[Don Fatale]

When I thought about this I realised I couldn't recall the opening bars of most operas, even some of my favourites. But there is one that stands out for its tremendous orchestral blast in the opening notes. The drama of a ship trying to make harbour in a storm played out by the orchestra and chorus and then.... Esultate! I'm drained just thinking about it.

Best opening scene: Otello

 

[Don Fatale]

I was tempted to go for Iago's Credo from Otello, and certainly agree about the chilling La Luce Langue, but I think Scarpia's Te Deum (Tosca) just edges it for sheer menace, certainly enhanced by the contrast of the choral background.

 

[Don Fatale]

So we'e on to best instrumental passage now? Sorry, guys above, but it says no overtures or preludes... but that still leaves me with Siegfried's Funeral Music from Gotterdammerung. Spine-tingling-goose-bumping-nerve-shredding moments of genius.

 

[Don Fatale]

What the...? Last I checked, today's subject is "scary arias." Why are people naming unscary orchestral passages? Does this thread need moderator intervention, as in:

This thread has gone off-topic.

It isn't tomorrow anywhere in the world.

More confusion to come, I expect. Better to have started this on the first of the the month?

 

[Don Fatale]

Why aren't we able to delete duplicate posts?

 

[Don Fatale]

You have until morning to figure out who I have chosen. This riddle solving guy managed to keep his head when all others were losing theirs.

 

[Don Fatale]

Best unfinished opera? Or at least my favourite...

Boito's Nerone

I regard Turandot as finished, though not by Puccini.

 

[Don Fatale]

Out of curiosity, do you also regard Mahler's 10th as finished, or Schubert's 8th, or Lulu?

You're really curious? Yes, no, yes.

 

[Don Fatale]

I don't follow your logic then.

Finished by others. Not finished by others.

 

[Don Fatale]

They've all been finished by others.

Sorry for my ignorance. Where can I find a recording of all 4 movements of Schubert's 8th? I'd love to get the 5th act of Nerone. Can you recommend a recording?

 

[Don Fatale]

Apologies, you didn't mention Nerone, but Schubert's 8th?

 

[Don Fatale]

Completed by Brian Newbould, and recorded by Sir Charles Mackerras and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Maybe by others too.

How interesting. Thanks for the info. I may just have to track it down.

 

[Don Fatale]

The first movement of the 5th alone is worth the price of the disc.

Thanks. On order. But Nerone is still my favourite unfinished opera. ;-)

 

[Don Fatale]

#20: Best use of opera in pop culture

It's hard to get past Ride of the Valkyries in Apocalypse Now.

 

[Don Fatale]

22. Opera with the hardest stage effect to bring off successfully. (Please specify the stage effect.)

The almost complete lack of horses in Ring Cycle productions. It's as if they're scared to attempt it.

Yet when the (animatronic) horse appears in Seigfried's Rhine Journey in Lepage's production it provided the most beautiful scene.

 

[Don Fatale]

Yeah, that was expensive, and I watched the met's documentary on it, and apparently it could be very dangerous.

I saw it too; unfortunately before watching the opera DVDs. Not advised! Seeing how hard the multitude of stagehands were working to support the supposed electronically controlled machine takes all the mystique from the production.

 

[Don Fatale]

28. Funniest moment

If a good proportion of the audience aren't laughing when Falstaff is complaining in the laundry basket the production has gone badly wrong.

 

[Don Fatale]

#29: Advice to many opera singers, I'm not going to name names. Perhaps the same as given to Deborah Voight some time ago? Get yourself in shape! Look after your health.