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Experiences with Met Opera HD events in theaters?

KirkJobSluder — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:29:13 -0800

I'm interested in attending one of the upcoming Met Opera HD live events at a local movie theater, probably for one of the Saturday Matinees in Savannah, GA. Does anyone have any experiences with this? Are there English subtitles? Is the audience etiquette generally better, worse, or about the same as a movie? Or are we likely to be two people among a dozen opera buffs? It's been years since I've seen an opera, and that was usually in the $12 seats in the third balcony.

Is Die Zauberflöte opera suitable for five year old?

lynnie-the-pooh — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:46:48 -0800

Is Mozart's - Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) opera with Diana Damrau suitable for a five year old? My five year old daughter loves opera music and opera singing so much. She saw Diana Damrau on youtube and is mesmerized by both her acting and her singing. Even though it is in German.......she does not care. She will sit and watch over and over again that song of...............the Queen of the night aria. Anyway, I thought I might give her the DVD for Christmas, but I am unfamiliar with the opera itself as well as the DVD. I don't know if there is sexual content or violence that my five year old should not see. She did see the knife Diana had during the aria but nothing was done with it in that scene.

Can anyone help me?

And yes, my daughter loves to sing, night and day.............so I'm thinking that singing is something that is just "in" her. I certainly don't push it on her. The only way she even knew about opera was because she happened upon it on the public radio station.

Thanks!

Opera for kids.

eyeballkid — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:00:43 -0800

Opera suggestions for children. I have a four-year-old boy who recently heard opera-styled vocals and was immediately mesmerized by it. He was also entranced by YouTube videos I found by just searching for opera.

I know next to nothing about opera and I need suggestions for pieces that would interest a kid. I'd prefer bouncier, lighter pieces and let him save the darker, more dramatic selections for when he's an emo teen.

YouTube examples are welcome, but what I'm really looking for is audio, either single mp3s or full performances.

Butterfly hands

stuck on an island — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:15:05 -0800

What is the purpose of sign language interpretation at the opera? A few months back, Mr. Stuck and I went to see a performance of Madame Butterfly at the English National Opera. As luck would have it, the performance that night was accompanied by live sign-language interpretation. The interpreter stood in front of the proscenium arch, dressed in black and discreetly lit by a dimmed spotlight, and signed along with the libretto. I do not understand sign language but her signing, which at times involved her whole upper body, seemed beautiful and expressive.

My only question is... why use sign language interpretation at all? The opera, although sung in English, was accompanied by English surtitles on a screen above the stage, so the words being sung were already clearly readable. And presumably the interpreter was using British Sign Language, which would be intelligible only to deaf or hearing-impaired visitors from the UK. Was she there for the benefit of people who are fluent in BSL but not English?

I was fascinated by how much emotion the interpreter put into her signing -- more, at times, than Butterfly put into her singing. I would be glad to hear anyone's experience of what live sign-language interpretation adds to a performance that isn't already available from a text libretto or surtitles.

How to get RSS feeds off of a Blackberry onto a PC

quaisi — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:45:53 -0800

I have a Blackberry Curve running Opera Mini. I have a long list of rss feeds I read in Opera whilst out and about. How can I get them out of the phone and into a desktop rss reader? There should be an opml file right? But I can't get into the system files when I connect it to the computer. Any ideas?

Is cheese bad like milk is for singing voices?

Quillcards — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:06:22 -0800

It is well-known that opera singers don't drink much milk because it makes phlegm and affects their voices, but what about cheese? Does that cause phlegm?

Opera N00b Performance Anxiety

hermitosis — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:51:53 -0800

I was just cast in an opera! Problem: I have never been in an opera before, and am not really a "musical" person. Please help me keep from falling flat on my face! Though I have landed a major role in an upcoming comic opera production, I don't know how to sing opera -- I have a lot of training as a performer but I haven't done any actual singing onstage in many years, let alone opera. The director and conductor have assured me that they have no problem with my character speak-singing most of his lines a la Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady, and that I was cast because of what I would hopefully bring to the character in terms of acting. I trust the director completely and think everything will be fine... eventually.

The director keeps reminding me that it doesn't really matter what notes I'm singing, it's all really about when I start and stop singing. I have the book, and cd's of both the whole score and the piano music. But really none of this stuff means anything to me. I can sight read enough to pick out a melody, but when I look through all these pages of music notation, I can barely tell what I'm looking at. It's an original opera, so I don't have like a cast recording I can listen to.

