Any Opera Fans?

I was just sitting back wondring if we have any Opera fans in the group. I was able to score two tickets to the New Orleans Opera performance of Cavalleria Rusticana (rustic chivilry) for April 15th.

Cavalleria Rusticana is the same Opera that was used in Godfather III, Powerful music and drama.

They have the theater set up to have

"Supertitles" complete English translation of the opera is projected above the stage during the performances.

But, I'm mainly going for the music. Great Piece.

I like Opera Coupes, but don't know how that body style really differs from other coupes.

I enjoy the occasional opera but don't allow myself to get near crowds on April 15th- might run amok due to tax rage.

A great old friend of mine had a truck just like yours when I was younger. He was one of those guys you just wanted to hang around with. He drove LSTs in the Pacific during WWII.

The History Channel ran a feature on the Higgins LST last nite.

Wait...you're driving your Coupe to New Orleans to hear Oprah sing?

Years ago the shop owner where I worked got on an Opera kick. You want to dirve people crazy, play that stuff 10 hours a day! I resorted to wearing Stihl chainsaw ear protectors over NHRA ear pugs. We parted ways soon after, lucky for both of us that I didn't have access to an AK47.

We enjoy listening to opera here at the shop. Between that and sipping fine chardonnay throughout the day, it helps to keep us mellow.

Sure...I Likes Opera...

Would rather be performing it than watching/listening to it, though...

Cavalleria Rusticana is a very nice opera, although about the only music from it that is recognized is the famous "Intermezzo"...

Someday, I hope to be able to go to Bayreuth for a Ring Cycle...

Enjoy!

Get your tickets now for the 2050 show, the crowds are zealous. We saw the Ring cycle at the Cleveland Symphony ten or so years ago, it was astounding.

Not putting on airs here, just always enjoyed classical music (and Flatt & Scruggs, Jethro Tull, George Gershwin, ABBA, Bobby Darrin, Burl Ives and a whole bunch of others).

Frank ~ The late Peter Ustinov once said that the worst punishment he could imagine would be to be condemmed to sit through the entire ring cycle without intermissions.

hvs

Bill ~ In spite of my repeating Peter Ustinov's comment above, I happen to be a serious opera lover. I was raised on it in a home where it was the music of choice, as was the case with my father when he was growing up. However, he was fortunate enough to have attended performances at the Metropolitan to hear Enrico Caruso, Gereldine Ferrar and other greats of that era.

I have one pet peeve about some of the modern performances. In a misguided attempt at broadening the appeal, they perform the opera in English. In my humble opinion an opera should be performed only in the language for which it was written. Then the words and music flow and are not distorted to make them fit.

I once thought this was because understanding the English words completely destroyed some of the beauty of the music. Then I heard an Italian opera sung in German. It was terrible and that was when I formed my "original language" belief.

Much to the dismay of my parents years ago, and now my wife, my second choice in music is Spanish Flamenco or almost any other Spanish misic. Third choice, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis.

hvs

hvs

I agree, Howard, about the language. I had learned an ersatz German by cultural immersion and with judicious glances at the program, was able to follow the gist of the Ring. It would not have been worthy performed in any other tongue.

My wife has a lovely singing voice (mine is best used to communicate with the hounds in yips and howls) and even when she sings along with French or Italian recordings, knowing not the meaning of the words, it is beautiful music.

You were fortunate to have an early exposure to this form of art. I might have added one of my all time favorites, J. Rossini, whose most popular work was the William Tell Overture. It is known to millions of followers of fifties TV westerns as the theme song of the Lone Ranger.

Howard, I like Wagner, but usually don't listen to opera because I'm not partial to fat ladies. I do agree with the language opinion - sing it the way it was written. They say the mass in English now - I like it better in Latin.

You obviously have eclectic tastes - does your wife dance the flamenco? I had a friend whose wife spent a lot of money on flamenco lessons. He suspicioned it might have been the teacher and those toreador trousers.

YFAM, Randy Berger

Randy you may be pleased to note a recent decision by the governing board of a London (UK) opera to remove the star soprano from an upcoming production and replace her with a peformer of, shall we say, a less imposing aspect. This was legitimate, classical, furrin singin' opera.

