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Turfan Fragment
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« Reply #675 on: 19:25:11, 21-06-2008 » |
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A colleague of mine, one Stephen Andrew Taylor, is writing an opera based on an Ursula LeGuin story. It's called Paradises Lost. Most of it takes place on a spaceship, but there is no trautonium or ondes martenot or baluchitherium or theremin involved.
Glad I could help. I know so little about opera, it's nice to be able to contribute something to these opera threads.
The opera itself goes something like this: La la la lala la ... lala la la la la la la la la la lalalalal ladeelala... lalalaaaaa
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thompson1780
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« Reply #676 on: 00:14:39, 22-06-2008 » |
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The opera itself goes something like this: La la la lala la ... lala la la la la la la la la la lalalalal ladeelala... lalalaaaaa
Ah, a "must see" then. One for the diary. (If it went "Ba ba ba baba ba ... baba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba babababab badeebaba" then it would be one for the nursery / dairy / elephant house, depending on how you read it.  ) Tommo |
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
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Reiner Torheit
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« Reply #677 on: 02:25:14, 22-06-2008 » |
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The opera itself goes something like this: La la la lala la ... lala la la la la la la la la la lalalalal ladeelala... lalalaaaaa
I know one a bit like that, which starts "Laaaaaa-go al factotum della citta, lar-go", and then it goes off into the same lalalalalala stuff  |
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"I was, for several months, mutely in love with a coloratura soprano, who seemed to me to have wafted straight from Paradise to the stage of the Odessa Opera-House"
- Leon Trotsky, "My Life"
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #678 on: 10:30:01, 22-06-2008 » |
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(If it went "Ba ba ba baba ba ... baba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba babababab badeebaba" then it would be one for the nursery / dairy / elephant house, depending on how you read it. ) Tommo Tommo, perhaps you'd like to take that idea over to the latest Musical Connections puzzle... |
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #679 on: 17:56:12, 20-07-2008 » |
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Given discussion over a possible new section to house 'page, stage, gallery and screen' and whether ballet should feature in the 'Opera thread', which opera ballets would you still wish to be performed as a part of the performance? I'd find it very odd to watch Aida without the ballet following the Grand March and I reckon the Polovtsian Dances are an essential part of Prince Igor. Other takers?
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
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Don Basilio
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« Reply #680 on: 18:20:35, 20-07-2008 » |
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La Gioconda without the Dance of the Hours would be a bit strange, but is that because it is the best known piece.
I'm not a great Rameau whizz, but I would have thought the dance is integral. (They are opera-ballets, aren't they?)
Indeed isn't the point here whether the work was French or not. All ballets squeezed in for the Paris version tend to be cut.
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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh: a time to mourn, and a time to dance
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #681 on: 18:27:30, 20-07-2008 » |
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La Gioconda without the Dance of the Hours would be a bit strange, but is that because it is the best known piece.
Indeed. I'm looking forward to seeing this at Holland Park soon, although I doubt there'll be dancing hippos. Although written for Paris, I'd imagine that whenever Verdi's Les vêpres siciliennes is given in Italian, the Four Seasons ballet (his longest by far) is usually still performed. |
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
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Reiner Torheit
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« Reply #682 on: 18:58:04, 20-07-2008 » |
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Handel's first three operas after the collapse of the Royal Academy, produced for the Covent Garden theatre, all include the novelty of ballet, presumably as a Box Office draw in the face of competition from the company playing at the Haymarket. So ARIODANTE, ALCINA, and ATALANTA (the last a rather frivolous piece with much borrrowing from other pieces, assembled swiftly for the wedding of the Prince Of Wales, and restoring Handel to his good graces as a result) all have extensive ballet sections - which are often cut, foreshortened, or not used as dance-music.
Most of Russian Grand Opera has opera-ballet, because the audiences expected it. The wiser composers managed to introduce it as an integral part of the story, and in this case it's not easily removable! Tchaikovsky's MAZEPPA has the Gopak in Act I, and our chum Dargomyzhsky clearly intened opera-ballet in his (unfinished) version of the same story. But even Glinka was writing opera ballet - Chernomor, the "Dr No" of RUSLAN & LUDMILA, is a silent, danced role, and couldn't be omitted for that reason.