By the time we're done rehearsing I'm sure I'll have that down. It's the first week of rehearsal that has me freaked. Tonight is a read-through with the whole cast, all of whom will be real live opera people. I can't help dreading that I'm going to look like a total ignoramus and wind up slowing things down. I'm sure they'll wonder why I was cast instead of an actual tenor. I am planning to go in and be confident and friendly, but I'm a little psyched out at this point.

If you have any advice to help get me through this rehearsal process I'd be happy to hear it. I only have two and a half weeks, I'll do whatever I have to do to ace this.

I need to find an English translation of The Trojan Women in the public domain.

firemonkey — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:03:46 -0800

Does anyone know of a good English translation of The Trojan Women by Euripides in the public domain? I want to write an opera based on The Trojan Women. I'm looking for a good English translation that is in the public domain. So far, all the translations I've found are under copyright. Any good ones out there that I can use without fearing legal recourse?

In space no one can here you scream, he wrote

fearfulsymmetry — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 08:41:29 -0800

What's the best literary equivalent of Alien/Aliens? Well obviously there's the Alan Dean Foster adaptations for a start... and the comics.

And I'm not limiting it to 'monster on a spaceship' or 'monsters on a planet + space marines' but anything that successfully merges Space Fiction/Opera and Horror.

Lied der Terror

philotes — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:58:31 -0800

First ever opera audition this week and I’m terrified. Help me overcome my nerves and perform like a pro! I’ve auditioned for musicals before, but I’ve never managed to do so without shaking violently and nearly passing out. I could go into a whole lot of historical & psychological background about why singing auditions scare the everliving bejesus out of me, but I don’t think it’s essential to my question. Suffice it to say that at 26 I’m a latecomer to the awesomeness that is classical vocal training, I have an audition for an opera at the end of the week, and I’m terrified. Oh, and when I say terrified, I mean that when I walk into an audition room my legs quiver so I can barely stand, I can’t breathe (major problem for singing), and little stars dance in front of my eyes.

My vocal coach, confused by my paralyzing terror, said to me, “You just go in there, show them what you have, and hope that they like it,” as though that were the simplest thing in the world. Though, strangely, her pithy statement did make me feel a little better. And now, as the dreaded hour approaches, every time I get short of breath or consumed with worry I repeat her words in my head, and feel better…for a minute or two, anyway.

So I’m asking my fellow MeFites, for any mantras or mind-tricks you may have for calming your nerves in the situations you find most terrifying.

I am also looking for any tips or information to help me through the audition itself. For example: how to communicate with the accompanist, how to introduce my pieces, and any other procedural aspects of the audition for which I should be prepared.

Two more things: I’ve practiced and practiced, and my songs are as good as they’re going to be at this point in my training. So, while I know that preparation is the greatest aid to confidence, there’s little more to be done for that at this point. Secondly, I’ve been acting since I was 12, so monologue auditions are old hat to me and I know general auditioning etiquette, but I would love any music-audition-specific advice you can give.

Sorry for the long question and thanks in advance for your help!

Baby Mozart, and Massanet, and Meyerbeer?

notquitemaryann — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:16:11 -0800

A little something for my biggest fan... seeking ideas for classical songs that I can sing and record for my 19-month-old nephew. I'd like to do a series of recordings to send to my sister in cd and mp3 format as gifts for my wee nephew, Ben. I'm thinking I will probably save folk songs and modern music for when he's a bit older and may be more interested in singing along. What are some classical vocal pieces in various styles and languages (suitable for lullabies or playtime music, nothing too bombastic) that will help give him an early familiarity with good music? I'm more or less a mezzo with a wide range, though the lower the better on the lullabies, as the deeper notes seem to be very soothing to him. On his last visit, he enjoyed Solveig's Song, L'amour est une vertu rare, and Ombra mai fù.

HTPC web browser?

smackfu — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:37:27 -0800

Is there a web browser for your home-theater PC that works like Opera on the Wii? Something where I can sit back on the couch and navigate using the remote would be ideal.

