How can I enjoyOpera more?
March 4, 2017 7:16 AM Subscribe
The Opera is Così fan tutte written by Mozart and performed in Italian. What do Opera lovers do to enjoy the experience of listening without understanding?
I love to hear the amazing power of a good Opera singer but really don't have much experience with Opera and have found I get bored pretty quickly if it's not in English. What should I be doing to get the most out of it? I can easily enjoy the symphony, that just comes naturally for me whereas Opera not so much. What am I missing? This is a 3 hour performance. I'm reading up on the story now so that I can at least see the story going on but I would like to know how to listen to Opera.
I love to hear the amazing power of a good Opera singer but really don't have much experience with Opera and have found I get bored pretty quickly if it's not in English. What should I be doing to get the most out of it? I can easily enjoy the symphony, that just comes naturally for me whereas Opera not so much. What am I missing? This is a 3 hour performance. I'm reading up on the story now so that I can at least see the story going on but I would like to know how to listen to Opera.
Many opera performances have subtitles or subtitles which show translated lyrics in real time. It sounds like you're anticipating a specific upcoming performance. If you haven't been to this particular venue before for an opera, their website probably explains whether they have subtitles.
Otherwise, I'd read over the libretto a few times and possibly pick the key arias and read the translation while listening to recordings. This way you have milestones in the opera that you can look forward to and that will at that point be familiar to you.
Have fun!
posted by bunderful at 7:29 AM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
Otherwise, I'd read over the libretto a few times and possibly pick the key arias and read the translation while listening to recordings. This way you have milestones in the opera that you can look forward to and that will at that point be familiar to you.
Have fun!
posted by bunderful at 7:29 AM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
*should be subtitles or surtitles
Also, Opera for Dummies helped me.
posted by bunderful at 7:50 AM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
Also, Opera for Dummies helped me.
posted by bunderful at 7:50 AM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
Knowing the story going in helps, but honestly, even when opera is sung in English I can somehow have difficulty following all of the words because the vocal virtuosity is so intense. For me personally, I enjoy opera for the spectacle: I tend to focus on the technical abilities on display with the singers--her range is so amazing! His breath control is phenomenal! That deep note felt like it rattled in my chest!--and then on the fun of the sets, costuming, etc. (Hopefully the version you're seeing will feature a hot-air balloon!).
posted by TwoStride at 7:51 AM on March 4, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by TwoStride at 7:51 AM on March 4, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'm actually not a fan of the subtitles, because I find them distracting - I get caught up reading them and miss the performance. (And I'm at least functionally familiar with the plots and text of several operas). You've already made the perfect start in familiarizing yourself with the basic story. Namlit's suggestion to watch a DVD is spot on. Most opera has been so 'done' that much of the audience is at least familiar with the musical highlights, and the reason people keep singing and attending is to hear each artist's interpretation of the material. So, getting familiar with the material will help you appreciate this presentation of it.
Also, let yourself get caught up in the visuals. Some opera lovers love it for the costumes and set design as much as for the music. (Compare opera to Shakespeare - the same limited number of plays are done over and over, and fans enjoy seeing different ways the same material can be interpreted.)
posted by AliceBlue at 7:58 AM on March 4, 2017 [2 favorites]
Also, let yourself get caught up in the visuals. Some opera lovers love it for the costumes and set design as much as for the music. (Compare opera to Shakespeare - the same limited number of plays are done over and over, and fans enjoy seeing different ways the same material can be interpreted.)
posted by AliceBlue at 7:58 AM on March 4, 2017 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Hey! I love opera and don't know a single damn thing about music. (Well, except that I've finally decided I dislike Mozart; I find his operas unbearably twee, but to each his own.) I've seen more than 20 operas in the last few years, if that gives you an idea of where I'm coming from here. I went in with zero opera experience and came out in love with the spectacle.
Because that's what I love about opera: the spectacle.
Don't think of it as a big serious deal that you need to understand on some deep level. It's pure, unadulterated, over the top entertainment. The voices are big and beautiful. The costumes are big and beautiful. The sets are big and beautiful. The plots are big and beautiful. The drama is big and beautiful. Think of the saddest you've ever been. OK, now also pretend you have tuberculosis and everyone thinks you're a slut. Now sing about it. That's opera.
