Currently Listening To 2023/24

Thank you @NigelJ it's a long time since I've listened to opera. I was reared with opera, classical and a variety of other music. This song is one of my favourites from La Boheme, which is also my favourite opera.

 

Powerful.
Our ears must have went as I'm assuming these are in Italian? Neither of us could pick out a single word.... Okay our Italian was never near even fair, let alone good, but if I listen/hear an Italian I can pick out several words and more often or not more or less what they are saying - niente?
I would have posted "The Onion Song - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell", but hey that's life....

 

@DiggersJo I don't think I've ever heard an opera sung in English. My ability to speak other languages is not good with only a few words here and there. With opera, for me it's not about the language it's sung in but the whole feel of the music and voices. Often as in the song above, it has the ability to send chills through me.

 

When I lived in Essex I was able to take a train into London after work go to the English National Opera for a performance in English, train back and in bed by midnight.
Years ago I heard Rigoletto at the Royal Opera with an up and coming Netrebko singing Gilda that was fantastic.
I've also heard My Fair Lady in German with the songs in English and the Cockney replaced with Swabian and no I don't speak German, but it was hilarious.

 

Many years ago a friend worked at ENO so I was often able to go watch for free up in 'the gods' and get free drinks in the interval
I also live in Essex and worked in the City and done the same as you, and as long as I didn't go clubbing after (and have to get the 4am milk train back to Billericay) I'd be tucked up in bed by midnight.
I was never a fan of opera until I actually went to see one, then I was hooked and we usually went once a month.
Listening to opera at home just isn't the same even with a very good audio system, watching live is a completely different experience.

 

The first opera I saw live was the Magic Flute in Bielefeld. More recently (pre COVID) I was lucky enough to go to the Munich Opera several years running; I also saw Valkyrie in Minden.

 

NigelJ and Pete8 I'm Essex reared and have gradually moved up country. I saw my first opera whilst living on the Isle of Man many years ago. That was La Traviata. I agree there's nothing better than a live performance.

More up to date - I'm not a lover of Andrea Bocelli but like this performance with Sarah Brightman.



And then crossing the threshhold....

 

We sat outside here many years ago. The history is nothing like the "now" sitting in the Piazza della Scala seeing real life go on....

 

The wonderful composer Sir Karl Jenkins at both ends of his varied career.


His recent composition 'The Armed Man'




A much earlier (and very different) composition from 1976

 

Just had a moment.

 

That performance by Sarah and Andrea is one of the most stand out duet perfomances I have ever heard and will play it often for the rest of my life ,her power and passion were beyond beautiful.