I was reading the libretto to Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) by Mozart when I saw the following lines, sung by Monostatos:
Alles fühlt der Lieve Freuden, (All may feel the joys of love,)
Schnabelt, tandelt, hertzt und küßt; (trifle, flirt, fondle and kiss;)
Und ich sollt’ die Liebe meiden, (and I abstain from love,) (more…)
Opera music can be a bit much to chew early in the morning, but here are a few pieces that I find go well with my morning coffee.
Although not an aria, it just can’t get much more beautiful than that, can it? Those french horns – wow! “Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral” is from Wagner’s Lohengrin. I think the title of the piece does a fairly good job explaining what’s happening in the opera when you hear it. (more…)
Here are a few full-length operas on YouTube with English subtitles. Isn’t it amazing that you can watch full-length operas for free in the comfort of your own home? Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), Mozart Opera Sense recommended recordings of Die Zauberflöte: Tristan und Isolde, Wagner Opera Sense recommended recordings Read more…
A few of the “greatest hits” from the operatic repertory:
Overture to Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro). While none of the music in the overture returns in the opera itself, it certainly does an excellent job setting the stage for the “day of madness” that is to follow. (more…)
I’m with Wagner when he talks about how opera is (or should be) a gesamtkunstwerk – one of those terms that tends to pop up on college music history quizzes. I think of this term as describing an all-encompassing art form, a grand synthesis of media. Undoubtedly this describes opera, Read more…
Start your day off right… Nothing can beat this “Bella figlia dell’amore” from Rigoletto with Pavarotti and Sutherland. What a fantastic quartet!
Many people (shall we say most?) find opera somewhat inaccessible. I get that – it’s old, boring, and sung in foreign languages. It’s also not easy to break free from the “it ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings” vibe; how often is opera depicted in shows, movies, or cartoons as some fat lady with brass chest plates belting out god-knows-what over an 80 member orchestra? My goal: (more…)