Help me find other operas to enjoy

hornteacher · March 13, 2009, 05:04:04 PM

Based on the list of operas I've seen below, can anyone recommend what to try next based on the styles I tend to enjoy most?

Operas I LOVE
Marriage of Figaro
Cosi Fan Tutte
Elixir of Love
Barber of Seville

Operas I LIKE
Don Giovanni
Magic Flute
Fidelio

Operas I tried but weren't my taste
Rusalka
L'Orfeo
La Boheme
Carmen

DavidRoss · March 13, 2009, 05:13:07 PM

Looks as if you're ready for The Rake's Progress and Falstaff

Maciek · March 13, 2009, 05:17:34 PM

Do you know this site? Lots of (free!) streaming recordings to choose from - a cheap way to dip your toes... (The oldest ones don't seem to work anymore, BTW.)

I feel stupid offering any advice with my limited opera knowledge but I feel quite confident you would at least LIKE some other operas by Rossini. Maybe Il Turco in Italia or La Cenerentola. Others will have better suggestions (I see DavidRoss has already dropped by while I was typing - I'm sure there'll be more Verdi coming your way!

)

marvinbrown · March 13, 2009, 06:58:45 PM

Quote from: hornteacher on March 13, 2009, 05:04:04 PM
Based on the list of operas I've seen below, can anyone recommend what to try next based on the styles I tend to enjoy most?

Operas I LOVE
Marriage of Figaro
Cosi Fan Tutte
Elixir of Love
Barber of Seville

Operas I LIKE
Don Giovanni
Magic Flute
Fidelio

Operas I tried but weren't my taste
Rusalka
L'Orfeo
La Boheme
Carmen

hornteacher

based on your tastes I am going to be quite daring here and recommend that you try Richard Stauss' Der Rosenkavalier and Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg. Both are musically light hearted, albeit long, operas. Der Rosenkavalier is filled with pretty walzes and Wagner's Die Meistersinger has some of the most beautiful melodic music I have ever heard in an opera. Take a chance, nothing ventured nothing gained!!

marvin

mahler10th · March 13, 2009, 07:09:48 PM

You may not like La Boheme, but how about a shabby little shocker called 'Il Tabarro' from Puccini's trio of little operas, 'Il Tricitto". Il Tabarro's ending is fabulously grisly, and the music is so...so...just wonderfully fitting to the plot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA-aruB8HMU

DavidRoss · March 13, 2009, 07:52:09 PM

I like the music for Il Tabarro very much, but think Gianni Schicci more likely to suit hornteacher's tastes.

Wendell_E · March 14, 2009, 02:25:03 AM

Quote from: hornteacher on March 13, 2009, 05:04:04 PM
Based on the list of operas I've seen below, can anyone recommend what to try next based on the styles I tend to enjoy most?

Operas I LOVE
Marriage of Figaro
Cosi Fan Tutte
Elixir of Love
Barber of Seville

Since you love Elixir of Love and Barber of Seville, you might want to check out some of the other bel canto opere buffe: Donizetti's Don Pasquale and La Fille du Régiment, Rossini's La Cenerentola, L'Italiana in Algeri, Le Comte Ory, and Il Turco in Italia.

jhar26 · March 14, 2009, 06:27:27 AM

Quote from: hornteacher on March 13, 2009, 05:04:04 PM
Based on the list of operas I've seen below, can anyone recommend what to try next based on the styles I tend to enjoy most?

Operas I LOVE
Marriage of Figaro
Cosi Fan Tutte
Elixir of Love
Barber of Seville

Operas I LIKE
Don Giovanni
Magic Flute
Fidelio

Operas I tried but weren't my taste
Rusalka
L'Orfeo
La Boheme
Carmen

Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (Mozart)
Il Matrimonio Segreto (Cimarosa)
La Cenerentola (Rossini)
L'Italiana in Algeri (Rossini)
La Fille du Regiment (Donizetti)
La Sonnambula (Bellini)

Gabriel · March 14, 2009, 06:34:32 AM

I would support the choice of suggesting operas by Mozart, Cimarosa, Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti. If you "like" Die Zauberflöte and Fidelio, I guess it would be safe to suggest Weber's Freischütz and, eventually, Cherubini's Les deux journées.

hornteacher · March 14, 2009, 02:01:47 PM

I appreciate the suggestions very much. I think the operas that attract me the most have elements of both comedy and drama, include battles of the sexes, don't have mythological themes, but do have happy endings.

Mozart's Abduction from the Harem is next on my list to go see. After that probably something in the Bel Canto era.

Superhorn · March 14, 2009, 02:02:35 PM

Try these Verdi Operas : La Traviata, Rigoletto, Il Trovatore,Aida,Otello,
Un Ballo in Maschera,La Forza Del Destino, Simon Boccanegra,Falstaff,Macbeth, Luisa Miller. By Puccini: Turandot, La Fanciulla Del West(The Girl Of The Golden West), and Manon Lescaut.

Carl Maria von Weber: Der Freischutz(The Freeshooter) and Oberon.

Bedrich Smetana: The Bartred Bride. Leos Janacek: Jenufa, Katya Kabanova, The Cunning Little Vixen. Humperdinck(The real and original one): Hansel &Gretel. Jules Massenet: Manon, Werther, Thais.
Camille Saint-Saens: Samson&Dalilah.
Handel :Giulio Cesare(Julius Ceasar). Rodelinda, Alcina, Rinaldo.

