Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site proper.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!we13!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!proper!gam From: gam@proper.UUCP (Gordon Moffett) Newsgroups: net.music Subject: Re: Opera on TV / Opera for Novices Message-ID: <967@proper.UUCP> Date: Fri, 3-Feb-84 15:03:31 EST Article-I.D.: proper.967 Posted: Fri Feb 3 15:03:31 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 9-Feb-84 07:22:32 EST References: <134@olivej.UUCP> Organization: Proper UNIX, San Leandro, CA Lines: 24 Though I enjoy classical music, I have not yet gotten into opera. However, I saw Mozart's `The Marriage of Figaro' on PBS a few years ago and really enjoyed it! I beleive it was produced for TV rather than a broadcast of a stage performance. The most helpful things were: between acts, the announcer would synopsize the action thus far and for the next act; the opera (in Italian) had sub- titles. (I would rather hear a work in its native tongue -- I would have Beethoven's 9th no other way! -- but concurrent translation is helpful). So there's hope! I CAN enjoy opera. (I did watch parts of `The Magic Flute' a few weeks ago, but it was not as interesting, and I was put- off by the black-face characters, which seemed racist to me). I enjoy Mozart and those guys (Baroque thru early Romantic periods) very much -- I would be interested is recommendations for introduction to opera, specifically record sets of good performances with printed translations in them. -- Gordon A. Moffett { allegra, decvax!decwrl } !amd70!proper hplabs!intelca!proper!gam