I Just Watched My First Opera

Today, I watched the live telecast from the Metropolitan of Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West. This is the first full opera I've ever watched, and I really enjoyed it, which really surprised me. The first act dragged a little bit (I actually fell asleep, but that was due more to me barely getting any sleep last night), but the rest was excellent. And, I was kind of dissapointed in the end. I mean, (SPOILER) no one even died. I thought people always died in operas (my grandmother informed me this was the first one she's seen where a character didn't die at the end). And, while I liked it, I want to see something a bit more traditional, or classic. The old west as a setting just doesn't scream opera to me.

The Met simulcasts these shows in a series throughout the year. The ones for the rest of the year are:

Adams’s Nixon in China
Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride
Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor
Rossini’s Le Comte Ory
Strauss’s Capriccio
Verdi’s Il Trovatore
Wagner’s Die Walküre

I guess a testament to my enjoyment is that I want to go back and see more. I really want to see Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride, Strauss’s Capriccio, and Wagner’s Die Walküre (though, this one scares me a little being 5 1/2 hours long and all--they had a shorter Wagner production earlier in the year that I missed. My grandmother said she didn't like it because it was so dark, which means I probably would have loved it.). I wouldn't mind seeing Verdi’s Il Trovatore, just because I've heard of Verdi.Adams’s Nixon in China sounds interesting (the music they played in the preview sounded cool), but story wise looks silly and ultimately uninteresting to me, so I'll probably skip that one. I have no interest in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor or Rossini’s Le Comte Ory.

So, what do you all think of opera. I know there has to be some opera watchers on this forum (I'm looking at you, StLukesGuild).

P.S. How is opera "general" music?

Watch them all while you have the chance, MM - they are all so different in style and presentation, it's a wonderful introductory 'season' for you. Certainly don't miss Lucia, wonderful belle canto singing. And Rossini may be a delightful discovery for you, unfailing 'feel good' music (nobody dies in his operas, usually!) - Juan Diego Flores is singing in it - there's a voice and a half for you.

I'm coming to New York in March specifically to see opera at the Met - I'll be seeing the Rossini, Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades, and Gounod's Romeo et Juliette (Angela Gheorghiu singing Juliette and Domingo conducting) - aren't I the lucky girl!

So glad you have enjoyed your first opera, MM - there's a whole new world of music waiting out there for you - enjoy it.

I plan to. But, I'm not sure if I'll see them all. Don't want to have an overload and be tired of it by the end. Don't get me wrong; I enjoyed it, but I am by no means in love with it, though (yet, that is).

I have tickets for Strauss' Salome in March and Puccini's La Boheme in May with Opera de Montreal.

The Met is pretty much the premier opera company in the world, you can't really go wrong with those operas either, I'm not too fond of Adams though.

what do you all think of opera. I know there has to be some opera watchers on this forum (I'm looking at you, StLukesGuild).

What's not to love? A merger of text/theater/poetry with music and all the visual splendor that goes with it. It was in many ways the greatest spectacle until film.

The Met simulcasts these shows in a series throughout the year. The ones for the rest of the year are:

Adams’s Nixon in China
Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride
Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor
Rossini’s Le Comte Ory
Strauss’s Capriccio
Verdi’s Il Trovatore
Wagner’s Die Walküre

Adams is a contemporary composer commonly linked with Minimalism. His opera would probably be the most difficult to grasp. Donizetti's Luccia di Lammermoor and Verdi's Il Trovatore are probably the closest to the traditional tragic operas of which you speak. By the way... there are plenty of operas in which no one dies (The Magic Flute, The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi fan tutte, are just a few of the immediate and most obvious example). The Donizetti and the Verdi, however, are both rousing good tragedies with lots of love and death... and laden with great music as well.

Comte Ory and Capriccio are both comic operas of a sort... both fine... but perhaps not the most traditional example of the high tragic opera.

Gluck was a key figure in the shift away from operas that were merely a vehicle for singers... especially castrato... and toward an opera in which all served to strengthen the drama. Gluck more fully developed the importance of the orchestra and moved away from flamboyant vocal fireworks toward a simpler "classical" vocal style (that would reach the peak with Mozart). His Iphigenia en Tauride is not a true tragedy in that the hero and heroine are saved at the last minute.

Die Walküre is probably the greatest opera presented here... but it is also quite demanding... and it pushes the boundaries of opera in such a way that may be difficult to grasp until one has more experience of the traditional opera. You can't beat this opera for all the great tragic themes: A forced marriage, passionate incestuous love that results in the birth of a great hero, the King of the Gods buckling before his wife, his daughter disobeying her father for love, the tragic death of the hero... and his killer, the stripping of Brünnhilde of her immortal status as a goddess and placing her in a deep sleep awaiting the hero who knows no fear... ala Sleeping Beauty. A true classic.

I booked myself a ticket yesterday (stalls middle of row D!) for the English Touring Opera's production of Mozart's, La clemenza di Tito. Having watched their le nozze di Figaro last year I was totally hooked and pretty much obsessed by opera for most of the year. I made the most of some excellent DVDs of various opera recordings and film versions of all the most obvious starting points, Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Rossini etc, as well as listening to recordings on CD/You Tube, Naxos Online, and saw a further production of le Nozze at the Royal Opera House in London. I have mostly left aside the Wagner as of yet though.

In addition to the sound advice already given, I would suggest listening to the more famous arias/pieces from operas and to take advantage of some excellent opera on DVD. Though certainly catch the MET live screenings for sure. There is also another opera thread and the classical music thread has loads of stuff on opera, so follow back through those if it takes your fancy.

So, what do you guys think of Puccini''s La Fanciulla del West? I enjoyed it, but I don't really have anything else to compare it too. It did seem a bit odd, the setting and all.

And I will check those out, Neely.