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Post by newt5996 on Aug 31, 2017 0:45:50 GMT
For one of my college English courses I have the opportunity to see Guiseppe Verdi's Rigoletto. The only things I know about it is La donna mobile as sung by Jon Pertwee in Inferno. So I kind of am asking what do I expect going to an opera? I don't speak Italian so I'm afraid I won't understand it. Much appreciated
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Aug 31, 2017 0:53:43 GMT
Here is a libretto for RigolettoHere is a complete recording of RigolettoSimply put, it is opera in the grand Italian style. It tells its story in different terms than we are used to seeing today. I think you should learn what you need to know and then go and let the music wash over you. |
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Post by number13 on Aug 31, 2017 20:43:49 GMT
Most of the audience won't understand the words either! (I certainly cannot.) Unless they are lucky enough to be fluent in Italian, in this case, or are those dedicated opera enthusiasts who know the translated version by heart and can fit it to the music in real time. Some opera houses now use a scrolling text display by the stage to show the English text, but the words are secondary in the story-telling. Most operas have simple plots where if you know the story vaguely, the music and the performers convey that (usually very dramatic) story through emotion and action as much as through words - like ballet, but with song instead of dance. Opera should not be thought of as an 'eliteist' art form - some are great art, yes, but there are many others that are now forgotten. Most operas were originally written as mass entertainment, providing drama and spectacle to pull in the crowds night after night like the blockbuster movies of their day. Some composers probably wished their audiences were more elite... At least one opening night ended in a riot because the crowd were displeased and showed it, forcefully! And if the Third Doctor hummed it during his time stuck on Earth, that is the ultimate seal of approval ... #Doctor non mobile...#  |
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Aug 31, 2017 20:57:46 GMT
And you might want to check if the opera company you are going to see projects subtitles during the performance.
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Post by newt5996 on Sept 1, 2017 2:13:54 GMT
And you might want to check if the opera company you are going to see projects subtitles during the performance. I don't believe they do, it's the Lyric Opera in Chicago and the website isn't very helpful on that front. |
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Post by newt5996 on Sept 1, 2017 2:29:27 GMT
Most of the audience won't understand the words either! (I certainly cannot.) Unless they are lucky enough to be fluent in Italian, in this case, or are those dedicated opera enthusiasts who know the translated version by heart and can fit it to the music in real time. Some opera houses now use a scrolling text display by the stage to show the English text, but the words are secondary in the story-telling. Most operas have simple plots where if you know the story vaguely, the music and the performers convey that (usually very dramatic) story through emotion and action as much as through words - like ballet, but with song instead of dance. Opera should not be thought of as an 'eliteist' art form - some are great art, yes, but there are many others that are now forgotten. Most operas were originally written as mass entertainment, providing drama and spectacle to pull in the crowds night after night like the blockbuster movies of their day. Some composers probably wished their audiences were more elite... At least one opening night ended in a riot because the crowd were displeased and showed it, forcefully! And if the Third Doctor hummed it during his time stuck on Earth, that is the ultimate seal of approval ... #Doctor non mobile...# That's good to know. I'm going to have to attend some lectures to understand the plot, and opera in general, etc. |
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Post by Audio Watchdog on Sept 1, 2017 2:37:54 GMT
And you might want to check if the opera company you are going to see projects subtitles during the performance. I don't believe they do, it's the Lyric Opera in Chicago and the website isn't very helpful on that front. I love the Lyric. |
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Post by newt5996 on Sept 1, 2017 2:40:05 GMT
I don't believe they do, it's the Lyric Opera in Chicago and the website isn't very helpful on that front. I love the Lyric. Never been. Hopefully the price isn't that high. I'm apparently getting a lower rate, but no word yet. |
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Post by newt5996 on Oct 17, 2017 1:00:58 GMT
Updating this as I go to Rigoletto Thursday, in the First Balcony of the Lyric Opera in Chicago, for the low low price of absolutely free. Will update afterwards with thoughts
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