Comments on: 10 Operas You Didn’t Know You Already Like

By: sw

sw — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:10:27 +0000

the entirety of my opera knowledge comes from bugs bunny cartoons. sure, they portrayed drinking, smoking, cross dressing, and violence but has any ‘modern’ cartoon turned kids on to classical music?

By: Nancy

Nancy — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:27:44 +0000

Thanks for the information! I always enjoy what little opera I listen to, and have always wanted to learn more. Also, I owe much of the first exposure to the great music to the Warner Bros. cartoons of yore.

By: pridesax

pridesax — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:10:45 +0000

I am a major music fan and I am so glad you posted this! This is one of if not my favorite “Neat” things about this website! I recommend neatorama to everyone! Thanks again!

Pridesax

By: smak

smak — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:51:23 +0000

These are actually *arias*…not operas. But good post none-the-less! Like another poster pointed out, I can’t believe Vesti La Giubba (Pagliacci) was left out.

It’s a shame that liking opera is seen as snobby these days. So many people are missing out on truly beautiful music that was created for the masses!

Carmina Burana (O Fortuna), however, needs to die a quick, painful death.

By: Hannah

Hannah — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:39:05 +0000

If you want to hear fantastic versions of many of these operas you need to find the East Village Opera Company’s self titled album.

It will change how you see opera forever. And you’ll love it.

By: lunacy

lunacy — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:42:54 +0000

Very cool post by the way. I now want to go see an opera. It has been a long time. The last one being Carmen.

By: Moon

Moon — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:36:33 +0000

Michael McElreeNice selection, but a personal favourite is the duet from the Pearl Fishers - Au Fond du Temple Saint. Preferably with Jussi Bjorling (sp?) singing - Magnificent!

That was the one I would have suggested. Maybe not the Jussi Bjorling version, though. Hee.

I believe that the BBC voted that duet the best song ever last December.

Another great Bizet duet is the duet between Micaela and Don Jose from Carmen, I think it’s called “Parle-moi de ma mère!”

By: lunacy

lunacy — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:23:58 +0000

I first heard Wagner through Merry Melodies, as sung by Elmer Fudd.

Kill da wabbit, kill da wabbit:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LkcMVJuoWZ4

By: David N

David N — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:23:13 +0000

Another popular film that used the Flower Duet was True Romance. It’s used in the scene where Clarence’s father (Dennis Hopper) refuses to tell the Sicilian consigliere (Christopher Walken) Clarence’s whereabout, and the consigliere kills him.

By: Viola is too lazy to log in

Viola is too lazy to log in — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:05:31 +0000

O Fortuna is my cell phone ring. It’s epic.

By: DOJ

DOJ — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:48:53 +0000

“The Flower Duet” is on my trance CD (original at first, then techno remixed)
several of the others in my Looney Tunes collection
Rabbit of Seville is one of my favorites

By: Sheldon

Sheldon — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:06:21 +0000

I was about to be angry if Carmina Burana wasn’t up there, but it put a smile back on my face. I do love the Flower Duet and Carmen, but Carmina Burana is my all-time favorite.
If any of you get the chance, see the straight version of Madame Butterfly, it’s so much more powerful.

By: microbless

microbless — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:43:14 +0000

No mention of Pagliacci? That’s a great work that has been even been Paradoied in The Simpsons, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hiHB8E_x-4 and even a show like Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law http://www.adultswim.com/video/?episodeID=30a10d0c340d39e9b70b860601ac 0f13 now THAT’s a classic!

By: blackjackshellac

blackjackshellac — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:22:57 +0000

James white, I’d tell you what that scene does to a straight man, but this is a family forum after all.

By: Ali S.

Ali S. — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:54:22 +0000

@ Alex

Bravo! I can’t believe how true the title is! I’ve heard of every one of these operas in one form or another but never knew their names or who created them.

I’m fascinated by how multicultural the stories are actually. Here I always though because they were either sung in German, Spanish, or Italian that they would be about local stories. But some of them are quite far reaching across the globe!