Gershwin:Porgy& Bess. Britten: Peter Grimes, Billy Budd, A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Wagner: The Flying Dutchman(mercifully short for newcomers to Wagner). Bellini: Norma. Rossini: L'Italiana in Algeri(The Italian Woman in Algiers), La Cenerentola(Cinderella). Semiramide.

Pietro Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana. Ruggero Leoncavallo: Pagliacci.

Amilcare Ponchielli: La Gioconda. Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin.
Pique Dame(Queen of Spades. Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov.

Samuel Barber: Vanessa. Berlioz: Les Troyens.

Too bad you didn't like Dvorak's Rusalka. I heard the Met radio broadcast this afternoon and loved it.Keep trying. Also try the DVD with Renee Fleming.

Cato · March 14, 2009, 02:32:00 PM

BUSONI: Doctor Faust

See if you can find the recording with Fischer-Dieskau especially!

hornteacher · March 14, 2009, 04:51:33 PM

Quote from: Superhorn on March 14, 2009, 02:02:35 PM
Too bad you didn't like Dvorak's Rusalka. I heard the Met radio broadcast this afternoon and loved it.Keep trying. Also try the DVD with Renee Fleming.

That's the one I saw. No question that Fleming is marvelous in it. I really didn't care for the modernizing of the characters though. A water goblin shouldn't be in a suit and tie. The witch in a pantsuit looked more like a character on "Sex in the City".

I think its the music itself that I couldn't latch onto (aside from the "Moon" aria which is gorgeous). The problem is more with me than the music though. Maybe I'll come back to it and like it more at a future time.

knight66 · March 15, 2009, 04:32:56 AM

Quote from: hornteacher on March 14, 2009, 02:01:47 PM
I appreciate the suggestions very much. I think the operas that attract me the most have elements of both comedy and drama, include battles of the sexes, don't have mythological themes, but do have happy endings.

Mozart's Abduction from the Harem is next on my list to go see. After that probably something in the Bel Canto era.

Happy endings! That excludes quite a bit then.

Try Die Fledermaus; Fidelio has spoken dialogue, so does Fledermaus. Categorised as 'Operetta'; it needs the very best operatic voices. It sparkles, has a battle of the sexes, a happy ending and some very beautiful music. There are several great versions. I suggest this one....

Fischer Dieskau, Fassbaender as the very best Orlovsky, Rothenburger utterly in her element. Boskovsky knows just how to portray the Viennese tradition in this piece.

Mike

Wendell_E · March 15, 2009, 05:53:02 AM

Quote from: hornteacher on March 14, 2009, 04:51:33 PM
That's the one I saw. No question that Fleming is marvelous in it. I really didn't care for the modernizing of the characters though. A water goblin shouldn't be in a suit and tie. The witch in a pantsuit looked more like a character on "Sex in the City".

Yeah, it's too bad the Met's beautiful, traditional production, which was originated at the Vienna State Opera, wasn't part of the Met's HD series this year. So we've left with that Carsen production with Fleming from Paris, and the English National Opera production set in a child's nursery. I don't mind updating, but it'd be nice to have at least one version on DVD that sticks to the creators' original intent. There is a 1975 Czech film version, which I haven't seen, but will probably get from Netflix someday. From what I've heard, though, it's not very good, with actors lip-synching to a recording, and doing it badly. In any event, I have to confess that I've always found Rusalka absolutley gorgeous musically, but a bit of a bore.

Gabriel · March 15, 2009, 07:38:47 AM

Quote from: knight on March 15, 2009, 04:32:56 AM
Try Die Fledermaus; Fidelio has spoken dialogue, so does Fledermaus. Categorised as 'Operetta'; it needs the very best operatic voices. It sparkles, has a battle of the sexes, a happy ending and some very beautiful music.

I'm sure it's the kind of music Hornteacher is looking for. I support this suggestion.

jhar26 · March 15, 2009, 07:57:30 AM

Quote from: hornteacher on March 14, 2009, 04:51:33 PM
That's the one I saw. No question that Fleming is marvelous in it. I really didn't care for the modernizing of the characters though. A water goblin shouldn't be in a suit and tie. The witch in a pantsuit looked more like a character on "Sex in the City".

I've got myself a copy of the DVD last year because I love both Fleming and this opera, but I haven't yet had the courage to watch it for the reasons you mention here.

knight66 · March 15, 2009, 08:04:53 AM

Quote from: jhar26 on March 15, 2009, 07:57:30 AM
I've got myself a copy of the DVD last year because I love both Fleming and this opera, but I haven't yet had the courage to watch it for the reasons you mention here.

Oh....now, this is not quite the North face of the Matterhorn. Your comment reminds me of instructions in a Victorian book on etiquette for gentlemen. The instruction on how to eat an orange began with the words. 'One has to have tremendous courage to attempt this; unless one is an adept.'

We are talking oranges and watching DVDs, not a solo journey down the Amazon. Go on...give it a go and even if it is awful, it could provide good reading material here.

Mike

jhar26 · March 15, 2009, 08:11:51 AM

I'll give it a go eventually, Mike.

knight66 · March 15, 2009, 08:31:57 AM

Excellent; but do give us a bit of a detailed verdict.

Mike