# Opera choruses - your favorites! Post it here



## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

It struck me the fact that when we speak and think about opera we first think about arias, duos, trios, etc, about our dearest soloist singers, primas, etc but CORO is such an indispensable part of any opera at least traditional opera ( well, now no talk about singspiel and other different types)

and I find them wonderful, in many operas they play different functions from commenting the action to being a moving engine of very same action. It's very interesting if we think about chorus as a character of opera - non-personified character ( not in a sense of how many characters are in a chorus, but in a pure sense of chorus itself as being a character of an opera as such ).

well, your comments and your favorite choruses from operas or may be operas you are listening now are welcome


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## Loge (Oct 30, 2014)

Wagner wrote some great choruses and in the tradition of grand opera I will go with Hagen's call.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

I love choruses! (great thread btw )

So hard to choose but I'll start with the soldiers' chorus from _Faust_.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

My favourite is Inno del Sole from Pietro Mascagni´s opera Iris:


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Mefistofele
Romeo et Juliette
Faust (not the Soldier's Chorus)
Tosca


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

_Lohengrin_ has magnificent choral scenes, but my favorite chorus is in the final scene of _Parsifal_: the way it steals in quietly, swells and ascends, and disappears into the ether... When it's over I have to look around to be sure I haven't been beamed up to a different planet.


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## graziesignore (Mar 13, 2015)

My favorite chorus in Il trovatore is not the Anvil Chorus, but rather the chorus of Di Luna's men right before they drag in Azucena.

It's more easy to think of favorite choral moments rather than choral pieces... the off-stage mob in Simon Boccanegra; "Perdonata!" at the end of Stiffelio; and this surely has to be one of the Met chorus' finest hours...


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## Buoso (Aug 10, 2016)

graziesignore said:


> My favorite chorus in Il trovatore is not the Anvil Chorus, but rather the chorus of Di Luna's men right before they drag in Azucena.


Oooh. I do love Or Co Dadi, mi fra Poco and in fact the work of the chorus in Il Trovatore is flawless on Verdi's part throughout . My personal favourite might not strictly be a chorus chorus but is by far my favourite piece with choral work in all of Verdi (and overall in opera as well) as it's just so cleverly done 





I really don't know how Verdi managed to put sarcasm so exactly into musical form but he did. Other parts of Un Ballo in Maschera have great choral moments as well Verdi really had a great grasp on Choruses. Of the Verdi operas I have seen so far I don't think there is a weak choral moment in them at all.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

Here is one of my favorite opera choruses:






And here's another -- from Wagner's TANNHAUSER:


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Opera wouldn't be the same without stirring choruses, which might explain why baroque and earlier leaves many opera fans non-plussed.

For operatic chorus lovers I recommend Boito's Mefistofele which has many great scenes. I saw a performance this year in Prague where the chorus clearly loved the work and got more applause than the soloists. The _Juhe_ chorus is brilliant.

Moments in Tannhauser, Lohengrin, Gotterdammerung are magnificient of course.

The one from Verdi's Nabucco isn't bad, and of course Beethoven's Fidelio. If these don't bring tear to the eye I don't know what will.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Don Fatale said:


> For operatic chorus lovers I recommend Boito's Mefistofele which has many great scenes. II saw a performance this year in Prague where the chorus (and audience) clearly loved their work and got more applause than the soloists. The _Juhe_ chorus is such a joy.


I am green with envy. In my lifetime I believe I will never get to see the one opera I wanted to see more than any other but I doubt the Met will ever actually stage it again.
Time's too short for me.


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

nina foresti said:


> I am green with envy. In my lifetime I believe I will never get to see the one opera I wanted to see more than any other but I doubt the Met will ever actually stage it again.
> Time's too short for me.


So you don't want to know that I saw 3 productions in 3 countries last year then? Alas, this coming season only has the worst of them returning - Munich's lousy production. Budapest's is fantastic. When they revive it you simple most go, and stay for several performances. I really hope you can make it happen.

Has the Met ever performed it?

(Another _Mefistofele_ distraction, but it makes a change from Wagner).


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

Buoso said:


> Oooh. I do love Or Co Dadi, mi fra Poco and in fact the work of the chorus in Il Trovatore is flawless on Verdi's part throughout . My personal favourite might not strictly be a chorus chorus but is by far my favourite piece with choral work in all of Verdi (and overall in opera as well) as it's just so cleverly done
> 
> 
> 
> ...


yeah, absolutely agree about Verdi´s choruses and this scene is sarcastic indeed


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I do like the "chorus" scene's at Flora's from La Traviata, the gypsies and dancers and the another one coming to mind, the wedding guest in Lucia, just before she going bananas she is going banana's.
Can't choose really, so lets say 99% is okay.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Some really great suggestions here!

