# I'm going to the opera for the first time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 18, 2025, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786 "2025-03-18T19:34:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2025, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/41 "2025-03-19T16:50:24Z")
Thanks everyone for the great responses so far. I have gone from skeptically nervous to really looking forward to it. Now I need to find a date. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2025, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/42 "2025-03-19T19:41:13Z")
Another thought that’s occurred before when people are going to an opera for the first time: don’t expect verisimilitude or strict realism in the overall situation/plot and casting, rather focus on how the music conveys the emotion/mood of the individual moment. The singers might not look like love’s young dream, the plot might seem nonsensical, but is this or that aria making you feel the character’s joy or despair, love or hatred - never mind how it comes about. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2025, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/43 "2025-03-19T19:53:06Z")
I’d never been to an Opera before about a year and a half ago, when my bell choir got a new director who is an opera singer. So to be supportive, we’ve been to the opera three times. The second one was _Don Giovanni_ (I think). It was a spectacle in the best way, even though the plot was annoying and with respect to your point about strict realism . . . Don Giovanni’s servant had long hair and a full beard. And somehow he’s supposed to disguise himself as his master (who had short hair and probably no beard)? (I was also disappointed in the costumes-- the chorus (male and female) wore ill-fitting tuxedos. ). Since then, I’ve seen _the Marriage of Figaro_–which was straight up delightful (and WAY TOO LONG). My first opera was actually _Susannah_ which is “Opera but make it Appalachia” and that one was super awesome . . . except for the way that the title character is treated by almost all the other characters. That one did try the hardest for realism. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2025, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/44 "2025-03-19T20:10:54Z")
Paging @Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela to see if he has any insight. He’s also an opera singer. Pretty neat we have (at least) two opera singers on the board! ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2025, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/45 "2025-03-19T20:11:54Z")
Mrs. Mouse would be happy to accompany you. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2025, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/46 "2025-03-19T20:23:16Z")
Haha. You’re not getting off the hook, buddy. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2025, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/47 "2025-03-19T20:56:52Z")
> [@Eureka](#): > > My first opera was actually _Susannah_ which is “Opera but make it Appalachia” and that one was super awesome . . . except for the way that the title character is treated by almost all the other characters. Well, whaddaya expect in an opera, a happy ending? ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2025, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/48 "2025-03-19T21:27:50Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > Well, whaddaya expect in an opera, a happy ending? Opera is where someone gets stabbed and then they start singing. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2025, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/49 "2025-03-19T22:06:21Z")
I had been warned to “protect my heart” and look up a synopsis before I bought tickets. And, while I’d never seen an Opera, I did in fact grow up in a house that sometimes listens to the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday Afternoons, so, no, I didn’t expect a happy ending. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2025, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/50 "2025-03-20T07:38:14Z")
> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#): > > Well, whaddaya expect in an opera, a happy ending? Try _Cosi Fan Tutte_, or _L’Elisir d’Amore_ ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/51 "2025-03-21T03:04:51Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Tolkien said that the only similarity between his ring and Wagner’s ring is that they are both round. But he was overstating this a bit because of his dislike of Wagner; both works have magic rings that enslave the owner’s will, a riddle contest, a broken weapon preserved for its heir, and other motifs in common. Those motifs predate Wagner considerably. Both the broken sword and the cursed ring, for example, are prominent in the Völsunga saga, one of the sources Wagner and Tolkien used in common. And Wagner’s “riddle contest” is really more of a general knowledge quiz. Motifs aside, the plots have very little in common, other than elements of epic fantasy (swords, heroes, dragons, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![Moonrise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonrise/32/14764_2.png) [@Moonrise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonrise)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2025, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/52 "2025-03-21T09:33:20Z")
> [@Eureka](#): > > The second one was _Don Giovanni_ (I think). It was a spectacle in the best way, even though the plot was annoying and with respect to your point about strict realism While I listen mainly to classical music, I’ve never been able to really get into opera apart from at most half a dozen works, but _Don Giovanni_ is my favourite. The [Commendatore scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH4gJWCV-8U), where the titular character, blinded by vanity, gets his comeuppance is perhaps one of the most arresting moments in Western music. There are too many wonderful details to point out, but I love how the servant, who was bascally comic relief for the whole opera, becomes the voice of reason : _Ah padron! Siam tutti morti._ (Ah Sir, we’re all dead."), _Dite di no!_ (Tell him no!) ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/53 "2025-03-22T02:01:11Z")
For a beginner, a great opera to start with is Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffmann”. It’s a three-in-one powerhouse with a little of everything. The first tale is a comedy, the second is a mystical fantasy, and the third is a heartbreaking drama. Nothing but supremely beautiful music throughout. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2025, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/54 "2025-03-22T21:44:44Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > The only opera I’ve been to as an adult was in Verona Italy, in a 2000 year old Roman ampitheater, starting at 8:00 PM on a full moon warm summer evening. It was pretty amazing, even if we didn’t know anything about opera. > > [Imgur: The magic of the Internet](https://imgur.com/TGpMWFK) Mark me blown away. How incredible-looking this is !!! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/55 "2025-05-02T21:49:22Z")
The big day has arrived! I’ll give you all my thoughts tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/56 "2025-05-02T22:28:57Z")
Try to resist the (only natural) impulse to sing along … at the top of your voice 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2025, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/57 "2025-05-10T08:39:23Z")
@hajario so how was it? ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2025, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/58 "2025-05-10T12:33:21Z")
I was wondering, too! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2025, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/59 "2025-05-10T14:06:01Z")
Sorry friends. It slipped my mind. I liked it a lot. It was a comedic farce\* and very funny. The speaking parts between the arias were in English and definitely not a direct translation because there was lots of pun work and modern references. One of the best pieces of advice was to not bother to watch the supertitles during the arias which were in the original French. They didn’t realty further the plot and I saw quickly that it was best just to enjoy it. A lot of the songs stuck in my head the next day. I’ll probably go to another one if it fits my schedule and I like the score. \*two of my friends were there (small town) who saw that particular opera before and told me that the other production was preformed/directed like a tragedy. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2025, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786/60 "2025-05-10T14:17:09Z")
Thanks for the report, a very pleasant result. I believe the speaking parts in English and the arias in the original language works well. A bit strange at first but you catch on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-going-to-the-opera-for-the-first-time/1015786.md?page=4)