As a way of saying thank you for helping him with his research, one of my professors offered me a pair of orchestra seats to any of the available operas for which he has tickets. I was initially just going to find a polite way of declining since I am definitely not the opera type. However, I mentioned it to my BF, and he wants to go. Neither of us have ever seen or heard an opera, but the BF thinks it would be a cool experience. I am definitely into new things, and now I am actually looking forward to attending a production. Question - which of the following would you suggest for us newbies? The first two productions are in Baltimore, and the rest in NYC.
Lady Macbeth OF Mtsensk
Madama Butterfly
Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Aida
Jenufa
Don Giovanni
La Bohème
La Traviata
Otello
Ariadne auf Naxos
Faust
Parsifal
La Boheme, La Traviata, and Madama Butterfly. They’re the easily recognisible by a massive audience who may or may not have any opera background. La Boheme will be the one with the most recognisible plotline; I believe that was the opera used in Pretty Woman, and it pretty much paralelled the story. Enjoy!
Actually, I believe Pretty Woman was inspired by Verdi’s La Traviata.
Some people have compared Andrew Lloyd Webber to Puccini, and he can craft a tune like noboby’s business; you’re likely to hear snippets that you already recognize – if you see a commercial for an Italian restaurant, there’s a good likelihood that the music is Un bel di from Madama Butterfly. His La Boheme was the basis behind the recent musical Rent.
For something lighter, you can try Mozart’s comedy Die Entführung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seraglio).
Eh, Lady Macbeth of Mtensk caught Joseph Stalin’s attention, and not in a good way. Probably not for newbies.
Well, what are your other tastes in music? Do you tend toward the Classic or the Romantic? The Lyric or the Dramatic? Want to go for Weighty Philosophy or just hear some nice tunes?
If we don’t know that, we’re just imposing our OWN tastes on you.
I personally would rather open a vein than sit through any of Hastur’s picks (not saying he’s not a fine fellow with a superb ear, we just like different music).
Me, I’d jump on that Parsifal before the prof reconsiders.
For someone new to opera I would recommend La Boheme. If you want a bit of a preview, watch the movie Moonstruck. The opera practically becomes a “character” in that film.
Um, well that’s the point. By way of background, we are both graduate students in our early twenties; and musically our tastes tend towards rock groups such as System of a Down, Transplants, Radiohead, Nirvana and classic rock groups like Pink Floyd not exactly classical/opera. I would definitely prefer watching something with social/political/philosophical/historical issues as opposed to a cheesy love story. My favorite writers are Kafka, Hesse, Camus, T.S. Eliot if that helps any. Other than that, I am open to ideas. Thanks for all the suggestions so far. BTW, why did you suggest Parsifal?
The Puccini operas (Butterfly and La Boheme (meaning: The Bohemian) are quite nice to watch and listen to; he wrote what could in many ways be considered operatic Broadway musicals. Any CD of Puccini hits will almost always include the three sequential “songs” from the first act of La Bohemesung by the hero, the heroine, and the both of them; it represents about 15 to 20 minutes of music that is quite worth listening to. Butterfly is more weighty, in the same way that Carousel was darker than, say Oklahoma.
The Verdi operas are more “classical” and more grand. Aida ihas quite often one of the most lavishly designed sets in all of opera; the Met often has real elephants paraded across the stage in the triumphal march. La Traviata has a drinking song that all opera lovers know quite well. While Verdi wasn’t as good at creating “songs” with his arias, his music is, perhaps, more classically “pretty” than that of Puccini. He also wrote Otello.
Mozart music is easier to get used to if you are not in tune with classical music. If you ever watched Amadeus, you’ll recognize quite a bit of the music in Don Giovanni (Don Juan).
And, while I would normally get all excited about “seeing” Wagner (Parsifal), of all his operas, that one has almost the least amount of commonly exerpted for concert music of any of his better known works. You’d be much better off waiting for your initiation into Wagner to watch Der Meistersinger von Nürnburg or Lohengrin. I might be wrong, but as I recall, Parsifal is one of the longest operas around requiring a break between two of the acts for dinner.
Just my two cents worth (possibly even less valuable…)
Also, if you choose Parsifal do not clap after the first act.
You’ll fit right in. The people who clap will be ostracized by the afficianados.
Act One of Parsifal is considered religious. Applause is considered rude.
Also, no talking!
Ever!
That goes for all of them.
If you do talk, you will sense the peer presure in a palpable way. It isn’t a big deal, but it is the expected social contract you make when attending.
Many of the Italian Operas listed are numbers operas. They are composed of separate musical “numbers” strung together. Bravos and applause (or booing) are expected upon completion of a musical number. This helps break the acts up, and provides you with some relief.
Parsifal (Wagner in general) and a couple of the others are continuous opera. Absolutely not one peep until the curtain comes down.
Not one!
DSYoungEsq provided a very nice and concise breakdown, which should help you choose.
I’m a Wagnerian. I respect Ricky as one of the towering intellects of the 19th century, and approve of the directions he led not only music, but all of the fine arts. I don’t mind his tendency towards grandiosity, nor the fact that those Nazi apes decided fifty years after his death that he was cool beans.
Two years ago I visited the town on the Amalfi coast where Wagner worked on Parsifal, including the palazzo that served as the inspiration for the castle of Klingsor.
I’ve never seen a live production of Parsifal.
I was listening to a CD of Parsifal earlier today.
I hate them damn Italian rinky-tink operas. My second choice would be Mozart’s Don Giovanni.
Okay, I have been listening to samples from some of these on the internet. Not the best way I know, but it did give me a better idea of what to expect. Narrowed it down to Madama Butterfly and La Bohème. The music was incredibly beautiful. God only knows what that portends for my musical future. And, since La Bohème would give us an excuse to go to NYC, it looks like a lock. Thanks for information on Parsifal, I can’t see either one of us making it through that at this point.
Another question, I am guessing that the Metropolitan Opera is not the place for t-shirts and jeans (just kidding). Are dark suits okay, or do we need to whip out the tuxedos?
Tuxedos will make you look foolish.
They are for opening night only.
I seem to recall reading in Opera News years ago that the police tried an undercover sting there (against cocaine dealers) while wearing tuxedos. All the cops were standing out like sore thumbs.
No cite, sorry. (might even be an UL)
Just wear nice clothes. Look good, and you’ll be fine.
Bravo-for males
Brava- for females
Bravi- for mixed, ensembles, or chorus
I don’t ever boo, but some folks do. Make up your own mind on that one. Luciano Pavarotti is one singer I have heard booed BTW. He held onto notes (admittedly with fermati) in a way that some people viewed as selfish or grandstanding. Got him booed at a production of Aida.
BuckleberryFerry’s selection seems the most obvious to me, though not necessarily in that order: Madama Butterfly would be my first pick for an intro. (I recently sat through a 1920s silent porn flick version of it, so can’t be that difficult to understand …)
jmpride62, this is something you do need to be warned about.
Most operas these days are performed in their original language. Unless you are so incredibly fluent in Italian (or German, in the case of Wagner) that you can make out words belted out at triple-forté by an unsympathetic coloratura-soprano and translate them in your head, make sure that whatever opera you see has supertitles! (They’re like subtitles, except they appear above the stage rather than below the scene.)
…on the other hand, you could familiarize yourself with the libretto BEFORE attending.
This is the way we did it in the Mesozoic Era, before supertitles were invented. Occasionally the violoncello section was eaten by Tyrannosaurs, but we LIKED IT that way.