected the main gist of each section of the libretto with its music, I branch out and listen to the opera in its original language.

Some operas have incredibly easy plot lines and a limited cast of characters (Madama Butterfly). Others are more complicated and convoluted. For instance, I find that once opera characters start tricking other characters, I'm tricked too.

Since the plot is so easy, I did not buy the Chandos version for Madama Butterfly, which I just saw, but rather watched a movie with subtitles on Youtube.

For Cosi Fan Tutte, which is coming up in my city next winter, I got the Chandos version and I am watching a few Youtube performances. In Cosi, you have to remember the identities of the two main male characters, plus understand what they are doing while in disguise tricking their lady friends.

When I start listening to an opera, I am always attracted to certain parts which I listen to over and over. I like duets and trios. I love to listen to two or three men singing together like the beginning of Cosi Fan Tutte or the "Ha Ha" trio further in. If I can get hooked on a few parts, then those often serve as a gateway drug to the rest of the opera.

The nice thing about Youtube is that you can watch different casts doing the same opera and pick which singers you prefer in terms of voices. And eye candy! For instance, I'm a straight female and look at these two handsome gentlemen:





(At about 5 1/2 minutes in, they appear in their white pants. Very nice for the ladies! Can you see that one of them looks a little like Orlando Bloom? And they start singing a male-voice trio! I like this!)

Good luck and best wishes in your quest to appreciate opera.


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## Taplow (Aug 13, 2017)

It sounds from your post as though you are referring primarily to filmed opera. Nonetheless, I shall provide you with my routine for preparing to see opera performed live on stage. If you have not had the chance to see opera live yet yourself, I really recommend you take every opportunity to do so. It is another dimension entirely.

For any unfamiliar opera, I always begin by becoming as familiar as possible with the general outline by means of an act by act plot synopsis. You can find these on Wikipedia, for example.

Once familair with the outline, I will then listen to a recording of the entire opera once through some time before the performance, following along with the libretto. It's important to have a side-by-side translation so that I can follow the original language while reading my own. This ensures I don't get lost, providing me with a guide to know I'm in the right place, reading the right text for a specific aria etc. The listen-through does two things:

1. It provides the subtle detail, the meat to hang on the skeleton of the synopsis I'm already familiar with. I find this more effective than beginning with the libretto alone.
2. It allows me to associate musical themes with specific points of action, and the emotions of the characters.

At the end of this listen through, I am ready to watch the opera. I already know the story arc of each act. As I hear the various themes of the music, I can associate them with the action and emotions, and hence am reminded of the details of the plot. If I look at surtitles at all, it is usually only a glance now and then to use as a compass, ensuring I am where I thought I was.

Using this method, I've been able to travel all over the world to various opera houses that don't have surtitles in English. If they are in a language where I can at least understand a few words (French, German, Swedish, etc.), then the "use the surtitles as a compass" method still works.


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## Annied (Apr 27, 2017)

I think how you approach it depends on why you enjoy opera in the first place. For me it's the fusion of voice and orchestra and how the actual sound of the words that are being sung fit into the whole. So while I do like to have a fair idea of the plot line, so that I can follow what's going on on stage, I don't need an in depth knowledge of it. When I heard "Madama Butterfly" on stage, I'd have been prepared to blindly follow wherever the tenor led by the end of the Love Duet even though I didn't understand the actual words. (Like AJF, I'm a straight female too!) What I do need is a comfortable familiarity with the music.

If it's the drama and emotion that is more important to you, then that's a different kettle of fish and I imagine you'd need more than a synopsis to get the maximum enjoyment out of a performance, but I'm not the person to advise you on that.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

Tell yourself that, if you like it, you can see the opera again. Accept that you don't have to understand everything that is going on, that you don't have to enjoy every aspect of what you see each time. Prepare for watching a video of _Le nozze di Figaro_ by watching a video of _Le nozze di Figaro_. Watching it once with subtitles can be seen as preparation for future watches when you can pay less (or no) attention to them.

Listen to suites, instrumental excerpts, and transcriptions, if you enjoy that. Listen to arias, or even full recordings as you like. I used to dismiss excerpts, but having recognizable signposts can really help you stay engaged, help you feel comfortable watching an opera.

A synopsis can be good, but few are very thorough. Reading the libretto may be helpful, but they are sometimes poetic, dense, or otherwise obscure. Sometimes an analysis can be more helpful, in the form of articles, books, or the NAXOS Opera Explained series. And for many DVDs and other performances there are reviews available online. Reading (or watching - some operas are based on plays or films) source materials can be illuminating, but it is generally best to treat the opera as a stand-alone work, that may not work the same dramatically, etc. as what it was based upon.

I try to do some mix of the above for everything I watch in person, on DVD, or streaming. It all depends on how much I like the work, how good, and how easily available supplemental materials are. Occasionally little is available, or I don't have a chance to review anything. And that's OK. To directly answer one of your questions, yes, it is enough to roughly know what is going on and enjoy the music. After all that is the point of many styles of opera, expressing emotional states, feelings, desires, and so on through music. You don't need to know all the details to feel the heartbreak. But with a lot of opera, there is much more to explore, if and when you want to. Of course sometimes it is not until after I watch an engaging performance that I am really motivated to dig deeper and find out more.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Everyone has a different way of enjoying their operas. Many will first read a synopsis of the story which makes the most sense. You'd do that with a movie you were about to see too, right? Simple.
Beyond that, I personally take the easy road out, close my eyes if it is a cd, and let the entire musical experience wash over me. If it is a video I will then realize what I read in the synopsis and the magic will begin to make sense. The visual is a fine way to get the entire ball of wax because opera is mainly a visual medium and some things can be missed unless you are very familiar with the entire plot from seeing and hearing it so often.

Then there are the dyed-in-the-wool passionate opera buffs who sit with that libretto and follow every word and score. For them it becomes more than just a pleasant experience in seeing an opera, it becomes a deeper, richer learning experience, which is important for them. That is fine too.

Whatever floats yer boat, I sez!


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