As justification, it was mentioned that the purpose of opera is, after all, entertainment and that attractive performers are part of the show. It was also brought out in the story that the leaner replacement possessed a more modest talent but in the accompanying picture she was sorta pretty.

Gee Howard, so that's what wrong with you and all this time I thought you bumped your head. Kind of partial to the Ode de Hendrix myself. Just love his redition of The Stars Spangled Banana.

While my college was spent getting a degree in Music (Ed.), and my general listening is what my father calls "longhair" - Dad's 73, he means "Classical" by that...

Some of my favorite musical moments are parody...among them:

Victor Borge -any of his schticks

Anna Russell - "How to write your own Gilbert & Sullivan Operetta"; "Listener's Guide to Die Ring das Niebelungen"; "Backwards With the Folksong", and others...

Spike Jones, with Homer & Jethro: "Pal-Yat-Chee"

Bugs Bunny: "Long-haired Hare" (with Giovanni Jones) and "What's Opera, Doc?"

And the irrepressible Prof. Peter Schikele of U of SND @ Hoople...

My early listening habits were formed (de-formed?) when older brother brought home a Victrola VV-IX & tons of records when I was about four years old (c.1971)...at that tender age, I was not allowed to touch the delicate LP records or the senistive Hi-Fi ... but for some reason which still eludes me, I was given free reign of the Victrola, and listened to it quite a bit while growing up...hearing lots of John McCormack, Caruso, Geraldine Farrar, Amelita Galli-Curci, Feodor Chaliapin (the old man; not the actor son), Rosa Ponselle, Kirsten Flagstad, and many others; as well as Billy Murry, Gallagher & Shean, Collins & Harlan, and some of the less rarified entertainments commited to wax...

I'm not a fan of "fat ladies", unless they can really sing...

My current gripe w/ Opera at large (sorry...) is "amplification of singers"...I have the same problem with Broadway...

When I went to Music School, people were taught HOW to SING...we didn't need no stinkink mics !

I like the Met's approach to titles: they have them built into the back of the seat in front of you...AND, you can turn yours "off", if you don't need it or find it distracting...it IS nice to have a clue as to whats going on...

Howard,

You said you like "Spanish Flamenco or almost any other Spanish misic" You probally have hear of Armik, man he's good HUH? I have a few of his albums my favorite is Gypsy Flame. put that in the cd player and let it rip.

Roy Clarks "Maleglenya" (sp) I saw him perfornm the whole number on tv once and still CANNOT believe what I seen him do with a guitar, between playing the notes and slapping time on the side of the guitar, It just defies belief!

Jake

Roy Clark is/was a genius! He always seemd so genuinely happy to be out there playing.

Frank ~ Are you familiar with the wit and music of Tom Leher. Very big in the '50s. I am only 2 years younger than your father, so he may remember him.

There have been some rather pretty and shapely ladies of Grand Opera with beautiful voices. Roberta Peters and Lily Pons come to mind. Now, on the male side Pavaratti and Caruso were not exactly slim or particularly good looking, but could they sing.

Randy ~ Judy won't even stay in the room when I play Carlos Montoya or Jose Greco. Besides, at 5'3" she doesn't exactly have the stature of a flamenco dancer. She's not too big, just too short.

One of my favorite stories from the golden age of opera:

Caruso and Geraldine Ferrar, recorded the duet from Act I of "Madame Butterfly," in 1908. The story goes that Caruso arrived at the recording studio by way of a restaurant where he enjoyed a bottle of wine and perhaps more. Ferrar said nothing, but while singing the duet she substituted, "He had a highball" for "Si per la vita"

It did not show up on the relatively primitive recording equipment of the day, but it does on present day equipment. Reducing the speed of the recording will cause it to be even more evident.

Just to keep this automotive, Caruso and Sergei Rachmaninoff were automotive enthusiasts and were known in the teens to race spots cars on Park Ave in New York. I seem to recall hearing that one of them had a Stutz Bearcat or a Mercer.

hvs

Howard,

Speking of Lily Ponds - -did you know her father was one of the drivers in the Paris to Peking automobile race in the early 1900's?

I did see her sing here in town back in the 50's. I even got her autograph.

