Recommendations for someone new to opera

[Mirror Image]

Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle, with only 2 characters, is an opera perfect for recordings.

Pounds the table! The best Bluebeard on record IMHO.

[kishnevi]

Off the top of my head:
Rossini--Barber of Seville and Cenerentola (which is after all the Cinderella story)
Mozart--Zauberflote and Figaro (Don Giovanni is a bit sprawling and could easily confuse a newcomer)
Verdi--Otello, especially if you are already familiar with Shakespeare, and La Traviata
Wagner--Hollander and Rheingold
Puccini--Tosca, La Boheme, and Turandot
Britten--Peter Grimes or Billy Budd (assuming we are dealing with an Anglophone)
and finally, Cav./Pag.  where would an opera house be without them?
and possibly Boris Godunov

I've never seen Vixen, and Bluebeard's Castle is, I think, not really for a newcomer, unless that newcomer happens to speak Hungarian--it's essentially a long dialogue between two characters (with orchestral participation) with almost no stage action.  I think L'enfant et les Sortileges has too many characters running around to be easily grasped.   Hansel and Gretel, on the other hand,  makes good sense to me as a first opera.

[Daverz]

Bluebeard's Castle is, I think, not really for a newcomer, unless that newcomer happens to speak Hungarian

Then one needs to speak German to appreciate Wagner, Italian to appreciate Verdi, and Russian to appreciate Mussorgsky. 

--it's essentially a long dialogue between two characters (with orchestral participation) with almost no stage action.

This is the point.  It's easy to follow the action with just libretto and translation in hand.

[Lisztianwagner]

Wagner's operas (or better "music dramas") are masterpieces, so intense, poetic and powerful, they're absolutely worthy of being listened; but Wagner's music also needs great concentration to be completely appreciated, and the operas are very long, maybe they're not the more suitable choice to start with opera........

Beethoven's "Fidelio" is very beautiful, and so are Mozart's "Don Giovanni" and "Die Die Zauberflöte".

Ilaria

[jochanaan]

Having just become acquainted with this opera in the past year, I think The Cunning Little Vixen would be great for someone new to opera...

I agree.  Sadly, I'm not familiar with the entire opera, but I've played the orchestral suite, and it's just gorgeous.

[kishnevi]

Then one needs to speak German to appreciate Wagner, Italian to appreciate Verdi, and Russian to appreciate Mussorgsky. 

No.  The problem with Bluebeard's Castle is that it's essentially a pscyhodrama.  A man and a woman talk, woman walks around opening doors and describing what she sees, and finally she disappears through one of the doors.  There's not any real action, and no other characters to interrupt the flow of the conversation: it's a dialogue opera, pure and simple.

Which means:

This is the point.  It's easy to follow the action with just libretto and translation in hand.

is actually the reverse of what I consider best for a first hearing.  In fact, a libretto with translation is necessary, and that means distraction, an obstacle to actually hearing the opera.

I'd want a a first listen to need nothing more than having read a detailed synopses (including references to musical highlights) in order to understand what's going on.  Libretti are for re-hearing.

[Mirror Image]

No.  The problem with Bluebeard's Castle is that it's essentially a pscyhodrama.  A man and a woman talk, woman walks around opening doors and describing what she sees, and finally she disappears through one of the doors.  There's not any real action, and no other characters to interrupt the flow of the conversation: it's a dialogue opera, pure and simple.

Which means:

is actually the reverse of what I consider best for a first hearing.  In fact, a libretto with translation is necessary, and that means distraction, an obstacle to actually hearing the opera.

I'd want a a first listen to need nothing more than having read a detailed synopses (including references to musical highlights) in order to understand what's going on.  Libretti are for re-hearing.

Well Jeffrey, I eased right into Bluebeard with no problems. Apart of appreciating opera is understanding the composer's style before you even listen to the opera. In many cases, people find it easier to get into a highlights recording first before getting into the opera. These usually serve as templates, if you will, for helping them understand the harmonic, melodic outline of the music. The reason I thought Bluebeard is an easier opera to appreciate is for the simple fact that the singing and the music itself are intertwined and so important to each other, that it can become a work that creates a bridge that's easier to cross for the new listener.