_Don Carlo_ Auto da Fe


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2016)

There are allready a few very wonderful choruses posted here.I like to add this one.


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2016)

Great fun,I like it!


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2016)

Monteverdi is a must!


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2016)

One more from Charpentier. oeps ! this is not an opera,sorry


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

Choruses and ensembles are often the high points of opera.

From Reyer's Sigurd:


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

This isn't totally chorus so maybe it doesn't count - but I adore the Hymn to Phtha in Aida:


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)




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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)




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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)




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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)




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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

From _Nixon in China_, "The People Are The Heroes Now":


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Helenora hit a gold mine with this thread.


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2016)

Mozart and a big surprise,have fun ! there is a chorus in it.


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2016)

Mozart uit cosi........


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

*Beethoven - Fidelio / Prisoners' Chorus *


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2016)

This is a very moving chorus.:tiphat:


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

*Soldiers Chorus- Faust *


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

*Mussorgsky - choruses from lost operas*


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

_Les Troyens - _"Gloire à Didon"


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

Traverso said:


> Mozart and a big surprise,have fun ! there is a chorus in it.


was really fun 

what I've noticed is that despite of the fact they have nice voices overall, but still their manner/style of singing is distinct from western and one can hear it , don't know perhaps specific vibrato of a voice , how they "pull out" a phrase, such things ....


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Helenora hit a gold mine with this thread.


yes, I do


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

*Rigoletto* a Mantova - *"Zitti zitti" *


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

*Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: The Magic Flute*- choir- the last trial


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

graziesignore said:


> My favorite chorus in Il trovatore is not the Anvil Chorus, but rather the chorus of Di Luna's men right before they drag in Azucena.


Same here. That' my favorite along with the "trema Banco" chorus in macbeth. Who could resist those two?

Also the first witches chorus "che faceste?" and "tre volte miagola la gatta in fregola" in act III


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

*Tannhäuser Richard Wagner - The Pilgrim's chorus* (German lyric and PT translation)


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

Pugg said:


> *Tannhäuser Richard Wagner - The Pilgrim's chorus* (German lyric and PT translation)


Tannhäuser is one of my favorites by Wagner


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Wagner- Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin.


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Wagner- Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin.


oh, yeah, many cultures and nationalities are exposed to Wagner's music from time to time even hard core pop and rock addicts.:lol:


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Sospiro..........( could not fine the whole part)

*Verdi Il Corsaro *Atto Primo Come liberi volano i venti Ah! sì, den dite


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## helenora (Sep 13, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Sospiro..........( could not fine the whole part)
> 
> *Verdi Il Corsaro *Atto Primo Come liberi volano i venti Ah! sì, den dite


genius! Verdi's choruses are among the very best ( I'm trying to be considerate about other people's opinions, otherwise I'd sate it a more direct and non-compromising way )


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## Loge (Oct 30, 2014)

Back again with another Wagner, this time the Sailors Chorus from the Flying Dutchman. I have always thought that this sounds like it could have come from a mid twentieth century musical.


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

Loge said:


> Back again with another Wagner, this time the Sailors Chorus from the Flying Dutchman. I have always thought that this sounds like it could have come from a mid twentieth century musical.


Why did they pick a timber framed house when there are no timber framed houses in Norway?


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## Loge (Oct 30, 2014)

Sloe said:


> Why did they pick a timber framed house when there are no timber framed houses in Norway?


Early Regietheater, it was considered a daring and controversial production at the time. With regie Joachim Herz's inclusion of timber framed houses and Bavarian milk maids. This heavily influenced a young Patrice Chereau of the possibilities on how to direct Wagner.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Loge said:


> Back again with another Wagner, this time the Sailors Chorus from the Flying Dutchman. I have always thought that this sounds like it could have come from a mid twentieth century musical.


I think the sailors' stomp dance is the happiest tune Wagner ever wrote. Where are my boots?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> I think the sailors' stomp dance is the happiest tune Wagner ever wrote. Where are my boots?


In front of the door at the farm.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Verdi: O Signore dal Tetto Natio


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Les contes d'Hoffmann

Reisopera


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## Guest (Aug 14, 2016)

Pugg said:


> In front of the door at the farm.


 With wooden shoes !


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## Guest (Aug 14, 2016)




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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

*Rossini*:Guglielmo Tell.
Pres Des Torrents Qui Grondent


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