Thursday, April 15, 2010

Instead of Bleeding, He Sings

Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and, instead of bleeding, he sings.
~ Ed Gardner


This week, we're raising our voices in song! Here's a video to get you in the mood:



You know what's cool about opera, besides the music, the singing, and the great Bugs Bunny cartoons? * The spectacle of it! *

Today, we're looking at various forms of Opera Art.

A scene from the Met's Faust

I have to include a shot of the Sydney Opera House!
The Sydney Opera House while it was decoratively lit by Brian Eno
Photo taken by Repat

The cover of Lessons from the Phantom of the Opera
(not sure of the illustrator)

The Glimmerglass Opera has nice shots of their shows:
Glimmerglass Opera's 2009 production of Verdi's La Traviata
Photo: Richard Termine/Glimmerglass Opera.

The Ballet Scene from Meyerbeer's Opera, Robert Le Diable
by Edgar Degas
"Meyerbeer’s opera was first performed in Paris in 1831. This scene features the ghosts of nuns who had offended heaven with their impure thoughts."

Ernst Edler von Schuch conducts the "Rosenkavalier" by Richard Strauss
by Robert Sterl

Links:
~ Brendan Cooke's "Saving Opera One Voice at a Time" is a fun intro to the value of opera.
~ Videos by the Atlanta Opera, including ones on costumes and make-up.
~ A History of Opera (thank you, Connie, for pointing this out!)
~ Italy and the History of Opera (thank you to Annalee!)

No comments: