
Opera for beginners (2001) - Tomte
http://www.taleofgenji.org/opera_for_beginners.html
======
saturdaysaint
I've been getting into opera over the last few years - the way I think of it,
as my tastes in fiction and television have gone more toward the epic (Game of
Thrones, Mad Men, etc) I've hungered for bigger/deeper musical experiences.

A list created in 2001 naturally misses some amazing resources. Robert
Greenberg's epic "How to Listen to and Understand Opera" is a wonderful,
approachable primer to the subject and is a steal for 1 Audible credit (about
$15 on the cheapest plan).

Amazon Prime video has a solid collection of free video - I happily paid $25
for the version of Cosi Fon Tutte they have freely available - and you can
practically find the entire operatic repertoire on YouTube. The Met Opera has
a well reviewed streaming service - [http://www.metopera.org/Season/On-
Demand/Learn-More/](http://www.metopera.org/Season/On-Demand/Learn-More/).

And this is lame, but even the best Blu-Ray performance/recording can't match
the experience of live opera yet. I'm actually fascinated to see if VR narrows
the gap, but there's currently not anything like feeling the performers'
presence, hearing the unique acoustics of a world class hall. And opera
crowds, while usually greying, often add a lot to the experience - there's
something about sharing the experience, like being at a movie on opening
weekend.

~~~
adrtessier
I was coming here to also recommend "How to Listen To and Understand Opera".
For the longest time I could not figure out opera at all, and even when I
thought I understood it, I learned that I quickly did not.

Learning (or, for some, tolerating until they "get") opera requires a very
different frame of reference than learning pop music, or even understanding
subgenres of more popular genres. It is one of the more difficult concepts I
have had to wrap my head around for some reason.

Out the other side of it, though, I am happy I gave it a go. As an example,
the San Francisco Opera is a great company, and as opera patrons age into
oblivion these institutions will be finding themselves without an audience if
younger generations do not take the time to give opera a go. It is not what
most people think; everyone I have run into in the opera house has been
courteous, and I haven't detected a hint of snobbery. A night at the opera
costs you about as much as seeing a major film, and the sound is pretty
magical.

------
steadicat
I wonder why the author does not recommend Mozart for beginners. I find
Mozart’s operas to be much more accessible than the popular romantic ones. Not
only is his music way catchier, but Mozart and and his librettists also do
comedy like few others.

I find that most of my beginner friends tire quickly of the long, drawn-out,
exaggerated drama and dramatic music of Italian operas (i.e. Tosca, La Bohème,
etc.). Some comedy sprinkled in together with an interesting plot can keep
newbies interested for much longer.

I would recommend starting with some of Mozart’s lightest and craftiest operas
(e.g. Cosí Fan Tutte, The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute). And of course,
watch Amadeus first.

~~~
adrtessier
I'm a counterexample, I guess: Tosca was the first opera that absolutely
enthralled me, cliche or not, even though I had seen others before it. It's my
favorite.

Me aside, The Marriage of Figaro is the first one I tell people to see if they
can. Act I is engaging from the beginning, and I think does a good job of
bringing people into the right mindset to appreciate it even if they don't get
opera.

~~~
JoelMcCracken
Tosca was the first I saw, and it was also the most enthralling.

It may be a very common example, but its is regularly cited because it is a
masterpiece of the art.