Read over the Wikipedia entry a few times to get a loose grasp on the plot, and then don't worry about it. Let the music tell you how to feel, and don't worry about getting it or doing it "right".
One thing you can pay attention to is leitmotifs, if they're there. Wagner loves a leitmotif. You know how in action movies you know when Indiana Jones is going to come save everybody because the music changes? Same thing. You'll know when characters are about to have their moments because their music will play. Not crucial to understanding, but fun to listen for. It's also fun when you realize the opera you're watching is one of the hits--everything is going along and then boom, Looney Tunes out of nowhere!
The first opera I ever saw was Pagliacci. The opening bars of vesti la giubba are the same as the opening bars of Queen's It's a Hard Life. It's probably no coincidence that Queen has been my favorite band since I was 8.
Anyway, just go and watch and listen, take it for the entertainment it is, and don't worry about it too much. If it works for you, great! If not, it doesn't make you a bad person.
posted by phunniemee at 8:17 AM on March 4, 2017 [18 favorites]
Because that's what I love about opera: the spectacle.
Don't think of it as a big serious deal that you need to understand on some deep level. It's pure, unadulterated, over the top entertainment. The voices are big and beautiful. The costumes are big and beautiful. The sets are big and beautiful. The plots are big and beautiful. The drama is big and beautiful. Think of the saddest you've ever been. OK, now also pretend you have tuberculosis and everyone thinks you're a slut. Now sing about it. That's opera.
Read over the Wikipedia entry a few times to get a loose grasp on the plot, and then don't worry about it. Let the music tell you how to feel, and don't worry about getting it or doing it "right".
One thing you can pay attention to is leitmotifs, if they're there. Wagner loves a leitmotif. You know how in action movies you know when Indiana Jones is going to come save everybody because the music changes? Same thing. You'll know when characters are about to have their moments because their music will play. Not crucial to understanding, but fun to listen for. It's also fun when you realize the opera you're watching is one of the hits--everything is going along and then boom, Looney Tunes out of nowhere!
The first opera I ever saw was Pagliacci. The opening bars of vesti la giubba are the same as the opening bars of Queen's It's a Hard Life. It's probably no coincidence that Queen has been my favorite band since I was 8.
Anyway, just go and watch and listen, take it for the entertainment it is, and don't worry about it too much. If it works for you, great! If not, it doesn't make you a bad person.
posted by phunniemee at 8:17 AM on March 4, 2017 [18 favorites]
Seconding-- it's helpful to remember that opera (esp comic opera) is written to be ENJOYED for casual audience members the first go-round. This attitude that it takes some kind of genius or prep work to understand is doing the genre no favors. Cosi Fan Tutte is a great example that it is not. that. deep.
IMHO trying to make sense of written opera synopses is tedious and kinda useless because they are so convoluted and often trifling-- "she's cheating with who and the governor is mad and the soldiers are where?". So don't feel bad if the plot of Cosi Fan Tutte makes nooo sense without the acting / music / whole theatrical experience. No one was ever supposed to read it out as a five paragraph story!
I do, though, recommend familiarizing yourself with some of the music. People always like unfamiliar music less. It's science! Here's Renee Fleming singing one of the big arias, Per Pieta, Ben Mio.... I am sure you can find some others on YouTube (Suave Sio Il Ventro for example).
Happy opera-ing!
posted by athirstforsalt at 8:38 AM on March 4, 2017 [2 favorites]
IMHO trying to make sense of written opera synopses is tedious and kinda useless because they are so convoluted and often trifling-- "she's cheating with who and the governor is mad and the soldiers are where?". So don't feel bad if the plot of Cosi Fan Tutte makes nooo sense without the acting / music / whole theatrical experience. No one was ever supposed to read it out as a five paragraph story!
I do, though, recommend familiarizing yourself with some of the music. People always like unfamiliar music less. It's science! Here's Renee Fleming singing one of the big arias, Per Pieta, Ben Mio.... I am sure you can find some others on YouTube (Suave Sio Il Ventro for example).