Good stuff. My favourite opera has to be Ave Maria. The sad and ominous singing really hits the soul.

By: Blimpboy

Blimpboy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:43:40 +0000

Dido’s Lament, aka ‘When I am Laid in Earth’ from Purcell’s ‘Dido and Aeneas’ is the most beautiful aria I know.

And on the plus side for all the anglophone xenophobes of the opera world (cause they get real far), it’s in English!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiUCGO7XzrM

By: amanda.sue

amanda.sue — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:28:59 +0000

Thank you thank you thank you!!!

As an opera singer, I’m constantly faced with people turning up their noses when I tell them what I do. Thanks for showing that opera is indeed for the masses!!

By: ripper

ripper — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:56:48 +0000

You left off Diana Damrau as Queen of the Night II -clip here- http://youtube.com/watch?v=DvuKxL4LOqc&feature=related

By: Michael McElree

Michael McElree — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:05:02 +0000

Nice selection, but a personal favourite is the duet from the Pearl Fishers - Au Fond du Temple Saint. Preferably with Jussi Bjorling (sp?) singing - Magnificent!

By: DanO

DanO — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:19:04 +0000

I’ve never heard the Flower Duet for British Airways (before my generation perhaps?) but I know it’s used in the Shawshank Redemption.

By: stacyj

stacyj — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:57:43 +0000

Just wanted to say that I really like the fact that you just had a summary on the main page - it’s a neat article and I enjoyed reading it, but I also really appreciated being able to scroll past it -quickly- to see the posts underneath first =) I hope you consider doing this for other longish posts in the future …

By: bean

bean — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 11:25:09 +0000

I’m surprised you mentioned Einstein on the Beach instead of Satyagraha, Philip Glass’ epic opera about the independence of India. I don’t know of any other operas with songs in both Russian and Hindi.

By: ted

ted — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:53:11 +0000

I hope you mean playing on a tape, and not the number one song played during a rape - although that would make some kind of creepy sense.

By: Robert Biebricher

Robert Biebricher — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:52:31 +0000

Sorry, the are again.

By: Robert Biebricher

Robert Biebricher — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:51:22 +0000

Why is none of the videos not available anymore on youtube?

By: Miss Cellania

Miss Cellania — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:47:49 +0000

A few years ago, someone did a survey to find out what song was most commonly being played on the radio (or rape or CD) when a vehicle crashes. The number one song was Ride of the Valkyries. It makes some kind of sense.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:34:45 +0000

I normally don’t care for summarizing articles on the front page, but this one is particularly long. So there. Fixed that for you!

By: James White

James White — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:00:09 +0000

Lakmé: The Flower Duet - also heard in the film The Hunger (1983), when Catherine DeNeuve seduces Susan Sarandon. I’m gay, but that scene takes my breath away, so I can’t imagine what it does to straight men! David Bowie also stars, so it’s worth checking out.

By: Rosi

Rosi — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 08:49:51 +0000

The opera sung by the Diva in the Fifth Element is Il Dolce Suono from Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti (think that’s how you spell it…). You can probably guess that they’ve changed the ending a bit though…
I’m suprised you didn’t include Sull’aria from the Marriage of Figaro by Mozart, which was featured in the Shawshank Redemption (it’s played over the tannoy to the entire prison). It’s a fantastic song.
Also, I can’t hear Ride of the Valkyries any more without thinking to myself “Kill da wabbit, kill da wabbit! Kill da wabbit!”

By: just a guy

just a guy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:56:32 +0000

Yes, the 5th element Opera kicked ass. (although I like a lot of these here.)

Also, if you wanted to include another ‘modern’ Opera, you could have included the Italian performance of “Aria Di’ Mezzo Catarre”, the Opera from the the game Final Fantasy 3 (known as #6 in Japan).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaavtbeP2g0

Also, I agree with jmp478. I wish huge, multi-entry posts were constrained to the first entry.

ALSO, I’m not a fan of Phillup Glass. He posters as Avant Garde, but it falls flat to me, an attept as transparent as his name.