Opera for Beginners

YouTube is great for watching Opera, although you need the subscription to not be distracted by ads. But, after buying that one entry ticket: state sponsored arts are constantly putting up super high quality new recordings of Operas on YouTube. It’s got subtitles so it’s easy to follow along. Yes the video is high quality watch-a-play-being-performed, not a real movie experience. But it’s great for understanding the whole work.

Otello & Don Giovanni

https://youtu.be/qcuaN3jN29Q?si=KQAoKDKHVeDCSxmk

https://youtu.be/8wEMzWH52FA?si=S80Dc_ssXbCBXUtI

This seems, well, a little selective, being focused exclusively on 19C Italian Opera and Mozart. I think it's entirely possible not to particularly like these works, whilst enjoying operas by other composers.

My starting point in opera was Janáček. The Cunning Little Vixen and Jenufa, for example, are both stunning works, musically and dramatically, and sound entirely different from the operas mentioned in this piece. The recordings by Charles Mackerras are unbeatable.

But if you don't enjoy Janáček then try someone else's work as you never know what you might like!

For a beginner-friendly introduction to various aspects of classical music, I'd recommend Robert Greenberg's lectures: https://robertgreenbergmusic.com/courses/ He's an excellent lecturer and the courses themselves are both illuminating and do not require any special prior knowledge of the subject. Don't be scared by the prices on the site - a lot of them are available through libraries (such as Hoopla system) and Wondrium subscription. I've listened to several of the lectures and they always were great.

Deep end of the pool - Wagner’s Ring Cycle. It’s a bit heavy but as someone who enjoys fantasy literature, role-playing games (dungeons and Dragons) and that kind of thing, these operas pulled me right in.

I didn’t enjoy Verdi or Puccini al that much though.

Allegedly, if you watch the whole opera, then you'll understand the context, and everything will be better. I didn't find that to be the case. I think what would help me the most would be if it were in a language I could understand. Is it against some rule to do opera in English?

But don't do it just for me. I still might not like it anyway. I don't know if it's a fundamental part of opera, but I find the heavy vibrato off-putting also.

I agree with the article, opera should be seen as well. It’s an event, an opportunity to explore emotions, and an exhibit of talent from musicians, singers, and staff. Some of the arias work well as stand-alone audio recordings, but it is the entire opera that must be seen and heard to really feel the story. Take a chance and attend a few operas.

No mention of Gilbert and Sullivan either -- they skewer the big operas!

I almost skipped past this because I thought it would be about the browser... This is why I hate the confluence of products that use common words as product names.