Happy opera-ing!
posted by athirstforsalt at 8:38 AM on March 4, 2017 [2 favorites]
This is going to sound like s silly question, but how do you listen to the symphony? It's overall a pretty similar experience. I'd actually say opera is easier, because there's a visual aspect. (As much as I love classical music, there's something about the dim theatre that gets me to nod off.)
What everyone else, including yourself, has said is good. Just familiarize yourself with the basic storyline and then enjoy the spectacle. Don't overthink it.
It may be that you just don't like it. And that's ok too. I don't, really. The kind of classical music I enjoy tends to be more solo or chamber, and later than most opera (e.g., Lizst, Chopin). That's why I can't really get into it; it'd be like going to a Justin Bieber concert if you're into Minor Threat.
posted by kevinbelt at 9:23 AM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
What everyone else, including yourself, has said is good. Just familiarize yourself with the basic storyline and then enjoy the spectacle. Don't overthink it.
It may be that you just don't like it. And that's ok too. I don't, really. The kind of classical music I enjoy tends to be more solo or chamber, and later than most opera (e.g., Lizst, Chopin). That's why I can't really get into it; it'd be like going to a Justin Bieber concert if you're into Minor Threat.
posted by kevinbelt at 9:23 AM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
Also dig a bit into the general history of music of the time and even generally of the period, the great operas are often very tied to their time. Familiarize yourself with the music, play a suite from the opera in the background. Even dig a bit into musicological ideas. Learn something of the performers, some of their lives are as volatile as the operas :-)
posted by sammyo at 9:45 AM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by sammyo at 9:45 AM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
In addition to learning the story in advance and attending a performance with a text machine (I knew the story or Orpheus but didn't know French and so relied on the text machine quite a bit when I saw Phillip Glass's "Orphee"; I didn't find the text machine very distracting- no more so than a film with subtitles, but as always YMMV), see if your library has a copy of The Great Courses "How to Listen to and Understand Opera". It's 32 lectures all about 45 minutes each, but it's done by a very engaging and knowledgeable musicologist who takes you through opera basics (the relationship of music and words, vocal expression) before getting into the nitty gritty of opera musical eras and composers.
posted by nightrecordings at 10:20 AM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by nightrecordings at 10:20 AM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Hi, waving! This might get jumbled because opera is one of my most favorite things. As in, the Saturday afternoon Metropolitan Opera broadcasts are my dedicated happy time. Listening to Werther RIGHT NOW! :)
100% agree with phunniemee. As an art it's been around in one form or another for a good 400 years. Each era had its own style and conventions, but the goal was always the same: entertainment. There's literally something for everyone.
That said, it's OK if you find yourself liking certain styles and composers over others. I'm not a big fan of Wagner, which some would consider blasphemy. I prefer Italian and French opera composers, and especially anything bel canto. I want to laugh and cry, dammit! Having preferences doesn't make us unable to appreciate the art form.
I also enjoy learning about the composers' and librettists' lives and how they interacted with each other. There were background spats, feuds and friendships that color each composition. Same thing goes for the great opera singers and scandals of the past.
Another thing I've enjoyed is finding a singer I like and following them on social media. Their passion for the art is infectious. Both the Met and Seattle Opera have a lot of fun with their Instagram accounts.
Finally, there's a ton of fantastic opera performances on YouTube. If it's a work I'm not familiar with, sometimes I like checking it out beforehand. Some options for Cosi.
Have fun, and toi toi toi! (That's opera for good luck!)
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 10:45 AM on March 4, 2017 [2 favorites]
100% agree with phunniemee. As an art it's been around in one form or another for a good 400 years. Each era had its own style and conventions, but the goal was always the same: entertainment. There's literally something for everyone.
That said, it's OK if you find yourself liking certain styles and composers over others. I'm not a big fan of Wagner, which some would consider blasphemy. I prefer Italian and French opera composers, and especially anything bel canto. I want to laugh and cry, dammit! Having preferences doesn't make us unable to appreciate the art form.
I also enjoy learning about the composers' and librettists' lives and how they interacted with each other. There were background spats, feuds and friendships that color each composition. Same thing goes for the great opera singers and scandals of the past.
Another thing I've enjoyed is finding a singer I like and following them on social media. Their passion for the art is infectious. Both the Met and Seattle Opera have a lot of fun with their Instagram accounts.
