This sort of discussion cropped up periodically in the UK Amazon forum although it was usually about classical music in general and why the audiences were so elderly. Apparently young people are intimidated by the concert hall experience. I quickly wearied of such discussions.

Even more off topic, the stupidest thing I heard in an opera house was from a woman behind me, presumably reading the synopsis in the programme - 'How can three ladies kill a giant serpent?' - it really needed a six-year old child to give her a withering look.

 

"I don't like Opera."

 

That is actually not a ridiculous statement but a statement of preference. I do not like caviar but I know some people do and I respect their taste buds.

 

"Oh I LOVE opera! Russell Watson and Katherine Jenkins are my favourites."

 

You forgot the legend that is Paul Potts!:lol:

 

"Oh, I like Phantom of the Opera! That's similar right?"
"How do they make the voice do the vibrato like that? It's so unnatural"
"I'm a contralto!" (coming from an obvious high soprano with a bright, youthful timbre)
"I wish I could sing a high C like Pavarotti, but my falsetto isn't good enough"
"My favorite opera piece is Handel's Messiah"

 

"I wish I could sing a high C like Pavarotti, but my falsetto isn't good enough"

If said by a baritione I'd agree it's misguided, but actually there is a point in there somewhere if said by a tenor.

N.

 

Been looking for this and finally remembered enough to find it......the diva life!

 

Many years ago I was at a performance of "Samson et Dalila" with José Carreras. It was a complete sell out and even the postal booking stage had been a ballot. Some friends of mine were really disappointed when they were told they'd been unlucky and hadn't been allocated any tickets.

Heading back to my seat after the interval I overheard a man saying to the person he was with, "That lead singer's pretty good isn't he?" I could have wept for my ticketless friends.

 

"opera is bourgeois spectacle"

No. stop. please don't let Marx ruin everything
I agree that some operas are spectacle
But overall, many opera fans are not attracted to it merely for the spectacle. Why would such works as Bluebeard's Castle or Wozzeck have a place in the repertoire?
People like opera for the same reason they like any art form; they are moved by their beautiful, painful representations of life.

 

Should Opera be an Olympic sport

 

Now this is meeting : Most Ridiculous Things You've Heard People Say About Opera:angel:

 

"I can't stand all that vibrato!"

Oh...right. I guess I was the one who said that...

 

Like belowpar I also heard Lesley Garrett many times at ENO, in some of the roles mentioned in the Wiki piece, as the Vixen and also Zerlina. I don't have any problem with her extending her career with crossover etc; no one forces you to buy or listen to the stuff. Possibly she is 'ubiquitous' because she is popular.

 

This is a completely different situation than people merely making silly comments about opera .
Some years ago on PBS , there was a discussion about whether there should be government support for the arts in America .
Aside from the PBS moderator , there were an operatic soprano or mezzo whose name I don't recall and a jazz critic arguing about this . The Jazz critic was an obnoxious jerk and stated that opera companies in America should not get government funding because "Opera is not an American art form " and Jazz is " because it had its origin in America . Therefore, according to this moron, our government shouldn't provide them with funding .
He went on to ignorantly declare that opera is not even a serious art form, because opera audiences are made up of rich snobs who attend "merely to "see and be seen ".
Talk about reverse snobbism ! He also patronizingly responded to the opera singer that
"He didn't want to deny her a career as an opera singer ". I wished I could have been there to tell him what an ignorant jerk he was !
In fact, European opera was regularly being performed in America long before Jazz existed ! ( I also have nothing against Jazz, but I was utterly disgusted by his arrogant and stupid comments .
And remember - many Jazz musicians of the past in New Orleans were fans of opera and admired famous opera singers and listened to and studied their recordings , and there was a very old operatic tradition in that city from the 19th century .

 

I also neglected to mention the many operas by AMERICAN composers such as Gershwin, Virgil Thomson, Samuel Barber, John Adams, Philip Glass and others as something which I would have mentioned to counter his specious argument .

 

^Stereo Opera

Just imagine Opera being sung whilst high driving or boxing

 

^Stereo Opera

Just imagine Opera being sung whilst high driving or boxing

Did you mean high diving, or driving while high?

 

Deleted post #239

 

How about going mad just after marrying , or dying from heartache or even worst ......being shot.

 

Singer [ insert name] must be the worst singer in the world.
How pathetic if you've nothing to base that one, other then insulting people.

 

The one I hate the most: "It ain't over till the fat lady sings!" While there is some truth to this, it's just such reductionist, oversimplifying b@llsh/t that denigrates a great art form.

Kind regards,

George

 

Sadly, it was over when the fat lady had gastric bypass surgery.

 

liked peoples orders for food: 'filet mignon....what kind of fish is that/" "eggs over no snot"

 

Opera is for snobs. People also think I'm a snob since I like opera. Lol.

 

How about those who when they find out you are into opera, look at you strangely and change the topic.

 

(Oh, for goodness sake! 15 characters, why?)

N.

 

Although I'm not an opera fan I totally get why so many love it. However, I used to work with a guy that opined "it's just a load of fat people warbling" and "they're just musicals for posh tw*ts".