Dan

Howard, I wonder of Gereldine Ferrar was at these races? Years ago I found a post card of her in a 1910 era race car with Ralph DePalma, should have bought it. She lived here in Ridgefield,Ct. most of her life, and a street is named after her.

This is for anyone looking at this thread who is not familiar with AACA history or has forgotten it. It makes the subject of this thread absolutely, 100%, purebred auto related.

The late James Melton, the world famous opera star, was President of AACA in 1951.

How's that for giving a thread a pedigree?

hvs

This has been one of the most refreshing and interesting threads in recent memory. I am humbled to be in such high-falutin company. This beats going down cellar to kick the moon any time.

MOON? You own a Moon? Please give us some details.

Howard,

I am indeed familiar with Mr. Lehrer...among my song books is the volume "Too Many Songs by Tom Lehrer"...

In fact, it's such a nice day here that I might slip outside on Lunch and dispatch some pigeons...

Pretty funny guy for an MIT Mathematics Prof...I once heard an NPR interview with him where he recalled that his late-night cabaret stunts nearly cost him his teaching post at MIT...seems the Administration thought this sort of dalliance was unbecoming for an instructor...

I found (and still find) it a little discouraging that both when in Music School and since, most of the voice teachers & singers under the age of 60 have not heard of any of the great old singers such as Tetrazinni, Farrar, et al...

There's a great tradition of bel canto singning that is being lost to the ages...it's being replaced by microphones & recording studios and digital mastering tricks...ah for the good old days when you had to achieve a complete, "good" take from start to finish...

NPR had a very nice tribute to John McCormack on St. Patricks Day this year...Morning Edition commentator Bob Edwards was relating McCormack's enormous popularity both as a concert singer and a recording artist for Victor (before there was an "R.C.A."...) and how he was the first million-record artist.

His recordings did lean more towards popular tunes and "Tin Pan Alley" Irish ballads, but as Edwards put it : McCormack never "stooped" to material; instead, he elevated it...

He treats "Mother Machree" with the same technique, delicacy, and seriousness that he would "La Boheme", which he often performed at Covent Garden...

I have worked in the performing arts for most of my life, and one thing constantly comes back to me: no matter how techologically advanced the "show" becomes, and how many "tricks" are employed, there will never be substitutes for Talent and Hard Work.

Funny where these threads tale us some times...

Talent, You're right Frank. That 's why I push my 14 year old Mike so hard in his music. That's him standing beside me in my picture. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> He has played his SAX about four different times with a local Rock and roll band. He also likes early R & R where the music still had the jazz sound to it. Sorry, Wayne don't know Opera. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Wayne

Howard, are you familiar with Padre Antonio Soler? I have an album of Igor Kipnis playing his music from the 17th century called 'Fandango'...it is marvelous. Yes this has been a very interesting and refreshing thread. My mother is a big opera fan. I am more of a Baroque fanatic, but I love it all....classical, Renaissance...Madrigals, especially Oratorios. I guess that is why I play the harpsichord (when I can find one). Someday, I'll build one but for now the electric piano is a decent substitute..yeah and a Bugatti on the side! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Now there is an image....a beautiful summer home in Nice, a 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic (deep blue) in the courtyard, and a Flemish double manual in the music parlour. Sigh. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Frank ~ It was Harvard, not MIT. I recently had a conversation with a Univ. of Wyoming Law Professor who is only a few years younger than I am and who is a Harvard graduate. He told me he was a big Lehrer fan while he was in Cambridge. He wondered how I came to know so much about Lehrer living out here in Wyoming. He said he assumed I must have attended Harvard, but of course that is not the case. I told him I was from the East and that I came to appreciate Lehrer during my Air Force years in the '50s.

Also if you will recall the closing line of "The Elements" it goes something like, "These are the only ones of which the news has come to Havid, there may be many others but they haven't been discavid.". To be read with a Bastin accent.

Tetrazinni --- I have a video made from old films of interviews with many historic opera greats including Tetrazinni in her later years. She closes by saying, "I may be old and fat and ugly, but I am STILL TETRAZINNI! Wonderful outlook by a once great diva.