Finally, there's a ton of fantastic opera performances on YouTube. If it's a work I'm not familiar with, sometimes I like checking it out beforehand. Some options for Cosi.
Have fun, and toi toi toi! (That's opera for good luck!)
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 10:45 AM on March 4, 2017 [2 favorites]
I am going to echo (but not re-state) all the goods reasons previously listed for how to enjoy opera.
I will add one more to the list:
It is a multi-media extravaganza!
I subscribed to Seattle opera for about 4 years. I saw some operas I didn't especially care for, but there was always something to look at, or listen for. The chorus voices, the orchestra, the lighting, the set design, the costume design, the staging, the acting of the singers. So anytime I didn't like the singing or actual music, I would just focus on something else.
posted by dbmcd at 12:08 PM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
I will add one more to the list:
It is a multi-media extravaganza!
I subscribed to Seattle opera for about 4 years. I saw some operas I didn't especially care for, but there was always something to look at, or listen for. The chorus voices, the orchestra, the lighting, the set design, the costume design, the staging, the acting of the singers. So anytime I didn't like the singing or actual music, I would just focus on something else.
posted by dbmcd at 12:08 PM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
When I was young, surtitles were still a moderately controversial technology. I'm not going to lie, it's far easier to stay engaged if you can follow the blow by blow of the plot (even a very very silly or nonexistent plot). If your performance has surtitles, you should be okay.
But it's also okay if your attention wanders from time to time. The average opera runs 2 to 4 hours. I've only ever known one person who has (or had) the capacity to sit through a piece that long with fully engaged attention the entire time. It's acceptable to let the music be the background to your thoughts for a while. The performance exists for your pleasure, not you for the performance.
posted by praemunire at 12:47 PM on March 4, 2017 [3 favorites]
But it's also okay if your attention wanders from time to time. The average opera runs 2 to 4 hours. I've only ever known one person who has (or had) the capacity to sit through a piece that long with fully engaged attention the entire time. It's acceptable to let the music be the background to your thoughts for a while. The performance exists for your pleasure, not you for the performance.
posted by praemunire at 12:47 PM on March 4, 2017 [3 favorites]
It is a multi-media extravaganza!
*huffily* I believe you mean Gesamtkunstwerk.
posted by praemunire at 12:47 PM on March 4, 2017 [3 favorites]
*huffily* I believe you mean Gesamtkunstwerk.
posted by praemunire at 12:47 PM on March 4, 2017 [3 favorites]
Even when there are titles, I generally stop watching them about halfway through the first act, because I get so caught up in the action. Have you ever watched a good silent movie? It's the same thing. You can tell what's going on from the acting and from the expression of the voices. After a while the actual words don't matter so much.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 4:24 PM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 4:24 PM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Minor thing to point out: Cosi is not one of those operas that is going to be a big spectacle. If you go in expecting that, you may be befuddled, because it's mostly silly screwball stuff, and old-fashioned at that, with here and there the poignant observation about love. La Boheme* it ain't.
Otherwise nthing: you may or may not like it and that's fine. There's no secret key to turn. FWIW I do listen to it without paying enormous attention to the text and I have been going for 25 years and have been, get a load of me, an opera critic (not the kind who makes a living doing it but, still, the kind that gets free tickets and good seats!) I follow the plot but frequently tune out from the titles to let the music have its way with my brain. Or heart. Or whatever.
*opera with much more overtly emotive writing that lends itself to grand sets depicting Paris.
posted by Smearcase at 5:20 PM on March 4, 2017
Otherwise nthing: you may or may not like it and that's fine. There's no secret key to turn. FWIW I do listen to it without paying enormous attention to the text and I have been going for 25 years and have been, get a load of me, an opera critic (not the kind who makes a living doing it but, still, the kind that gets free tickets and good seats!) I follow the plot but frequently tune out from the titles to let the music have its way with my brain. Or heart. Or whatever.