We're opera mad in Camelot, we sing from the diaphragm a lot.

alynnk — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:06:04 -0800

Trying to find an animated short film about opera that aired on PBS in [approximately] the late '90s. A friend of mine asked for some help locating something he remembers watching ages ago -- we seem to have stumped Google, but now it's nagging at me, too. He writes:

I'm trying to remember the name of a short film shown as filler on my local PBS station about ten years ago... It's in Monty-Python-like cutout animation, and features a Daria-like deadpan female narrator summarizing the plots of famous operas. Every time someone dies, a bell rings, and a counter at the bottom of the screen goes up by one. I don't know enough about it to find it on IMDB, but it's definitely worth finding. And it really made me want to see Don Giovanni when I heard about the statue dragging him down to hell.

If it helps, 'local' for him would be near Harrisburg, PA.

Thanks!

I'm just a girl who can't say no...

fermion — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:05:18 -0800

Song suggestions for a pregnancy-themed musical recital? (Broadway or opera preferred) A friend of mine who sings opera and musicals with various local organizations has recently become pregnant with her first child. She wants to put together a recital of pregnancy-themed songs, but she's having some trouble coming up with a good list. Can anyone suggest some fun and/or funny songs on the subject of pregnancy and childbirth that she can sing? She's a high soprano, if it makes a difference.

Songs similar to Diva Dance?

Nox — Mon, 18 May 2009 23:45:39 -0800

Please recommend music that is similar in style (as close as possible and working outward from there) to the song Diva Dance from the movie The Fifth Element. I would particularly enjoy similar opera, if that exists. Be sure to recommend groups/bands/singers and, if possible, specific songs as examples. Here is the Diva Dance video for comparison: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0qy3JHz6X0 Thank you very much!

The perfect gift for an aspiring musician

fvox13 — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:38:52 -0800

Recommend inspirational or otherwise awesome gifts for an aspiring opera singer, please! I have a very close friend who is in her sophomore year as a vocal Music Performance major, and her birthday is coming up. When I heard about this I thought it would be perfect, except it's not coming out for a few months.

Can the hive mind suggest similar videos? Or other gifts in this vein? I'd like to spend no more than about $30 - $40 USD.

Opera San Jose at California Theater - which seats don't suck?

metaseeker — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:48:54 -0800

Opera San Jose at California Theater - which seats don't suck? For a performance of Carmen by Opera San Jose at the newly renovated California Theater -- which seats should one avoid and which seats don't suck?

I have a line on a pair of row M center orchestra seats - will these be fine? Should I really try and seek out balcony seats?

I don't need the perfect or the best seats. Just want to be sure it's not in a dead zone or behind a pillar. An opera is a long time to be parking one's butt!

thanks!

How to direct an opera

roll truck roll — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:26:19 -0800

What's the difference between directing a play and stage-directing an opera? I've wanted to work on an opera for years, and it looks like the opportunity might arise in the next several months, working with a composer-friend in a new company. So, what can I learn in the next six months or so to make me ready to work on an opera?

Some background: I've been involved with the theater on some level or other for my entire life. I took a few directing classes in college. I've directed a handful of plays and writer-directored a few projects, all with no budget and very small casts. I'm not a big table-work person; I'd rather get people moving around onstage as early in the process as possible. I come in with a basic floor-plan and blocking mapped out for some key moments, but most of what happens between and around those key moments happens in the process of messing around and experimenting.

I'd like to think I'm pretty competent at text analysis. I do as much research as I can before the first rehearsal, and have the text divided into workable sections with some clear objectives laid out for each section. I try to plan rehearsals pretty meticulously and let people know what we'll be working on ahead of time, so as not to waste anyone's time. Directors whose writings have had a big impact on my approach to directing include William Ball, Peter Brook, Anne Bogart.

But really, and despite the fact that I spend a lot of time around opera singers, I don't actually have much idea what takes place in an opera rehearsal. I hear stories of misguided theater directors dragging singers through useless activities that don't contribute anything to the final product, and I very much do not want to be that director. What will singers put up with?

In case it's not obvious, the piece we're talking about is modern and very minimal. It'll be a small cast - about 5 principals and a chorus of 4-8 people. The orchestra will probably consist of one or two people on various instruments. My friend will be the music director. There won't be any union people or anything like that.

I know the most obvious answer - sit in on some rehearsals, which I definitely plan to do. What else can I do? What can I read? What can I watch?

Thanks a lot.

Electronic Acoustic Enhancement In Opera Houses

Opera Chic — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:58:34 -0800

How do electronic acoustic enhancement systems work in opera houses? Do you need to mike every singer, or do you place mikes around the stage? Where are the loudspeakers concealed, usually? Is there any risk for the audience of ever hearing even faint audio feedback?
Thanks!