[kishnevi]

Well Jeffrey, I eased right into Bluebeard with no problems. Apart of appreciating opera is understanding the composer's style before you even listen to the opera. In many cases, people find it easier to get into a highlights recording first before getting into the opera. These usually serve as templates, if you will, for helping them understand the harmonic, melodic outline of the music. The reason I thought Bluebeard is an easier opera to appreciate is for the simple fact that the singing and the music itself are intertwined and so important to each other, that it can become a work that creates a bridge that's easier to cross for the new listener.

You eased into it right away--but I don't remember (or perhaps you never mentioned) how early in your acquaintance with Bartok did you first listen to Bluebeard's Castle? Weren't you already acquainted with his overall style before you heard a note of the opera?

I would suggest, at any rate, that you have an above average awareness of Bartok's style--above average in comparison to the general musical listener, that is.  Your average opera goer in the mezzanine seat might not react so favorable to it.  (And, come to think of it, I'm not sure I would suggest anything by Bartok to anyone who's fairly new to classical music.)

At any rate, unless the person involved already has some experience of Bartok,  I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner in opera, at least in the CD version.  (A DVD with subtitles turned on would probably work, however.  Do you know of a good DVD version of Bluebeard?

[Mirror Image]

You eased into it right away--but I don't remember (or perhaps you never mentioned) how early in your acquaintance with Bartok did you first listen to Bluebeard's Castle? Weren't you already acquainted with his overall style before you heard a note of the opera?

I would suggest, at any rate, that you have an above average awareness of Bartok's style--above average in comparison to the general musical listener, that is.  Your average opera goer in the mezzanine seat might not react so favorable to it.  (And, come to think of it, I'm not sure I would suggest anything by Bartok to anyone who's fairly new to classical music.)

At any rate, unless the person involved already has some experience of Bartok,  I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner in opera, at least in the CD version.  (A DVD with subtitles turned on would probably work, however.  Do you know of a good DVD version of Bluebeard?

I've been in love with Bartok's music for many years and I have more than an "above average" awareness of his style or should I say styles, because his music fell into three distinct periods. I came to Bluebeard last because I'm not an opera fan and I'm still not entirely convinced by this medium.

You or I certainly can't predict what the listener will perceive, but I gave my reasons for thinking Bluebeard is a great place to start and I'm sticking to that opinion.

[Daverz]

No. 

Right.  No language issues in Wagner, Verdi or Mussorgsky.

The problem with Bluebeard's Castle is that it's essentially a pscyhodrama.

It's also short, and beautifully written and orchestrated.

[kishnevi]

Right.  No language issues in Wagner, Verdi or Mussorgsky.

It's also short, and beautifully written and orchestrated.

You're missing the point.  The problem for a neophyte with Bluebeard's Castle is that there's nothing which will clue him in on what's going on, unless he sits and stares at the libretto.  The closest you have to a obvious highlight is the opening of the doors to each room.  Dramaturgically, it's static.  Two people have a conversation;  at the end, one of them moves off into another room and is never seen again.  Period.

Wagner,  Verdi, Mussourgsky don't have that problem.  Different characters--meaning different voices--changes of scene--duets and ensemble pieces (in V.), choral scenes (especially in Boris Godunov),  arias and monologues.  There's musical and dramatic differences along the way that will clue in the listener, as long as he/she has read a sufficiently detailed plot synopses beforehand--but doesn't need a libretto or synopses in hand while listening.

[Daverz]

The problem for a neophyte with Bluebeard's Castle is that there's nothing which will clue him in on what's going on,

Of course there is: the opera is structured around the opening of the doors.  The emotional import of each door is also expressed very well by the music.  The stages are easy to follow.

The argument is kind of silly because there's no pat answer for what opera someone will find accessible.  You seem to think you can find some universal set of criteria, but any such criteria should be worn very lightly because as we've seen again and again here they often just don't work at all for other people.     

[Rinaldo]

I am wanting to start listening to opera, but I find the more intense operatic vocals a little confronting haha. I was wondering if I could get some recommendations for some good places to start?

See my username. Worked for me (as an opera newcomer, afraid of the operatic shrieking). I was enchanted.

http://www.youtube.com/v/p5enleDbQlY

Also, Satyagraha, if you're open to contemporary stuff. 11 / 19 on Met in HD.

Plus another vote for liška Bystrouška aka Cunning Little Vixen. Just charming!