*opera with much more overtly emotive writing that lends itself to grand sets depicting Paris.
posted by Smearcase at 5:20 PM on March 4, 2017
Response by poster: We just got back from the Opera! Thanks so much for all of these great comments. I read them before I left. So, I read up on the story, which as mentioned above, isn't all that complicated. It's silly and old timey. They made the setting in Florida, 1970s, which was super cute. I paid a lot of attention to the set and props, the costumes, took it all in! I was impressed with how much facial expression was used to convey the story, not just the singing. It was pretty outrageous when one of the female characters threw herself on the floor and gripped her fiance's legs while he walked away to go to the "war". Looking at the humor and high drama made it delightful, even when not understanding their dialog. The surtitles were helpful but not that important. It was interesting how a small sentence would just stay there while the singing went on and on for like a minute. They either left a lot out or were repeating the same line over and over in different notes so it was hard to know what they were saying. I loved it but it was hard to sit through the second 1.5 hrs. BTW this was at the Cleveland Institute of Music. We were down at the Museum of Art earlier this week to see some of the students and faculty, who also play in the Cleveland Orchestra, play in one of the galleries. Such a great asset to the area!
posted by waving at 7:40 PM on March 4, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by waving at 7:40 PM on March 4, 2017 [6 favorites]
Best answer: Opera singer here. I discovered opera in my teens in the days before surtitles. Back then, if I was going to see an opera, I'd do what you're doing: read the synopsis or, better, read a translation of the libretto. (That one's kind of scrappy, but it's the only one I could find online). Go in knowing the basics of who the characters are and what they want.
If the singers are good actors, they'll be able to tell the story in a way that keeps you engaged. In a way, not understanding the text means you notice other things more: body language, eye contact, movement, what the changes in the music tell you about the mood of the moment. I kind of loved the experience of watching and wondering what was going on, picking up clues where I could.
Così in particular is an opera which is different in every production. So much depends on the personal chemistry between the singers. Which of the lovers are "right" for each other? Why does Don Alfonso do what he does to them, and why do the men go along with it? Are he and Despina playful tricksters, or toxic manipulators? Is *anyone* going to be happy at the end of the opera? Mozart and Da Ponte don't answer any of these questions, so each production has to find its own answers.
So there's a lot to watch for. The challenge for the singers is to make you care about the characters. See who you like and who you don't like; decide who you're cheering for; decide who you ship.
That's how you watch an opera, but you asked "how do I listen to opera?" which is also an excellent question. I think, in opera, your desire for story and your desire for music have to balance each other. Music slows down time. In theatre you say "I love you" once and it takes three seconds; in opera you say it six times and it takes six minutes. (I am only exaggerating a little.)
But this extended time gives you space to find out more about the characters through the direction and the music. At any point, you can ask yourself: What is the music telling me? What are these characters doing and feeling? Have I ever felt like this?
For example: the heart of Così is in the ensembles, where five or six characters sing at once. There's a long section in Act One where the men are about to leave to (supposedly) go to war; the four lovers have some beautiful music that basically says "You are about to leave and I am sad." Then-- twice-- the men drop out of character and ask Don Alfonso "Hey, what do you think?" Twice he replies, for the men's ears only: "Wait and see how this ends." Then everyone plunges back into lyrical beauty, which Mozart has just reminded us is completely fake. Moments like that are worth listening out for.
Or, in the wedding scene at the end, someone proposes a toast and there's one of those opera moments where everything stands still: Mozart writes a goddamn perfect three-part canon where the beautiful melody works perfectly as a round... and then Guglielmo completely undermines it by bitterly murmuring "I wish they were drinking poison." So three people are singing these serene harmonies, and the fourth is skulking around the bass line with thoughts of murder. It's a lovely moment.
I know I've written a wall of text here, but I hope some of it is helpful. I hope that the production you see is well-directed, and that the singers are good and can act. Most of all, I hope you enjoy the show.
PS. When I sang Dorabella ten years ago, I blogged about it here (before) and here (after), in case you wished to read even more of me overthinking this opera. Entries contain some minor strong language.
posted by Pallas Athena at 7:52 PM on March 4, 2017 [8 favorites]
If the singers are good actors, they'll be able to tell the story in a way that keeps you engaged. In a way, not understanding the text means you notice other things more: body language, eye contact, movement, what the changes in the music tell you about the mood of the moment. I kind of loved the experience of watching and wondering what was going on, picking up clues where I could.
