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This is a wonderful resource, and full of great recommendations for beginner and 'expert' alike. There doesn't seem to be a thread devoted specifically to opera, but I wanted to chime in on a few counts. I've been a devoted opera fan since c2002, and have made an effort to see as many live and simulcast productions as possible. Some of the most noteworthy of the past few years were (naturally), the Ring Cycle produced by Lepage at The Met (particularly Die Walkure), The Lyric's 2009 production of Tristan und Isolde, and (though I'm a Wagner/Romantics snob, I found it profoundly moving and beautiful) Berlioz's Damnacion de Faust at the 2009 Met. Seriously, if you are anywhere near a simulcast theater - http://www.metopera.org - go see a performance!. In 2007, I lived in Prague -- and the impetus of choosing the city was the ready availability of world-class opera, symphony, and ballet on a student's budget (I saw about 40 productions over 3 months, and tickets averaged $10 USD). I saw shows without regard for what they were, but rather for the ready availability of fantastic performances of all genres. (That said, the modern dance performance at Narodni Divadlo (National Theater) to Tom Waites' music is something I could have done without). Like most other interests and passions requiring consumption and discernment of preferences, I'd really recommend just listening to as much as possible, regardless of immediate inclinations, and not overlooking what immediately may seem uninteresting. It took me a long time to appreciate comedic opera, but I'll always have a soft spot for Lehar's Merry Widow. There are a wonderful selection of short books that introduce and de-mystify Wagner, Bryan Magee's Aspects of Wagner is an excellent resource, as is his book The Tristan Chord (a more thorough evaluation of philosophy related to Wagner's works. Adorno's In Search of Wagner is for a bit more of a theoretical framework, and Zizek's introductory essay is actually very good. Finally, the Spencer translation of Wagner's The Ring of the Nibelung contains the libretto for the 'Cycle and has superb verso English translation. Also holy gently caress not sure I could shoe-horn more blowhard pretension into this post. I never get to nerd-out over this stuff.
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Jan 29, 2013 11:45
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| # ¿ May 4, 2024 00:44 |
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