Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.
Anyone for a Night at the Opera?
Many of you will recall that I once worked at a performing arts theatre in Toronto for nearly a decade, mainly because I'm a ballet freak and it was a way to watch all the ballet I could stand - which is A LOT.
But the theatre was also home to The Canadian Opera Company, and over the years I had the intense pleasure of experiencing 24 opera seasons over an 8-year period.
These pieces are some of the ones I've enjoyed most - although we never had a Mozart opera performed at our theatre, because the late conductor and artistic director Richard Bradshaw wouldn't stage Mozart in our not-intimate-enough theatre.
1 - Quando m'en vo / Musetta's Waltz from Puccini's La Boheme - Anna Netrebko
Musetta, the secondary female character, saucily antagonizes a potential love interest.
2 - Queen of the Night from Mozart's The Magic Flute - Rita Streich
The Queen of the Night threatens her daughter with disownment if she does not kill her enemy.
CLICK HERE to listen to the aria
3 - Les tringles des sistres tintaient / Gypsy song from Bizet's Carmen - Agnes Baltsa
Carmen and the other gypsies celebrate their untamed culture at Lillas Pastia's inn, in the presence of military officers.
4 - E lucevan le stelle / How the stars shine from Puccini's Tosca - Plácido Domingo
Painter Mario Cavaradossi contemplates the heightened sweetness of life as he is about to lose it, living through his final night before execution.
5 - Nessun dorma / None shall sleep from Puccini's Turandot - Luciano Pavarotti
This is the Prince's secret confidence that he alone will be the only man who will win - not only the unyielding Princess's hand in marriage - but her heart, as well.
Thanks for these especially the Pavarotti one.Pavarotti was a favorite of my late Mom.
ReplyDeleteI would love to be able to see a real opera. My parents paid to see the three tenors when Pavarotti was still alive. My dad says that it was one of the best things that he has ever seen
ReplyDeleteThis included several of my favorite arias and that Gypsy song production number was wonderful. If you don't get chills on Pavarotti's las "Vincero", you have the soul of a rock. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm not much for opera. But the world kind of stops for just about 3 minutes for Nessun dorma and Maestro Pavarotti.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, that like Trav, I'm not much for opera, but thanks for the chance to give it a listen. I'm always open to things I'm not familiar with and opera is something I really don't know much about.
ReplyDeleteEven though I'm not an opera fan I've got to say that had to be one of the greatest jobs ever! To be able to work somewhere with two things that you love ... fantastic!
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