Così in particular is an opera which is different in every production. So much depends on the personal chemistry between the singers. Which of the lovers are "right" for each other? Why does Don Alfonso do what he does to them, and why do the men go along with it? Are he and Despina playful tricksters, or toxic manipulators? Is *anyone* going to be happy at the end of the opera? Mozart and Da Ponte don't answer any of these questions, so each production has to find its own answers.
So there's a lot to watch for. The challenge for the singers is to make you care about the characters. See who you like and who you don't like; decide who you're cheering for; decide who you ship.
That's how you watch an opera, but you asked "how do I listen to opera?" which is also an excellent question. I think, in opera, your desire for story and your desire for music have to balance each other. Music slows down time. In theatre you say "I love you" once and it takes three seconds; in opera you say it six times and it takes six minutes. (I am only exaggerating a little.)
But this extended time gives you space to find out more about the characters through the direction and the music. At any point, you can ask yourself: What is the music telling me? What are these characters doing and feeling? Have I ever felt like this?
For example: the heart of Così is in the ensembles, where five or six characters sing at once. There's a long section in Act One where the men are about to leave to (supposedly) go to war; the four lovers have some beautiful music that basically says "You are about to leave and I am sad." Then-- twice-- the men drop out of character and ask Don Alfonso "Hey, what do you think?" Twice he replies, for the men's ears only: "Wait and see how this ends." Then everyone plunges back into lyrical beauty, which Mozart has just reminded us is completely fake. Moments like that are worth listening out for.
Or, in the wedding scene at the end, someone proposes a toast and there's one of those opera moments where everything stands still: Mozart writes a goddamn perfect three-part canon where the beautiful melody works perfectly as a round... and then Guglielmo completely undermines it by bitterly murmuring "I wish they were drinking poison." So three people are singing these serene harmonies, and the fourth is skulking around the bass line with thoughts of murder. It's a lovely moment.
I know I've written a wall of text here, but I hope some of it is helpful. I hope that the production you see is well-directed, and that the singers are good and can act. Most of all, I hope you enjoy the show.
PS. When I sang Dorabella ten years ago, I blogged about it here (before) and here (after), in case you wished to read even more of me overthinking this opera. Entries contain some minor strong language.
posted by Pallas Athena at 7:52 PM on March 4, 2017 [8 favorites]
(Sorry for the late post, and glad you enjoyed the show!)
Yes, operas of Mozart's era and earlier contain a lot of repeated text-- especially the arias. In the late nineteenth/early 20th century, people like Strauss and Puccini start trying to make opera more realistic, and there's much less repetition.
posted by Pallas Athena at 7:58 PM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
Yes, operas of Mozart's era and earlier contain a lot of repeated text-- especially the arias. In the late nineteenth/early 20th century, people like Strauss and Puccini start trying to make opera more realistic, and there's much less repetition.
posted by Pallas Athena at 7:58 PM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
Side note: the Australian film, Cosi (withToni Colette), about a group of people in a treatment facility putting on their own production of Cosi Fan Tutti, is one of my favorite movies of all time. You might enjoy it now that you have seen the real opera.
posted by WalkerWestridge at 10:05 PM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by WalkerWestridge at 10:05 PM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
were repeating the same line over and over in different notes
Yes, but that's part of the idea. Eight different emotions for the same line! What can it all mean???
I'm glad you had a good time.
posted by praemunire at 10:24 PM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
Yes, but that's part of the idea. Eight different emotions for the same line! What can it all mean???
I'm glad you had a good time.
posted by praemunire at 10:24 PM on March 4, 2017 [1 favorite]
Best answer: General thoughts, focusing on approaching unfamiliar operas:
0. Opera is a broad art form with a long history (and a vibrant present/future); there is a wide variety of ways operas can work and just as many ways of appreciating them.
1. Opera is great at many things, but it is very poor at conveying plot. Many of the creators knew this, and chose familiar stories and/or made the literal plot not that important.
2. Surtitles can be helpful, but even knowing the words doesn't necessarily tell you what is actually going on. The texts are often poetic, non-literal, or otherwise obscure.
3. What is often more important is how the characters feel about what happens, choices they face, and each other.
4. The music should do a lot of the heavy lifting, helping convey what is important, even if there are missing details. This is how some can follow operas they've never seen just from an audio recording.
