The FastDay Forum

When I met hubs I was an opera novice. I didn't like it at all. In fact I didn't appreciate it one iota.
But, sitting here listening to it, I've realised, whilst I don't like it all, I have grown to love and appreciate it, thanks to hub careful tutilage. We've even been to 'proper opera' performances!
Learning Italian has helped, too.
So, maybe not an opera novice any more..
What do think of it?

I love music Penny..it lifts me always and i agree with Frank Zappa that
"Music is the only religion that delivers the goods....."
Know nothing of opera tho but wd like to get into it...x

I love opera. When I was a teenager - in the 60s, my parents bought my sister and me season's tickets to the Australian Opera. That was a great education. Now I live in the country but lucky for me there is that fabulous initiative from the New York Met opera and I can see digital recordings at my local picture theatre. That's fantastic!

It depends on the opera/composer. Last one we saw was by Donizetti , very light and amusing. Have seen good and dreadful productions of Aida and various others. Some I enjoy, some less so. But I too have a musical husband so we go to all kinds of things classical.

Love it! I sing chorus for Australian Music Events so have sung a lot of opera choruses. Singing with assorted choirs I've sung Nabucco, Macbeth, Turandot and Der Freischutz. It's just so much fun. Singing opera lets me have a good bellow rather than making the pretty sound that a lot of choir work needs. Plus I get to hear a lot of top rate soloists that I couldn't afford to hear otherwise!
Have to go listen to the opera hour on ABC right now!
http://www.abc.net.au/radio/player/?station=classic

http://www.australianmusicevents.com.au/

ps I could've been a non-singing extra for the recent Ring Cycle but that required appearing in one's bathers and that wasn't going to happen! It was a revolving stage so no chance of hiding!

When I met MrsPete she sang in a local opera group which did an annual performance week so I saw Aida, the Pearl Fishers and something by Rossini with her in the chorus.
My dad was an opera buff but as kids we were not so impressed (apart from Gilbert & Sullivan operettas) but nowadays I am very fond of many of the major works, especially Tosca, Cosi fan Tutte and Wagner's Ring.
Just wish I could be happier listening to opera in English - would love to love Britten's Peter Grimes & Billy Budd but although the music is getting easier the text is still a struggle...

I love classical music but hate opera. Whatever the language they use, it's impossible to understand a word, most of the time, even when they sing in French and I can't stand that. And it's more screaming than singing for me, I hate screamers

Absolutely hate it. Give me rock'n roll, some house, 70-80th disco anytime
My parents tried to "educate" me but never succeeded, I tried to be intellectual with classical music, but it never stuck either. I'm just a rock chick

@Wolfie, believe me, I am with you on this, I listen do Heavy Metal since I was 6 years old, but I learned to make a little room for some classical music as well. And I can see the irony when I say opera singers screams compare to heavy metal singers....

I love it! I have sung Gretel in Hansel und Gretel, and Suzannah in Marriage of Figaro, but I think my favourite to watch is Magic Flute

Just wish I could be happier listening to opera in English.

I agree - that's why I'm not keen on ENO, but I do like English opera that was written in English.

Not my thing either I'm afraid although my dad was a huge fan, especially of the Russian opera singer Ivan Rebroff. I used to go round to his house and would spend ages hammering on his front door as he had his stereo on so loud and would be singing along that he couldn't hear me. Just leaves me cold but maybe I've just not been properly introduced!

I love, love it, it does my soul good. I don't sing but as my mother said people who appreciate music are as important as those who perform it. the last time we were visiting our daughter in Auz we toured from Adelaide to my daughters home in Brisbane. DH was trying to miss out Sydney, much to my anguish., my daughter took him aside and he came back saying O.K. We go to Sydney . When we got there DD had booked a hotel for two nights near the harbour and had three tickets for the( outdoor in the harbour) performance of La Traviata fire works and all I was in heaven and often close my eyes and am transported back. I listen to opera for a good part of every day and sing at the top of my voice to it luckily I live in the middle of the woods and nearest neighbour doesn't hear me.

Love it! My favourite is 'Rusalka' by Dvorak. I have managed to sit through a week's worth of 'The Ring' but I think I've got a long way to go before I am a Wagner aficionado - I know this is sacrilege but sometimes I just think 'oh get on with it'! - though having said that the ending of 'Tristan and Isolde' is to die for (ha ha). Love Handel operas too - silly plots but glorious tunes. Also remember a concert performance of 'William Tell' at the Proms a couple of years ago which was just fab. And speaking of the Proms - 'Nixon in China' the other year was brilliant. Don't just like opera though! Can't do heavy metal but game for a go at most other types of music.

Not an opera fan, I'm afraid. Well, not the Grand stuff anyway! As someone once said , "Wagner has wonderful moments and awful half-hours. . . . ". Funnily enough , I enjoy lots of his other music ( Siegried Idyll , for instance ) as well as Mozart symphonies and Beethoven piano sonatas. Then there's Chopin , Rachmaninoff, Bach - all wonderful in their own way .
I used to sing regularly in a choir which performed a wonderful variety of choral music , from Vivaldi to Bernstein - magic! But not opera , it leaves me cold. We're all different , I suppose , and a good thing too . . . . .
(PS I should come clean and admit that I taught music in a large Secondary School for many years , so I kept my dislike of opera well-hidden from my students ; impartiality was of the essence !!!)