Opera nerds?

[Eryveth]

Here's a fun one.

I'm wondering if anybody else is interested in opera. I personally am a little bit of a nerd, I've been watching all the livestreams that the Met has been posting online, it's been quite fun actually. It's one way to spend quarantine!

I did take music in university so that's where my interest began, and it has since evolved into a passion. I love all classical music, but am lately listening to/watching opera a fair bit. It kills time for when there isn't exactly much to do!

I guess I'll list a few of my favourites, and you guys can do the same, if this post gets any attention.

• Wagner Tristan und Isolde - This one is hands down my favourite opera of all time. Of course Wagner as a person was questionable, but I try to isolate that from his music, because it is ridiculously good
• Weber Der Freischütz - This was the opera that made me like opera to begin with. Especially the Wolf Glen scene. I haven't actually watched this one, but I feel like it would be a good one to look up if there's a chance! (Or maybe the Met will stream it in the upcoming weeks)
• Mozart Marriage of Figaro and Rossini Barber of Seville - I mention them together because they do involve the same characters, and I find Rossini definitely was inspired by Mozart in some ways, despite writing music to the previous part of the story. Either way, both extremely entertaining operas, and I would be very bad if I didn't mention some comic operas (despite my love for the tragedies).
• Verdi Macbeth - I can't really call myself an opera nerd if I didn't mention a single Italian opera seria, so here it is. Verdi, albeit a bit musically conservative when compared to Wagner, really brings out the emotion in these characters. And as a Shakespeare nerd as well, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Macbeth, Otello or Falstaff. Gotta love them all. (For those who end up reading this post in the next 24 hours, Macbeth is streaming on the Met's website).
• Wagner's Ring Cycle - I feel like if I didn't mention this beast, I would just have to walk myself out of any musicologist meetings I go to in the future. You'll find I like Wagner quite a bit. German Romantic serious opera is my personal favourite, and Wagner really stands for that genre of opera. Particularly Die Walküre is a ridiculously beautiful show. I studied a lot of Wagner in my final semester of my undergrad, and wrote a few papers on him, so I am definitely biased to his music, but this one is a must listen to, if you like German opera, and have 20 odd hours to spare.

Alright, that's all from me. I'm mostly just curious to see if anybody will respond on here to such a topic.

Cheers! Keep washing those hands, y'all!

Love.

 

[Tanakalian]

While I am certainly no buff, or nerd (your own words) like you. Never have watched any of the streams, for their ridiculous prices (I have worked for a small cinema chain that did those streams), I have seen two really good versions of Das Ring der Nibelungen both shown over four consecutive evenings (both on German public TV). The first time was at the end of the 1980s, the second time at the end of the 1990s, so you'll have to forgive me for not remembering who performed.

It's just a shame that the musician (composer) Wagner is a (seemingly) different person than the man (politician) Wagner. Controversial as a man/politician is an understatement. But with you having studied him, I certainly won't have to explain what I mean.

(This is another case where it helps that I know a little bit of a lot of things, lol).