Opera - La Bohème

Shadowfax · 10-12-2002, 01:34 AM

Wow! I just saw "La Bohème" the other night (went with my school as a kind of "field trip") and it was amazing! This was the first opera I have ever been to and it was absolutely incredible.

The orchestra was perfect, the singers were perfect...ah, I loved it so much! And it was so sad at the end

!

So, has anyone else seen this opera, or even heard of it? Or any other opera you'd like to talk about? I really loved this experience of going to the opera. I'd love to hear others' opinions too!

Hasty Ent · 10-12-2002, 08:24 PM

Yay! Another opera convert!!

I saw Boheme years ago, Shadowfax, and it's a classic. Way better than the insipid contemporary versions of the same story such as Rent.

I've been a subscriber to the Lyric Opera of Chicago for over ten years and believe that opera is the perfect art form. It covers the visual (sets, costumes, staging), the literary (of course, many librettos are not interesting), and musical arts. The first live opera I saw was Harold Prince's staging of Madame Butterfly. The stage held a circular, revolving set pulled by black clad figures as in Japanese theater. With each scene change they pulled the next set slowly into view. Very cool...

Since then the operas that have thrilled me most have either been contemporary stagings of classics, or 20th-21st century productions. The former would include Peter Sellar's production of Tannhauser with the lead as a televangelist. Perfect! And then there are the sets by artists such as David Hockney (Turandot) and Robert Wilson (Alceste). The 20th-21st c. operas I've loved (that I can remember) would be Philip Glass's Satyagraha, William Bolcom's McTeague, Alban Berg's Wozzeck and Dominick Argento's Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe.

I do have to confess that over the years I've developed a weakness for Wagner's Ring Cycle. The world depicted in this trilogy of operas is as rich as Tolkien's Middle Earth! And then there are the operas that I've loved because of the singers: Samuel Ramey in Faust, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Catherine Malfitano and Jane Eaglen in absolutely anything.

I could go on endlessly, but have to run. Still...I look forward to hearing about operas other Mooters love.

Shadowfax · 10-14-2002, 11:08 PM

That's cool (especially that revolving set thing you talked about!). Yeah, I love opera (even though I've only been to one real live one), and I think it's just so beautiful. Some of my friends think I'm a total wierdo for it though (I'm 16)

but I have a lot of pals who also enjoy it.

Hasty Ent · 10-15-2002, 07:20 PM

if you're interested in seeing more opera without the expense of live productions, there are a few that were made into films -- check out Zeffirelli's films, e.g. La Traviata, Don Giovanni and others --

And hurray for you and your friends getting into opera at 16! It wasn't until I was in my early 20s that I truly began to enjoy it.

***IronParrot*** · 10-15-2002, 07:43 PM

I saw La Bohème last Spring, and found it very enjoyable, though I kind of stumbled in about five to ten minutes late, which meant that I had a bit of trouble understanding what was going on. But it was beautifully staged and the music was impeccably lush.

Moulin Rouge! fans will take note of the prominent influence of that opera.

The only other opera I've ever seen is The Magic Flute, years and years ago. I really want to see Carmen but the last time it was around, in 1999, I missed it...

I'm probably going to see Don Pasquale next month, and G&S's The Mikado is slated for February. Living across the street from the auditorium where the local opera company performs has its benefits.

10-12-2002, 01:34 AM	#1
Shadowfax The Fleet-Footed Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: British Columbia Posts: 913	Opera - La Bohème Wow! I just saw "La Bohème" the other night (went with my school as a kind of "field trip") and it was amazing! This was the first opera I have ever been to and it was absolutely incredible. The orchestra was perfect, the singers were perfect...ah, I loved it so much! And it was so sad at the end ! So, has anyone else seen this opera, or even heard of it? Or any other opera you'd like to talk about? I really loved this experience of going to the opera. I'd love to hear others' opinions too! __________________ Jesus saved me "To remain ignorant of things that happened before you were born is to remain a child" (Cicero, 106-43 B.C.) "Art is a lie which makes us realize the truth" (Picasso)

10-12-2002, 08:24 PM	#2
Hasty Ent Elf Lord Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 516	Yay! Another opera convert!! I saw Boheme years ago, Shadowfax, and it's a classic. Way better than the insipid contemporary versions of the same story such as Rent. I've been a subscriber to the Lyric Opera of Chicago for over ten years and believe that opera is the perfect art form. It covers the visual (sets, costumes, staging), the literary (of course, many librettos are not interesting), and musical arts. The first live opera I saw was Harold Prince's staging of Madame Butterfly. The stage held a circular, revolving set pulled by black clad figures as in Japanese theater. With each scene change they pulled the next set slowly into view. Very cool... Since then the operas that have thrilled me most have either been contemporary stagings of classics, or 20th-21st century productions. The former would include Peter Sellar's production of Tannhauser with the lead as a televangelist. Perfect! And then there are the sets by artists such as David Hockney (Turandot) and Robert Wilson (Alceste). The 20th-21st c. operas I've loved (that I can remember) would be Philip Glass's Satyagraha, William Bolcom's McTeague, Alban Berg's Wozzeck and Dominick Argento's Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe. I do have to confess that over the years I've developed a weakness for Wagner's Ring Cycle. The world depicted in this trilogy of operas is as rich as Tolkien's Middle Earth! And then there are the operas that I've loved because of the singers: Samuel Ramey in Faust, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Catherine Malfitano and Jane Eaglen in absolutely anything. I could go on endlessly, but have to run. Still...I look forward to hearing about operas other Mooters love. __________________ Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it. George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)

10-14-2002, 11:08 PM	#3
Shadowfax The Fleet-Footed Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: British Columbia Posts: 913	That's cool (especially that revolving set thing you talked about!). Yeah, I love opera (even though I've only been to one real live one), and I think it's just so beautiful. Some of my friends think I'm a total wierdo for it though (I'm 16) but I have a lot of pals who also enjoy it. __________________ Jesus saved me "To remain ignorant of things that happened before you were born is to remain a child" (Cicero, 106-43 B.C.) "Art is a lie which makes us realize the truth" (Picasso)

10-15-2002, 07:20 PM	#4
Hasty Ent Elf Lord Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 516	if you're interested in seeing more opera without the expense of live productions, there are a few that were made into films -- check out Zeffirelli's films, e.g. La Traviata, Don Giovanni and others -- And hurray for you and your friends getting into opera at 16! It wasn't until I was in my early 20s that I truly began to enjoy it. __________________ Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it. George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950) Last edited by Hasty Ent : 10-15-2002 at 07:21 PM.

10-15-2002, 07:43 PM	#5
*IronParrot* Fowl Administrator Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Calgary or Edmonton, Canada Posts: 53,420	I saw La Bohème last Spring, and found it very enjoyable, though I kind of stumbled in about five to ten minutes late, which meant that I had a bit of trouble understanding what was going on. But it was beautifully staged and the music was impeccably lush. Moulin Rouge! fans will take note of the prominent influence of that opera. The only other opera I've ever seen is The Magic Flute, years and years ago. I really want to see Carmen but the last time it was around, in 1999, I missed it... I'm probably going to see Don Pasquale next month, and G&S's The Mikado is slated for February. Living across the street from the auditorium where the local opera company performs has its benefits. __________________ All of IronParrot's posts are guaranteed to be 100% intelligent and/or sarcastic, comprising no genetically modified content and tested on no cute furry little animals unless the SPCA is looking elsewhere. If you observe a failure to uphold this warranty, please contact a forum administrator immediately to receive a full refund on your Entmoot registration. Blog: Nick's Café Canadien

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