View Full Version : Any opera fans out there? (Music not browser)
fatality_uk
November 5th, 2010, 08:04 PM
Evening all.
I wondered if anyone could give me some tips on easy listening Opera arias to get my taste acclimatised before jumping into watching/listening to full five act versions.
Obviously, "Nessun dorma" is in there already.
wilee-nilee
November 5th, 2010, 09:05 PM
I don't use it often but it is a good browser. FF just has easier addon capability. I assume your aware of this addblock list for using in opera.
http://www.fanboy.co.nz/adblock/opera/
I guess I missed the arias part DOH.;)
coffeecat
November 5th, 2010, 09:38 PM
I was going to suggest getting one of those CD compilations of favourite arias, but I came across this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Opera-Dummies-David-Pogue/dp/0764550101/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288989041&sr=8-1
I don't know it, but there's a 60-minute CD with it and David Pogue writes well (at least about MacOS) so at £8.84 it seems good value.
My favourite is the Queen of the Night aria from Mozart's Magic Flute. Sung by a first-rate soprano, it'll raise the hairs on the back of your head, but not exactly easy listening.
One word of warning: inevitably a Wagner fan may pop their head up. The musical world is divided into two types of people: those who love Wagner and those who can't stand it. Listening to Wagner needs - um - dedication. My own personal feeling about Wagner's music is that it is probably better than it sounds.
I don't use it often but it is a good browser.
But can it hit a top C?
Quadunit404
November 5th, 2010, 09:53 PM
I don't use it often but it is a good browser. FF just has easier addon capability. I assume your aware of this addblock list for using in opera.
http://www.fanboy.co.nz/adblock/opera/
Thread title: Any opera fans out there? (Music not browser)
:D
wilee-nilee
November 5th, 2010, 09:55 PM
I was going to suggest getting one of those CD compilations of favourite arias, but I came across this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Opera-Dummies-David-Pogue/dp/0764550101/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1288989041&sr=8-1
I don't know it, but there's a 60-minute CD with it and David Pogue writes well (at least about MacOS) so at £8.84 it seems good value.
My favourite is the Queen of the Night aria from Mozart's Magic Flute. Sung by a first-rate soprano, it'll raise the hairs on the back of your head, but not exactly easy listening.
One word of warning: inevitably a Wagner fan may pop their head up. The musical world is divided into two types of people: those who love Wagner and those who can't stand it. Listening to Wagner needs - um - dedication. My own personal feeling about Wagner's music is that it is probably better than it sounds.
But can it hit a top C?
You mean a big bouncy C, I have to use my flute to hit it myself, or go altissimo register on my tenor sax.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigurd_Rasch%C3%A8r
I know many think the sax is not a real instrument, but I think John Coltrane amongst others showed the depth it can reach.
And now back to Opera.;)
ttakun
November 5th, 2010, 10:13 PM
I am not a real expert in opera, but I have just listened to some old CDs at home.
From my experience:
Author / Opera / Aria
Giuseppe Verdi / La Traviata / Libiamo ne'lieti Calici
Giuseppe Verdi / La Traviata / Lunge da lei per me non v'ha diletto!
Giuseppe Verdi / La Traviata / De' miei bollenti spiriti
Giuseppe Verdi / Rigoletto / La Donna e Mobile
Giuseppe Verdi / Rigoletto / Bella figlia dell'amore
Giuseppe Verdi / Il Trovatore / Vedi! Le foshe notturne
Giuseppe Verdi / Aida / Marcia
Giuseppe Verdi / Nabucco / Va pensiero
Giacomo Puccini / La Boheme / Quando men vo
Gaetano Donizetti / L'elisir d'amore / Una furtiva lacrima
Georges Bizet / Carmen / Prelude
Georges Bizet / Carmen / L'amour est un oiseau rebell (Havanaise)
Georges Bizet / Carmen / Votre toast ... je peux vous le rendre (Aire du Toréador)
Leo Delibes / Lakmé / ¿?
That was the latin composers. But don't forget the German ones
As someone has told you before ... Wagner has great overtures and needs "dedication" (Die Walkure, Lohengrin, ...). Wonderful stuff.
And as a first whole opera to listen, I would recommend you Mozart's "Magic Flute"
Brent0
November 5th, 2010, 10:45 PM
You mean a big bouncy C, I have to use my flute to hit it myself, or go altissimo register on my tenor sax.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigurd_Rasch%C3%A8r
I know many think the sax is not a real instrument, but I think John Coltrane amongst others showed the depth it can reach.
And now back to Opera.;)
Fellow saxophone player here. :) I get into more classical literature. I used to be all about jazz and Coltrane but I strayed away from that with my studies in school. I mostly study modern stuff.
wilee-nilee
November 5th, 2010, 10:55 PM
Fellow saxophone player here. :) I get into more classical literature. I used to be all about jazz and Coltrane but I strayed away from that with my studies in school. I mostly study modern stuff.
John was my hero, as you can see in my avatar. I had many of his transcribed solos and could play them note for note.
I took that influence and the lydian chromatic method to just be part of full improv multimedia situations, a modern approach. I also play fretless bass and the flute so I could move around as a player in groups. I don't play much anymore though.
ratcheer
November 5th, 2010, 10:55 PM
I enjoy opera, but I do not know much about it. My favorite aria is The Habanera from Carmen, by Bizet.
Tim
ttakun
November 5th, 2010, 11:09 PM
I forgot Carl Orff's Carmina Burana -> Oh Fortuna
Who has not ever listen to this :guitar:? Maybe it's not an opera, but I really like it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HMQOX3h7ZI
MickS
November 5th, 2010, 11:21 PM
What I like to do when I'm in the mood is take any or the arias that have been mentioned and put them in YouTube, then follow the various links and read some of the comments. Sometimes it's fun just listening/watching different performances of the same song.
YouTube is a fantastic resource for exploring opera.
Mick
coffeecat
November 5th, 2010, 11:44 PM
YouTube is a fantastic resource for exploring opera.
What a good idea. Diana Damrau as the Queen of the Night. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvuKxL4LOqc)
She doesn't start singing until about 2 minutes in, but then it's mesmerising.
TheNessus
November 6th, 2010, 12:58 AM
I like opera singing, but not opera music.
Since I like Heavy Metal, I naturally like gothic-metal music that incorporates opera singing with heavy metal :)
example? of course :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfjaHUgmzjg
NightwishFan
November 6th, 2010, 01:07 AM
I like Vide Cor Meum (produced by Hans Zimmer). Though as for any tips, opera is really an acquired taste in my opinion.
thehipho
November 6th, 2010, 02:30 AM
Classical and opera are great music to relax to.
PC_load_letter
November 6th, 2010, 06:16 PM
I do not consider myself an Opera fan (not even close), but there is a piece that gives me goose bumps every time I listen to it, it's Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5: Aria (Cantilena) from the Grusin/Ritenour album "Two Worlds (http://www.amazon.com/Two-Worlds-Grusin-Ritenour-Dave/dp/B00004XR4R/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1289063657&sr=1-1)" w/ singer Renee Fleming.
If any of you guys can recommend similar stuff, I'd really appreciate it.
fatality_uk
November 6th, 2010, 06:48 PM
Cheers all. Great stuff for me to be going on with there.
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