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"I was, for several months, mutely in love with a coloratura soprano, who seemed to me to have wafted straight from Paradise to the stage of the Odessa Opera-House"
- Leon Trotsky, "My Life"
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #683 on: 20:29:34, 20-07-2008 » |
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Most of Russian Grand Opera has opera-ballet, because the audiences expected it. The wiser composers managed to introduce it as an integral part of the story, and in this case it's not easily removable! Pretty integral to Mlada then, isn't it! I don't think I've ever seen the ballet to Otello staged. Presumably it would come in Act III when the Venetian ambassasors arrive in Cyprus. It's not too long (5 mins) and contains some interesting 'Cypriot' music. So, Reiner, when the ROH give you a ring.....?!! |
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
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Reiner Torheit
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« Reply #684 on: 21:25:35, 20-07-2008 » |
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Ta for the hint, IGI! I wonder if MLADA (original five-composer version) would ever be staged? It could just happen - the Russian Govt is oil-sated and sleek with revenue for potty patriotic prestige projects at the moment I don't think Minkus's all-ballet version has been revived, despite its success at the time And Rimsky's version isn't ever performed, afaik. |
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"I was, for several months, mutely in love with a coloratura soprano, who seemed to me to have wafted straight from Paradise to the stage of the Odessa Opera-House"
- Leon Trotsky, "My Life"
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Il Grande Inquisitor
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« Reply #685 on: 22:29:42, 20-07-2008 » |
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I wonder if MLADA (original five-composer version) would ever be staged? It could just happen - the Russian Govt is oil-sated and sleek with revenue for potty patriotic prestige projects at the moment I don't think Minkus's all-ballet version has been revived, despite its success at the time And Rimsky's version isn't ever performed, afaik. I've a DVD of a Bolshoi Opera/ Ballet production of Rimsky's Mlada, conducted by Alexander Lazarev, recorded in 1992. It's a very traditional staging, but none the worse for that. I particularly like the music for the Appearance of Cleopatra, danced here by Nina Ananiashvili, who is also Mlada. There's a high, suitably exotic, sinuous melody played on the E flat clarinet, which is quite hypnotic. |
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« Last Edit: 22:35:11, 20-07-2008 by Il Grande Inquisitor »
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Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency
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Ruth Elleson
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« Reply #686 on: 22:39:11, 20-07-2008 » |
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La Gioconda without the Dance of the Hours would be a bit strange, but is that because it is the best known piece. Opera North's production (last revived in 2000) cuts it completely  …and I’m editing this to say that I’ve realised that means I have never seen the Dance of the Hours staged. My first (and second) experience of Gioconda was in Opera North’s production. Subsequently I have only seen it in concert – first at ENO, then the Royal Opera. I haven’t even seen the dancing hippos version, having made a point of not wanting to ruin it for myself for ever. I actually really like La Gioconda! I wait with bated breath to see what Holland Park can pull out of the bag this Thursday. |
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« Last Edit: 11:32:55, 21-07-2008 by Ruth Elleson »
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Oft hat ein Seufzer, deiner Harf' entflossen,
Ein süßer, heiliger Akkord von dir
Den Himmel beßrer Zeiten mir erschlossen,
Du holde Kunst, ich danke dir dafür!
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Don Basilio
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« Reply #687 on: 10:40:12, 21-07-2008 » |
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Death in Venice would not work at all without the dances at the end of Act 1.
Gloriana without the Choral Dances would be a bit silly, as would The Bartered Bride without the polka, furiant and other jolly dances. IIRC the polka is the finale to Act 1.
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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.
A time to weep, and a time to laugh: a time to mourn, and a time to dance
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harpy128
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« Reply #688 on: 13:13:16, 21-07-2008 » |
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I don't know Gounod's Faust very well but I would think that the "Veau d'or" scene benefits from a bit of diabolical prancing - the actual ballet though could presumably be taken out?
OHP are definitely including the Dance of the Hours in some form - I checked.
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Reiner Torheit
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« Reply #689 on: 13:32:16, 21-07-2008 » |
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"I was, for several months, mutely in love with a coloratura soprano, who seemed to me to have wafted straight from Paradise to the stage of the Odessa Opera-House"
- Leon Trotsky, "My Life"
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