Randy ~ Did you hear about Bach affectionato who also liked to gamble heavily. He referred to it as "Going for baroque."

hvs

Howard,

Thanks for correcting my glaring error ; hope I didn't offend too many people who have ivy growing on them!

Love the quote from Tetrazzini! My other favorite "fat lady" is Erenstine Schumann-Heink...sort of the Marie Dressler of Opera...

I'm glad there are still a few folks out there who know these names and personalities...

"On a morning bright and clear.

I went out to shoot some deer,

I shot the maximum that the game-law would allow,

two game wardens, seven hunters and a pure bred gurnsey cow"

And one ex-moderator!

You music lovers have no idea how bad it is when HVS and RVB get together and sing our favorites. If you are into excrutiating pain, next time you see us together ask us to sing "I don't want to join the Army".

Howard:

How can I get a copy of the Tetrazzini tape or borrow it?

In additon to old cars I like to restore old radios and talking machines. I have two Victor Talking Machines (Victrolas) and I play old 78 opera records on them. Not bad sound for it's time. I have some records that are smooth on one side, many opera arias, including some other popular songs. Included here are Caruso singing "Over There" (in regard to WWI) in English and French with an Italian accent, Ernestine Schumann-Heink singing "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht" (Silent Night), and others.

These great stars of the heyday of the Met were true to their breed, exhibiting characteristics we mortals can never aspire to. The once popular Italian chicken dish, "Chicken Tetrazzini" was named after Luisa Tetrazzini. I also have recordings of Pasquale Amato, Feodor Chaliapin, Beniamino Gigli, Galli-Curci, Rosa Ponselle and others. The managers of the Met hand their hands full with these and others who followed them such as Maria Callas.

It was said that the Met only performed the opera "Lakme" when Ponselle was available because she was one of only a few who could reach the notes in "The Bell Song"

If only the young could know, understand and enjoy this great tradition I think they would be happier. I'm afraid it may be lost or going, at least in the US.

Joe, BCA 33493

Joe,

I would agree with you about the "Bell Song" from "Lakme"...

I have just one recording of it: a single-sided 12" Victor Red Seal, sung by the American Soprano Mabel Garrison...a respectable recording...

I also have a "Mello-Tone" Records Studio 78 rpm disc from NYC of one Florence Foster Jenkins attempting to sing the same piece...

I'll bet Emma Kirkby (the great English "Early Music" Soprano) could cope with the Bell Song, though I doubt she'd ever do something "so modern"...

Joe ~ I will have to check the tape because it was ordered after watching the program on TV. When I got it I discovered some of the elements seen on the TV verson were not on the tape. I may be recalling it from the TV and not the tape. I'll check. Send me an address at HVScotyard@aol.com. If it is there, I will try to have the tape copied.

I have a 78 recording of Ernestine Schumann-Heink singing, "Just Before the Battle Mother" that will bring tears to your eyes with every listening. It was recorded at about the time of WW I. For years I thought it to be a WW I song, until I came upon the sheet music for it and discovered that it dates back to the American Civil War.

Other dishes named for opera performers: Spaghetti Caruso for you know who and Melba Toast for Nellie Melba.

I think Lilly Pons also performed Lakme at the Met, but I could be wrong.

Ron ~

I don't want to join the army,

I don't want to go to war.

I just want to hang around,

Piccadilly underground,

Living off the earnings of some high class "lady."

There is more but it gets raunchy.

Father Ron is heir to a great tradition when we sing this together. An RAF Group Captain and I were unceremoniously tossed out of the officer's club at McGuire AFB in the 1950s for singing this and other ditties at the bar one dark and stormy night. He said I was the only American he had ever met who knew these English bawdy songs. I was a 1st. Lt. and he a Group Captain [british Colonel] so I was in good company.

Ah to be that young again.

hvs

Howard and Ron, I'm afraid your generation's music and good times will be lost. We appreciate you sharing them though. My generation's war memories are mostly of the hate the good guys received after coming home from 'Nam, like the soldiers had anything to do with it. The music? Well i'm afraid you guys wouldn't call some of our stuff music! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Wayne

You're right, Wayne. So far I don't know of any fine restaurants creating a dish called Veal P Diddy.

hvs