Classical Music

[Hasty Ent]

Originally posted by hectorberlioz
Hmm...trying to make one of my sisters to like opera...and she does, but she wont read the libretto...

I'm not a fan of reading libretti. So many operas are ridiculous, I find it's more enjoyable to ignore the plot and focus on the singing. However, for a newcomer to the form, knowing the storyline helps.

That said, the very first opera I ever saw was Monteverdi's "Ulysses." My local PBS station was broadcasting it and I watched it with my father (think I was 8 or 9 years old). Since it was being aired with subtitles, I found I could understand what the principals were singing and was able to follow the story. I was hooked. Now as an adult I tend to ignore the subtitles (or supertitles if it's a live performance) since I'm far more interested in the staging and the music.

Maybe you could rent a video for your sister? As I recall, Zeffirelli directed a beautiful "La Traviata." link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084821/