Saturday 23 November 2013

Yes! I do like opera...

I was reading an article online a few days ago about how a bunch of scientists have decided that taste in music does change over a lifetime and even punk-loving teens will listen to classical music in middle age....They found that tastes in music shift in line with 'key life challenges'....You don't say....lol I could of told them that!!

When I was a tween I loved Take That and cheesy pop music...Skip a few years and it was all about hardcore/trance music...Then back to chart music and a few more years it was love songs, classic rock and power ballads......Now I will listen to just about anything...

My tastes have mellowed though....I prefer classical and opera music to hardcore dance music as well as anything inbetween.....Yes I did say Opera!

I often listen to Opera....My favourite being Carmen....The story is just so tragic but great!

The Opera is set in1820 in Seville, Spain. The lead heroine is Carmen who is passionate, gorgeous & temperamental... In no time she wins the heart, of Don José who is a corporal of the dragoons (an elite group in the army). He has a promising career, but throws it all away, goes AWOL, and joins Carmen and a band of smugglers.

Having destroyed her lover’s career she tosses him off like a child bored with a new toy, and turns her affections to a new man – A bull fighter Escamillo. Unable to accept her rejection Don José confronts Carmen outside the arena where she awaits her new lover and he stabs her. The bullfighter, victorious in the ring, victorious in love, emerges to claim the woman with the crowd shouting his praises and they all find Don José with bloody hands sobbing over the lifeless body of Carmen.


I found a clip on YouTube of the English National Opera Production of Carmen and it looks amazing!!


Who said opera was boring!!

I have a list of other operas which I would like to see....Quite a few of them currently playing at the English National Opera....

The Magic Flute.....Mozart’s beloved magical tale follows Prince Tamino and bird-catcher Papageno on an adventure to rescue Princess Pamina. On their journey they meet fantastical creatures and face unexpected trials and challenges in a light-hearted but profound examination of man’s search for love and his struggle to attain wisdom and virtue.

Rodelinda.....An epic story of love, power and mistaken identity. Bertarido has been driven from his kingdom by Grimoaldo and is presumed dead, leaving behind his grieving wife, Rodelinda. Grimoaldo will imprison Rodelinda unless she agrees to marry him, thereby allowing him to seize Bertarido's throne for himself. But then the exiled king returns in disguise…

Madam Butterfly....Puccini's tragic love story tells of Butterfly, a young Japanese girl who falls in love with American naval officer Pinkerton. Shortly after their wedding, Pinkerton returns to America: Butterfly gives birth to a son and patiently awaits her husband's return, never giving up hope.

5 comments :

  1. You know what?... I have never been... I almost went once... but in the end... I didn't...
    I want to!
    I think it is something everyone should experience ... at least once

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  2. I have never been to the opera either, I think I would like to go and see something, like Madame Butterfly.

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  3. I have never been, I bet it is wonderful :)

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  4. I love pretty much any kind of music - apart from rap, hip hop, that sort of thing. My uncle introduced me to opera when I was in my teens. I've never been to see one live, but I will do one day. It's a very emotional type of music, I always think

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  5. I adore Opera, I've even taken classes. I prefer it to today's music which in my opinion has become somewhat of a joke. It's so lovely to see that other people enjoy the arts as much as I do !

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