# Funny/confusing mishearings/misinterpretations in opera



## interestedin (Jan 10, 2016)

The content or the language, depending on how well you speak Italian/German/French/English... Has this happened to you?

When I first heard Brünnhilde's immolation scene:

Instead of "lautrer als er liebte kein andrer" - meaning "no one loved purer than him",

I heard "_lauter_ als er liebte kein andrer" - meaning "no one made love louder than him".

Which may be true (I wasn't there) but which is a rather odd thing to say on a public funeral.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I do think that this happens to a lot off us, don't forget that the German language has changed since the time it was written also.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

interestedin said:


> The content or the language, depending on how well you speak Italian/German/French/English... Has this happened to you?
> 
> When I first heard Brünnhilde's immolation scene:
> 
> ...


 :lol:

I mishear stuff all the time and even when I read it in the libretto, I _still_ mishear it!!

This is the sort of thing.


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

It is not exactly misheard lyrics, but in Act III of Die Walküre, by Brünnhilde's words

_Rossweisse, Schwester,
leih' mir deinen Renner!_

Rossweise, sister,
loan me your racer!

I rather think of this:









than a racing horse.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

SiegendesLicht said:


> It is not exactly misheard lyrics, but in Act III of Die Walküre, by Brünnhilde's words
> 
> _Rossweisse, Schwester,
> leih' mir deinen Renner!_
> ...


I'm sure some regie director has gotten there before you.


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

A regie director reading my deepest intimate dreams... I hope not


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

SiegendesLicht said:


> A regie director reading my deepest intimate dreams... I hope not


If your deepest intimate dreams involve a bicycle, Regie hopes not too.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Great topic!

At the moment I can think of two misunderstandings I've had regarding words. First -- in Donizetti's LA FILLE DU REGIMENT, I assumed in the past that Tonie was singing the name "Marie" (i.e. his girlfriend) rather than the word "mari" (husband) in the aria "Pour mon ame."

Second -- in William Bolcom's A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, I misheard the line "just *fished* from the sea" as "just *fish* from the sea" in the tenor's aria about New York. Also, in the same aria I didn't know at first that another phrase was "and under our volcano mountain." I thought that instead of "our volcano," the tenor was singing _the name_ of the mountain.


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