tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7906051794067626825.post6327654548003590572..comments2024-03-23T04:43:21.740-05:00Comments on Eros Den: The Sound of Music: The Classics - Opera Part 2eroswingshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06678990077292314028noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7906051794067626825.post-4945189501357745412018-03-20T18:50:33.329-05:002018-03-20T18:50:33.329-05:00IDV, Thank you, and You're Welcome! My next po...<b>IDV</b>, Thank you, and You're Welcome! My next post actually features Madame Butterfly! It is amazing how we are exposed to so much opera without even realizing it. And opera songs make great background music/soundtrack to films and tv shows, especially since they've mastered eliciting those intense feelings of drama and excitement and provocation. Those composers are genuine geniuses, and their masterpieces are iconic testaments to great, timeless music.<br /><br />I am glad to hear that you enjoyed going to see an opera. That is on my list of new, adventurous activities to do. I just have to seize the opportunity when it presents itself. I'll have better luck catching a professional production if I go to the big cities. It's just a small matter of planning. That's a goal I'm working towards achieving: Seeing a real, live opera. Afterwards, I plan to lord it over my friends and brag that I am now fancy and cultured and sophisticated!eroswingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06678990077292314028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7906051794067626825.post-86639885016267987292018-03-20T18:47:27.526-05:002018-03-20T18:47:27.526-05:00Mago, I think I would like to see an opera in its ...<b>Mago</b>, I think I would like to see an opera in its original form, too. That way, I can compare it to newer interpretations and understand what those early audiences saw. I've only seen one whole opera on tv. I've seen arias on tv, too, and live at talent shows and pageants and concerts. But I would love to see an aria performed in a whole, live opera production in a real theater.<br /><br />The only opera stars I am familiar with are Maria Callas and Enrico Caruso from their old recordings playing on the a.m. radio. They introduced me to opera, and they are the gold standard that I use to compare other opera singers. The recent opera stars that I am familiar with are Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, and José Carreras from their Three Tenors performances. I am clueless as to other modern opera stars. But that just means more new artists for me to discover!<br /><br />I love Handel! And thank you for the recommendation of Gluck and Purcell. I look forward to discovering their works.eroswingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06678990077292314028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7906051794067626825.post-91047805285519146582018-03-20T07:20:03.680-05:002018-03-20T07:20:03.680-05:00Other than seeing Madame Butterfly last year (whic...Other than seeing Madame Butterfly last year (which was stunning), I haven't seen an opera all the way through. I've seen bits and bobs of various performances that have been televised - the last one was The Magic Flute, specifically "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" part that you've featured. The actress/singer portraying the queen was magnificent! She was fierce and frightening, her costume and makeup were extremely well done - fitting the dark theme very well. I do keep meaning to go and see more, but haven't got around to it yet. I must remedy that this year. <br /><br />Thanks for these music features, Eros. They're an excellent reminder of music we may take for granted or overlook (as they are featured in so many adverts and TV shows & films - as you've pointed out).<br />Inexplicable DeVicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04187364843729214996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7906051794067626825.post-34283107312097896402018-03-20T03:47:32.574-05:002018-03-20T03:47:32.574-05:00I have to confess that I only recently do some sta...I have to confess that I only recently do some staggering steps into the land of opera. In fact only since I heared Ms Bartolli perform an aria with such verve and angry emotion that I thought "Oh dear, better not meet this lady !" I forgot what it was, sorry.<br />I never was in an opera house and never saw a performance. MAybe I'll do this some time in the future. I'd read the story first, so that I'd have an idea what happens and how the story goes. And I think I'd prefer to see a traditional production that keeps close to the original story and original music. Many directors take the story and interpret it, like taking parts out, setting the whole story into a totally different temporarily setting etc. This may work, because in the end opera tells about human feelings, about basic constellations, like love, hate, fraud, trust, feelings of honour, power and its abuse, there is not necessariliy a "happy end".<br />I sometimes look for voices, for interpretations of arias, and how different singers did it in their own way, simply because I do not know much about singing ; only by listening and comparing I can find out what I like.<br />I generally like baroque music, so notable operas of this style are by Gluck, Handel, Purcell - the last two wrote in English. But these are only the most well-known names, I am sure that there is a lot to be discovered.