I'm listening to "Carmen"--ask me anything!

[joeybee12]

I know nothing about opera, but I knows what I likes.

I suppose liking Carmen is pretty low-brow of me.

[liberalitch]

1. Carmen is cool....

and I dig opera

[trof]

2. Toreadora

Don't spit on the floora,
Use the cuspidora,
That's what it's fora.

Is that the one?
;-)

[Cheswick2.0]

4. LOL

you beat me to it

[trof]

7. From what....third grade?

Lordy we were SO funny back then.

[Cheswick2.0]

3. Carmen is great... and Opera as in any other classical form

you start with the familiar and catchy and you move on from there. Next buy a CD of "greatest Arias" or "Greatest moments in Opera" or some such thing. Soon enough you will find much more that you like.

[everythingsxen]

6. A new TV commercial...

"MONSTERS OF OPERA!"

"Dude listen to that kickin' aria!"

Sorry.

I like opera.

I just can't get images of the "Monsters of Classical" out of my mind.

[Cheswick2.0]

10. I sing Opera, so I am fond of it too

but yeah...sometimes "Monsters of Opera" is just what people need to find what they might like.

[joeybee12]

5. Oh, and don't ask me if it reminds me of Gilligan's Island!!!!!!!!!!!!!

or Hamlet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KensPen]

9. NOOOOOOOOOOOO....

Lowbrow is when you dance around to Gilbert and Sullivan Like I do.

[Cheswick2.0]

11. ...'"it is it is a glorious thi-ing to be a pirate King"

I love Glibert and Sullivan.

[Ilsa]

16. Three Little Maids From School is

my son's favorite.

Carmen has so many popular tunes in it.

Might look at some preludes and arias and stuff from some of Wagner's The Ring for more popular stuff.

[joeybee12]

17. Isn't that from The Mikado?

Pretty catchy tune.

[trof]

12. Oh, I'm Captain Jenks, of the Horse Marines.

I feed my horse on corn and beans,
and I often live beyond my means,
though a captain in the army.

Now WHAT in the pluperfect hell brought THAT on?
whew

[stopbush]

20. There was an opera written on Capt Jinks of the Horse Marines

It was recorded on RCA LPs back in the 1970s with the Kansas City Opera. The composer was Jack Beeson. A couple of acquaintances of mine had major roles on the recording.

On edit: this from a website that lists Jack Beeson's compositions:

1972-74 Begins collaboration with Sheldon Harnick on Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines, commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts. Initiates and superintends the publication of American music by the Columbia University Press (to 1988)
1975-76 Premiere of Captain Jinks, recorded by RCA Records with aid from the Ford Foundation.

[solinvictus]

8. It's contagious

I'm listening to The Best of Maria Callas on Rhapsody.com now. God, what a voice!

[joeybee12]

14. I think A&E did a show on her once--tragic ending

But what a voice, you're right!

[pippin]

13. if you get the chance

rent the movie with the all African American cast doing Carmen--the luscious Dorothy Dandridge, handsome Harry Belafonte, and the late great Pearl Bailey--all with the music of Bizet.

[joeybee12]

15. You mean Carmen Jones--I have seen it

I really didn't care for it--Hollywood really cannot make musicals into films anymore.

But God, was Dorothy Danbdrige wonderful in that! Amazing!

[pippin]

18. It was made in 1954

and directed by Otto Preminger. Dorothy Dandridge's singing was dubbed with the voice of a very young Marilyn Horne-- so imagine THAT combination. Dorothy Dandridge many felt deserved an Oscar but ofcourse they didn't give it to her. She was hugely talented besides being gorgeous and it was tragic she was never given the chance to become really big.

There is also a flamenco version of Carmen--all danced to the music--directed by Carlos Saura which is wonderful.

[joeybee12]

19. Haven't seen the Salsa version--sounds very interesting

Poor Dorothy had a life almost as tragic as Carmen's--she really could have been a huge star.

[NightTrain]

21. If your video store has it...

...rent the 1984 film version of "Carmen" from Spain. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

Oh, and you know what's also worth checking out? "Carmen Jones," in which Bizet's music and storyline are transplanted to 1950s Harlem. It's different and it's great!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

22. Not low-brow

but it's a great first opera.

In the early 1990s, the Portland Opera did a production of Carmen that really began with a bang. Instead of the usual routine with the conductor coming out to be applauded, they just doused the lights and the orchestra launched straight into the overture. Dut-dutta-dutta-dutta, dut-dutta-dutta-dutta, dut-dutta-dutta-dutta-daa!

My favorite aria from Carmen is "Pres des Ramparts de Seville."

[efhmc]

23. I love opera and I love Carmen. It was the first opera I saw live and that

was in college. I recently saw a local production in California that was also good. Good music and good strong female main character. That does it for me.

[jpgray]

24. Did Bizet compose anything else? LOL (nt)

[TreasonousBastard]

25. Not much...

http://www.essentialsofmusic.com/composer/bizet.html

iirc, Carmen was first performed with an enormously fat, but popular, soprano in the lead. Big mistake.

It just didn't work as Carmen the sexpot, and dancing on the table was quite dangerous, to say nothing of damn silly. The audience and critics ridiculed the whole thing.

'twas a tragic point in the life of Bizet.

[pippin]

27. well he did, but

Bizet also died young . . .thirty-six when he had a fatal heart attack. So like other composers who died young he didn't really have time to demonstrate his full potential as a composer. His other two operas that are performed occasionally are The Pearl Fishers set in Ceylon and Check out The Pearl Fishers too--has a great duet for two male voices.

Musically, he is underrated as his music shows a great deal of originality. Several of the arias from Carmen are so attractive to other composers they have been adopted as pieces fo solo instruments. Evey violin virtuoso fo instance likes to demonstrate her or his viruosity by playing The Carmen Variations.

Another favorite Bizet work is Jeux d'enfants--Kids' Games which has been adapted as an orchestral work and a favorite with concert goers.

[TreasonousBastard]

26. Nah...

you just have good taste in music.

What's not to like about Carmen?

I'm having a brain fart here-- I know some pop songs have come out of it, but can't remember which ones.

And the orchestrals are used all the time in commercials, backgrounds, etc.

Good stuff! Lotsa fun.

[KensPen]

28. Does "Peter and the Wolf"

qualify me as a fan of ballet?