Operatic Titles and Plot-Lines you haven't heard - Page 2

EC8010 · 16th January 2006, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Christer
"Opera Anecdotes" by Ethan Mordden, a book that is highly recommended.

I hope you're right - I've just ordered a new copy for £8.24 (could have had a second-hand copy for about £2).

SY · 16th January 2006, 04:57 PM

My childhood definition of opera is "one of those plays where a guy gets stabbed and instead of bleeding, he sings."

Christer · 16th January 2006, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by EC8010

I hope you're right - I've just ordered a new copy for £8.24 (could have had a second-hand copy for about £2).

It's worth it if you like jokes from the opera world, believe me. Otherwise I'll reimbiurse you and sent the book to a friend.

Christer · 16th January 2006, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SY
My childhood definition of opera is "one of those plays where a guy gets stabbed and instead of bleeding, he sings."

Well, I think there was an occasion when they by mistake used a real knife in Tosca, instead of one where the blade yields. I suppose that Scarpia did acatually bleed, but if it was a real singer, when I think about it, Scarpia doesn't really have many lines after he is stabbed anyway.

Christer · 16th January 2006, 07:04 PM

To get back closer to the original topic, does Jack or anybody else know anything about this poster? It appeared on the back of a Swedish opera magazine in 89 without any further comments. I have always assumed it was a joke, but I have never been sure. Maybe such a performance actually did take place as some kind of popular version of Wagner?

EC8010 · 16th January 2006, 07:09 PM

I'm looking forward to the book's arrival. I favour Tina Turner as Brunnhilde...

audio-kraut · 16th January 2006, 07:19 PM

Its a good joke.
FZ would never have directed with arnold in any role, arnold would only play wotan, who his david lee roth anyway, and linda ronstadt as brunhilde is a joke after all, and bary couldn't wield a sword were it made out of balsawood.

Plus - the amplification needed for those "voices" would bust the budget of any opera house...

Christer · 16th January 2006, 07:32 PM

Yes, I suppose it is part of the joke that even if such an event should have taken place, it would have been a very wrong casting. Ronstadt and Manilow seem about as far away as possible from the type of voices required for a real performance. Still, I wonder what's the origin of that poster. Maybe it was the swedish magazine that made it up themselves as a joke, but maybe it is more likely to be something that circulated around in the opera world at the time, and they just put it on the back cover when they didn't have enough ads?

jackinnj · 17th January 2006, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by EC8010
I'm looking forward to the book's arrival. I favour Tina Turner as Brunnhilde...

there are two roles I would like to see Tina Turner in -- as the Marshchalin in "Rosenkav" (you get the idea -- instead of dainty Susan Graham we have a dominatrix as the marschalin) and as Queen of the Night in "Zauberflaute" - I don't think she can pull the high C's, however.

phase_accurate · 17th January 2006, 01:17 PM

I think the Queen of night is a very awkward role anyway: The light and flexible voices who can do "der hoelle rache ..." technically brilliant don't sound angry enough. Those who can sound powerful and angry (Tina Turner would fit in here nicely I think) aren't technically flexible enough......

One rock star who had at least some success with operatic repertoire was Roger Daltrey doing the "Beggars Opera".

Regards

Charles

16th January 2006, 04:57 PM	#12
SY diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Austin, TX Blog Entries: 1	My childhood definition of opera is "one of those plays where a guy gets stabbed and instead of bleeding, he sings." __________________ “Listening to records is like ****ing a picture of Brigitte Bardot.” - Sergiu Celibidache

16th January 2006, 07:09 PM	#16
EC8010 diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Near London. UK	I'm looking forward to the book's arrival. I favour Tina Turner as Brunnhilde... __________________ The loudspeaker: The only commercial Hi-Fi item where a disproportionate part of the budget isn't spent on the box. And the one where it would make a difference...

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16th January 2006, 07:19 PM	#17
audio-kraut diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: 12km off the alaska highway in northern BC	Its a good joke. FZ would never have directed with arnold in any role, arnold would only play wotan, who his david lee roth anyway, and linda ronstadt as brunhilde is a joke after all, and bary couldn't wield a sword were it made out of balsawood. Plus - the amplification needed for those "voices" would bust the budget of any opera house...

16th January 2006, 07:32 PM	#18
Christer diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Sweden	Yes, I suppose it is part of the joke that even if such an event should have taken place, it would have been a very wrong casting. Ronstadt and Manilow seem about as far away as possible from the type of voices required for a real performance. Still, I wonder what's the origin of that poster. Maybe it was the swedish magazine that made it up themselves as a joke, but maybe it is more likely to be something that circulated around in the opera world at the time, and they just put it on the back cover when they didn't have enough ads?

17th January 2006, 01:17 PM	#20
phase_accurate diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Switzerland	I think the Queen of night is a very awkward role anyway: The light and flexible voices who can do "der hoelle rache ..." technically brilliant don't sound angry enough. Those who can sound powerful and angry (Tina Turner would fit in here nicely I think) aren't technically flexible enough...... One rock star who had at least some success with operatic repertoire was Roger Daltrey doing the "Beggars Opera". Regards Charles

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