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7906051794067626825.post-42498961621992872282018-03-17T16:28:52.307-05:002018-03-17T16:28:52.307-05:00Maddie, I do tend to write massive posts...Sometim...<b>Maddie</b>, I do tend to write massive posts...Sometimes, the ideas just come pouring out like a flood and I just write whatever comes to mind to keep from drowning. I try to sort the aftermath later, to edit it and pare it down to something manageable...but I don't always succeed:)<br /><br />That aria from <i>The Fifth Element</i> is my fave part of the movie. I think music has a great impact on a movie.<br /><br />I'm not really an opera person either, but like you, I enjoy good music, whatever the genre. I do love musicals for the songs and dances. In fact, I'm watching <i>Finian's Rainbow</i> (1968) now on TCM. I like it a lot, and I'm not going anywhere til the movie is over!eroswingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06678990077292314028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7906051794067626825.post-91842671366131812902018-03-17T15:57:26.679-05:002018-03-17T15:57:26.679-05:00Now that is quite to post! I need time set aside t...Now that is quite to post! I need time set aside to enjoy it. I have never really got into opera, but can enjoy it. But have not much knowledge on it. I do remember that Fifth Element clip though. A memorable film scene for sure.Mistress Maddiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02098940220513091207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7906051794067626825.post-32854550454167684622018-03-16T17:44:46.988-05:002018-03-16T17:44:46.988-05:00LX, Thank you for that clip. I've been curious...<b>LX</b>, Thank you for that clip. I've been curious about the <i>Amadeus</i> movie. But I have been told by others (and from reading reviews) that although entertaining, the director mixed up a lot of the truth and used fiction to create tension. I never understood why people felt the need to make a film more exciting by changing the facts or making something up. Truth is often more interesting, especially with someone like Mozart. But the movie is still on my list of films to watch. It looks very interesting.<br /><br />And that aria is still so amazing!eroswingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06678990077292314028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7906051794067626825.post-42232330505151106952018-03-16T13:59:44.987-05:002018-03-16T13:59:44.987-05:00There is a delightful scene in the movie Amadeus w...There is a delightful scene in the movie <i>Amadeus</i> where Mozart's nagging mother-in-law is fancifully shown to be the inspiration for the <a href="http://viewpure.com/5wfp8EB179g?ref=bkmk" rel="nofollow"><i>Queen Of The Night Aria</i></a>. Brilliant film making, but in truth, he wrote it for his sister-in-law because she could hit the notes.LẌhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06337382169476392640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7906051794067626825.post-22163425921762468382018-03-15T18:49:15.779-05:002018-03-15T18:49:15.779-05:00John, You're welcome! That's fantastic you...<b>John</b>, You're welcome! That's fantastic you got to see a great opera in a foreign city for a great price! I would love to see Czech Republic for the history and architecture. Plus, I love kolaches!eroswingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06678990077292314028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7906051794067626825.post-56133255867588919872018-03-15T16:22:07.826-05:002018-03-15T16:22:07.826-05:00Thank you for that.. La Traviata is delightful. I ...Thank you for that.. La Traviata is delightful. I saw it once in the city of Pilsen in the Czech Republic I paid a pound for a standing ticketJohn Going Gentlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14958171262765033946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7906051794067626825.post-11612860654140685862018-03-15T06:45:47.360-05:002018-03-15T06:45:47.360-05:00Scarlet, No need to apologize. I am glad to hear f...<b>Scarlet</b>, No need to apologize. I am glad to hear from you, and I hope that things are better for you, weather wise and health wise.<br /><br /><i>Carmen</i> is an opera. I wrote about it here: <a href="https://erosden.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-sound-of-music-classics-opera-part-1.html" rel="nofollow">Opera Part 1</a>.<br /><br />I would appreciate it if an opera was in English, so I would be be fully engaged in the story. But if it was done in a foreign language, I'd read up on a translation, so that I would better understand the performance. And I do believe that some songs are just universally appealing, crossing over with the emotions they inspire. Some songs just stand out and radiate with their own exquisite beauty.eroswingshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06678990077292314028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7906051794067626825.post-29179971602107461932018-03-15T04:26:32.291-05:002018-03-15T04:26:32.291-05:00Apologies for my absence, Mr Swings, I have litera...Apologies for my absence, Mr Swings, I have literally been under the weather. I know very little about opera, I understand the tragic aspect.... is Carmen an opera? It is the only one I have enjoyed... I believe it was sung in English... which might have helped my enjoyment!<br />SxMs Scarlethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00449626572478125088noreply@blogger.com