I recall in the original Quest for Glory, a creature of the name...

vernondalhart — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:35:46 -0800

I'm going to be in Antwerp, Belgium for a few days this coming week. What should I do? Where should I do it? Who should I see? I should be arriving on the evening of the 18th, and I leave Monday morning, the 23rd. I will be staying at a friend's place, which appears to be a little to the south-west of the centre of the city. I'm not certain how mobile I will be beyond whatever public transit exists within the town. So what should I do? Are there any good concerts, theatrical performances, restaurants and pubs I should see? Where have you had your good times?

Also, while I'll admit this to be the wrong forum, would anyone be interested in having some sort of meetup while I'm there?

Learning to love the singing fat ladies

26.2 — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:54:32 -0800

Mr 26.2 is going with me to the opera next week. I love opera, but he's never been or heard much. How can I help him to enjoy the performance? It's the San Diego Opera's performance of Tosca [Warning: Music]. We have great seats. This will be my first time seeing the San Diego Opera.

If it helps, Mr 26.2 is a wonderful singer. He's a foreign movie and film noir fan. He doesn't speak Italian, but he's fluent in Spanish and may be able to piece together some of the words. We've got a few shots at this since he's agreed to see 3 performances with me this year. It would be awesome if he really enjoyed them instead of just being there as my arm candy.

A day at the opera.

Gordion Knott — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 04:15:09 -0800

The Met in New York is performing the Ring cycle this year, and I'm interested in buying tickets to Götterdämmerung. What's the easiest way to do this? I've never bought tickets for a performance at the Met. Is there an equivalent to Ticketmaster for opera tickets? Or any convenient website at which I might by tickets? Are discounted tickets available? How far in advance should I make the purchase?

Also, assuming I'll be buying tickets in the mid-to-low price range for a matinee performance, what seats will give me the best bang-for-my-buck in terms of sightlines and accoustics?

Lusitania Songspiel, Bitte?

steef — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 08:18:38 -0800

Audio or video from Das Lusitania Songspiel? On Saturday Night Live in 1986, I saw Sigourney Weaver and Christopher Durang perform a song from their 1979-1980 Brecht/Weill parody, Das Lusitania Songspiel. It's hi-larious. Unfortunately, it was the same episode with "Choppin' Broccoli" and "Baby, It's Cold Outside," and Songspiel got cut for syndication (thanks, Lorne!).

Does anyone know where I can find audio or video of the original performance, or the SNL appearance? On the web, CD, or DVD? (This gentleman found an .mp3 somewhere, four years ago.) Tausend Dank!

Culture me for cheap!

zoomorphic — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:21:03 -0800

Help me pick out the best play, opera, lecture and art exhibit to see this winter in NYC. I'm a lowly wage slave who can't shell out $300 to see every Broadway sensation that comes to town, so I'd like to attend one incredible event in each category with a high return-on-awesome factor so I can walk away cultured but not impoverished. My criteria for lectures is open-ended: I'll easily enjoy most anything aside from hard science data, so if you've got a lecture marked on your calendars that is truly, earth-shatteringly rad, share. No Nerd Nite stuff--it's a great concept that devolved into a meat market. I enjoy lots of concept art about social issues, as long as it's smart: more like Kara Walker at the Whitney, less like the frothy superhero costume exhibit at the Met. I've never seen an opera in the US, but I'm a sucker for decadent costumes and pageantry more than the quality of voices (which my philistine ears can't really distinguish from the understudies' performance, I'd imagine), and I have no idea how to judge the merits of the Met calendar based on subject and talent. Should I spring for a Mozart/Wagner staple or a more modern piece? As for plays, I lean towards lovely dialogue over experimental acting or camp, but I'm such a theater rookie that I'd rather not take my own advice on such matters. I hate hate hate most musicals, so advise with caution.

So what would you sleek New York MeFites attend if you rarely spend more than $80 on anything beyond a metro card? I'm going alone, so I've got only myself to worry about. Let's assume I can spare $25ish on the art exhibit, $100 on a play, $100 on an opera, and $50 on a lecture.

opera haz anger

yonation — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:07:05 -0800

what are your favorite, and "rawest", recordings of the great operas? i love the magic flute, the requim, etc - much of mozart's stuff, and his contemporaries. i'm looking for recordings that are more "raw", more angry - think glenn gould doing bach, for instance. does that exist in opera? any recommendations would be much appreciated!