[mc ukrneal]

The argument is kind of silly because there's no pat answer for what opera someone will find accessible.  You seem to think you can find some universal set of criteria, but any such criteria should be worn very lightly because as we've seen again and again here they often just don't work at all for other people.     

Literally, you re correct. But practically, I entirely disagree. And that is why there is this back and forth. For a significant majority of people, I think the criteria is something 'simple' and light, not too long, melodic, easy/clear/understandable story, and fun or funny. This is why I recommend Boheme and H&G, but this will entirely depend on the person. And this is a 'pat' answer in that it is the first answer knowing absolutely nothing else about the person.

I believe our diffrerences lie more with what criteria are being used and the priority of each in making a particular recommendation.  For example, I think Mussorgsky is not ideal because of length issues. I think Jeffrey has hit upon the criteria for why I would not recommend Bluebeard as a first for most people. I also think Fidelio is too serious for most people. But this is also why I don't mind Don Giovanni or Figaro as a recommendation - they are too long, but they have everything else in spades (especially the funny bit). 

BUT, if we know more abut the individual, these criteria will change and so I value the other suggestions as different ways to get into opera.

[Elgarian]

With no feedback from the OP it's hard to know how the recommendations are going down, but I can't resist adding my four-pennyworth:



Ignored and often rejected because Puccini didn't have time to get the ending right before he shuffled off this mortal coil, nevertheless this opera's first two Acts are full of the most delectable, bitter-sweet melodies that intertwine and beguile -  to the extent that all other operas may (temporarily) seem a little stiff. (And if the term 'bitter-sweet melodies' seems not-your-thing, you know you can stop reading now.) If someone had played this to me 40 years ago, my music-listening life might have been very different. As it is, they played me Gotterdammerung highlights, so it was still OK, but not the same.

Anyway, my point about La Rondine is not just that it's so damn gorgeous: it's that because the third Act is a bit of a shambles, you don't need to bother about it, and can just listen to the first two over and over again, and still be happy ever after because the second Act closes on a beautiful upbeat. So that old problem of commitment to the Big Slog (which opera can seem to demand) leading to the miserable ending, is absent.

http://www.youtube.com/v/0pjtsmV7FqM

Go on, fall in love with Magda. You know you want to.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Hard to go wrong with Smetana's The Bartered Bride. Its greatness lies in its understated excitement. The overture alone is a glorious listen:



http://www.youtube.com/v/4hLtLN87I90



A tender duet:



http://www.youtube.com/v/xjI8nvUqLFo&feature=related



More standard fare:


http://www.youtube.com/v/GBsguaQSXcY&feature=related




The recording with Benacková (who's featured in the above Youtube clips) is marvelous:



[asin]B00000DFNA[/asin]

[jochanaan]

Hard to go wrong with Smetana's The Bartered Bride. Its greatness lies in its understated excitement. The overture alone is a glorious listen:



http://www.youtube.com/v/4hLtLN87I90

And a magnificent performance, although I'm sorry to say I don't recognize the conductor...?  Obviously someone major but not a familiar face.  But yes, The Bartered Bride's overture has been one of my favorite pieces from childhood.  (And it's not easy to play either!  Like Mozart's music, it doesn't leave any room for error, and I can imagine that even the top orchestras can't take it for granted... )

[Mirror Image]

And a magnificent performance, although I'm sorry to say I don't recognize the conductor...?  Obviously someone major but not a familiar face.

I'm pretty sure that's Karel Ancerl. The famous Czech conductor.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

And a magnificent performance, although I'm sorry to say I don't recognize the conductor...? Obviously someone major but not a familiar face.

It's Vaclav Neumann (sorry, MI ).

Yes, major Czech conductor....not necessarily specializing in Czech music although that's all I have him in. First rate all the way

But yes, The Bartered Bride's overture has been one of my favorite pieces from childhood.  (And it's not easy to play either!  Like Mozart's music, it doesn't leave any room for error, and I can imagine that even the top orchestras can't take it for granted... )

The similarities to Mozart are indeed striking: precise, exacting, yet relying on something of a soft touch for maximum effect.

[Mirror Image]

It's Vaclav Neumann (sorry, MI ).

Oh, that's cool. I had my doubts of who it was. I wasn't 100% sure.