5. But opera is a theatrical art form, and the staging should also help you understand what is important, though pure naturalism is typically unrealistic (or even unhelpful).
6. And even beyond understanding all these things, there can be a lot of elements to enjoy even if you aren't following the plot. (I just saw John Wick 2 with friends. I had not seen the first movie, but there was still a lot of entertainment to be had, even if I missed some details).
If you have time it can be helpful to read a synopsis and/or libretto. It may be more helpful to listen to at least some of the music. Cosi fan tutte is long, but one option is one of the several hour-long highlights albums that can help you get familiar with some of the arias, musical themes, and the general style. Also helpful may be Naxos's Opera Explained series, that discusses the background, plot, characters and such with musical examples. There are also many albums that are collections of famous (and lesser known) arias. For many works there are also albums of instrumental excerpts and/or transcriptions.
Musical signposts can be important as to look forward to, and/or to reorient yourself within the work. The music writing for opera uses many of the same devices and techniques as symphonic/instrumental writing. There are themes, musical development and resolution. And just as in instrumental music, sometimes you want to just focus on the sheer beauty of tone in a horn solo, and sometimes you're listening to have a theme develops. There is a lot to enjoy to opera as pure music.
As you get to know an opera, you can decide how (or if!) you'd like to continue with it. Some people really get into the details and the intricacies of the plot. Others focus on favorite arias/passages and the vocal approaches used and how that conveys characterization (or just is beautiful on its own).
Without a strong direction or an exceptional cast I am also liable to get bored during Cosi fan tutte, but there are many other operas that are just as long that I find continuously compelling.
posted by mountmccabe at 10:57 AM on March 5, 2017 [1 favorite]
0. Opera is a broad art form with a long history (and a vibrant present/future); there is a wide variety of ways operas can work and just as many ways of appreciating them.
1. Opera is great at many things, but it is very poor at conveying plot. Many of the creators knew this, and chose familiar stories and/or made the literal plot not that important.
2. Surtitles can be helpful, but even knowing the words doesn't necessarily tell you what is actually going on. The texts are often poetic, non-literal, or otherwise obscure.
3. What is often more important is how the characters feel about what happens, choices they face, and each other.
4. The music should do a lot of the heavy lifting, helping convey what is important, even if there are missing details. This is how some can follow operas they've never seen just from an audio recording.
5. But opera is a theatrical art form, and the staging should also help you understand what is important, though pure naturalism is typically unrealistic (or even unhelpful).
6. And even beyond understanding all these things, there can be a lot of elements to enjoy even if you aren't following the plot. (I just saw John Wick 2 with friends. I had not seen the first movie, but there was still a lot of entertainment to be had, even if I missed some details).
If you have time it can be helpful to read a synopsis and/or libretto. It may be more helpful to listen to at least some of the music. Cosi fan tutte is long, but one option is one of the several hour-long highlights albums that can help you get familiar with some of the arias, musical themes, and the general style. Also helpful may be Naxos's Opera Explained series, that discusses the background, plot, characters and such with musical examples. There are also many albums that are collections of famous (and lesser known) arias. For many works there are also albums of instrumental excerpts and/or transcriptions.
Musical signposts can be important as to look forward to, and/or to reorient yourself within the work. The music writing for opera uses many of the same devices and techniques as symphonic/instrumental writing. There are themes, musical development and resolution. And just as in instrumental music, sometimes you want to just focus on the sheer beauty of tone in a horn solo, and sometimes you're listening to have a theme develops. There is a lot to enjoy to opera as pure music.
As you get to know an opera, you can decide how (or if!) you'd like to continue with it. Some people really get into the details and the intricacies of the plot. Others focus on favorite arias/passages and the vocal approaches used and how that conveys characterization (or just is beautiful on its own).
Without a strong direction or an exceptional cast I am also liable to get bored during Cosi fan tutte, but there are many other operas that are just as long that I find continuously compelling.
posted by mountmccabe at 10:57 AM on March 5, 2017 [1 favorite]
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My best recommendation in general is to try to pick those live performances where they are using a text machine. It becomes more and more common, for exactly the reason you are describing.
posted by Namlit at 7:25 AM on March 4, 2017 [2 favorites]