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Going to an opera


Silenced Fred

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My friend's uncle has season tickets and he couldn't make it, so my friend invited me to go with him. They are like $200 dollar seats, so I have to look all fancy, but it should be a good time

 

I told him I already called being John Wilkes Booth and he can be Abe Lincoln (I know, its not a play, its an opera, but close enough for government work)

 

Any advice from opera goers on the forum? First time I'm going to a show that isn't for school where its based around kids

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You have to bring your own popcorn.

 

So what are you going to be seeing?

 

Wagner's Lohengren.

 

Enjoy the talent. Overall it may not be your thing, but try to recognize the talent and pay attention. You'll at least get something out of it. :)

 

That's what I'm saying. A lot of my friends are like "what is wrong with you? Why would you go to an opera?"

 

A man can not live on candy, so I gotta balance it out a little. Should be really cool

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That opera's been pulling the crowds in for 160 years. If the theatricals all get a bit much, close your eyes and listen to the tunes. That stuff is chock-full of great melodies, harmonies - things we all like right?

 

Enjoy!

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We have a world class opera in our city and I've enjoyed it several times. Which opera are you gonna see? The costumes and stage props/backgrounds are amazing , not to mention the performers and the orchestra. Never thought I would enjoy it as much as I did. Haven't been there in years, but one day again, I'm sure. Just relax and Enjoy, FuzzyFred.

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My wife's more into it than I am, but almost every time I've gone it's been pretty cool and sometimes I've been blown away. All the Wagner I've seen has been excellent--if sometimes long, the music is a definite payoff. And, if nothing else, it's always cool to see the way the music, the performance, the staging and the set design are all brought together.

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As has been mentioned many times by many folk : Wagner Kicks Butt Bigtime!.

 

I suspect you'll also be surprised quite how loud mere humans can be without resorting to such namby-pamby tricks as backline P.A.......

 

Don't take along any Champagne glasses, though; they'll shatter............

 

ENJOY!

 

And let us know how it went, please!

 

(I wish it was me that had to go...)

 

P.

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Just got a text from my friend... it's four hours long. I expect it to be a good time though. Even when I was a kid and we were "forced" to go to see operas, I always enjoyed em

 

Really looking forward to hearing the singing and the trajectory, its amazing you hear these people without microphones OVER the pit... crazy stuff. I think its cool when I can hear myself over me playing my guitar

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My friend's uncle has season tickets and he couldn't make it, so my friend invited me to go with him. They are like $200 dollar seats, so I have to look all fancy, but it should be a good time

 

I told him I already called being John Wilkes Booth and he can be Abe Lincoln (I know, its not a play, its an opera, but close enough for government work)

 

Any advice from opera goers on the forum? First time I'm going to a show that isn't for school where its based around kids

 

no advice nat cause i never been, but i would! i love all music...music is...music in any shape or form, i love theatre and you hear some fantasic compositions there and spine tingling singers...i'm sure you will enjoy it and maybe come back with some inspiration :-k B)

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Jump on that opportunity Fred.

 

While I get a little cringy [bored] at the thought of attending an opera, I've never been to one, so I cannot rightly say I don't like opera. My only exposure has been Bugs Bunny. Does anyone remember the Barber of Seville epsiode? I doubt I could ever see the real opera without snickering. I fully intend to see one so I can make an educated, been-there-done-that decision about whether I like opera or not. If I were to see one, Lohengrin would be it.

 

Wagner's Ring series appears to be based on an old German saga (fairy tale or legend) about a Swan Prince. The saga may have had some basis in lost, historic fact. It was a favorite by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. So much so, he supported Wagner while he wrote his Ring Series. I went to see three of Ludwig's castles in Germany last fall. The ornamentation of his father's, Maximilian II, castle Hohenschwangau is filled with The Swan King saga wall and ceiling murals.

 

What to wear? Sunday best. You might want to check with the venue to see if they have a dress code. What to bring? Opera glasses, of course~! I would suggest confirming the popcorn thing. Freak show might be pulling your leg. I think noisy eating, or eating at all is verboten. But if you must take a snack, make it something quieter than popcorn. You may be shushed! :-$ [-X :angry:

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That's like seeing AC/DC or Aerosmith for your first rock Concert, or Buddy Guy for your first Blues Show. Now if it was Mozart you'd be seeing Led Zeppelin or BB King, but I prefer the Wagnerian stuff.

 

I'm seriously Envious [thumbup] I've always wanted to go to an Opera or Symphony, specially Wagner, but never wanted to pony up the dough.

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Hey there, my first real girlfriend was an opera singer. She laughed at anyone who needed a mic and a p.a. Being up real close when she sang was a physical experience - made you vibrate like being in front of a half-stack. The depth of understanding and empathy for the music that top flight opera singers have is astonishing. Open your mind and your ears and you will be blown away. oh yeah, if the opera is not in english (and even if it is) get a programme and read up on the story....you will not understand what is going on just by listening to the arias.

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I love Opera and Ballet, My mom was a lead ballerina (or whatever they are called) when I was young and then taught ballet for years so I saw quite a bit of it. Bad opera is really bad but with a good group there really is something magical. It's really great that you are willing to do things that are different those different experiences are what fill your life.

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First off, the opera rocked! the human voice is an amazing tool

 

It was almost surreal seeing these people on stage without mics and hearing them so clearly over the orchestra. I have been to concerts before in much smaller rooms where the mic cuts out and you can't hear anything over a quiet band. It was monstrous.

 

The other thing is that I feel I'm going to be working on more songs with emotion and "has a conversation" with the instruments, too often it seems that the whole song just glides along, but I really started to appreciate more tension.

 

The non music related thing I learned was that we are all about instant gratification nowadays. At the end when Lohengrin reveals that he is the knight guarding the holy grail, and he takes his time doing it, I found myself almost getting miffed that he was taking so long, and not until after he announced it did I realize it was all about building up more tension and made the line that much better.

 

It was sweet, first section, seats in the middle of the theatre so you get the best sound, it was just amazing.

 

Highly recommend it [thumbup]

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