Do you like the sound of an opera singer?

[SwapTheYforaD]

Generally.

I was in conversation with a young musician recently who admitted it's not really to his taste and I think I agree.

I prefer a 'purer', less wobbly sounding voice but am in awe of what pro opera singers can do.

Even the best opera singers: I'm impressed but not moved. If I am moved it's usually down to the orchestra.

Seeing and hearing a full operatic production is incredible though.

I’ve tried sitting through opera but god it grates. Fell asleep during La Boheme, it was so depressing.

This hits the nail on the head for me I think. It's been interesting reading everyone's responses here.
I've been to operas and I enjoyed them, it's a combination of the music and visual. But yeah when it comes on the radio it feels like the balance is all wrong and all I hear is the melody line without any harmony... so maybe it's the fault of the car speakers/recording. If I turn the volume up the vocal line is ear piercing. Though I wouldn't chose to put on an opera CD (now that's showing my age!) at home ether.

I've always thought the opera vibrato means it's not hitting the actual note half the time.

Eugh. Summertime. Those slides that are done so often.
I think I heard someone sing that when I was a teenager, completely over the top, poisoned me for life.
I agree with PP's: give me a Faure requiem anytime.

No, i love classical music but can’t abide opera.

I hate it, too. I love choral music and I REALLY love early music - you might find that early opera works for you, because the heavy vibrato isn't a desirable trait of an early music soloist, really.

Try Emma Kirkby or Elin Manahan Thomas for a beautiful, pure tone.

I think it's horses for courses (no offence to the singers ). Opera singing is ok when it's opera - what really grates on me is when opera / classically trained singers try and sing pop songs (Katherine Jenkins is a prime culprit for this, she often crops up on telly in a long swishy frock, murdering some otherwise ok tune). It's just wrong. It makes me cringe!

It gives me the rage!

Hahaha actual rage?! 😂

I love opera, but I didn't always. I had to learn a bit about it to understand what I was listening to.

Mostly, if it's not in German.

But KJ is far worse, IMO, when singing an aria.

I get that she didn't train beyond a music teaching diploma and chose a lucrative career doing crossover recordings and concerts over further training, sings with amplification and has never sung an opera (and may in fact not refer to herself as an 'opera singer' at all, though that tends to be how she's referred to in the media, which is obviously not her fault), but vocally she's a mess. Hard to know if she wrecked what could have been a good voice with lack of teaching and poor technique, or if it was never there in the first place.

I can't fault anyone for choosing not to pursue the long, arduous route to trying to make it in opera, but I don't understand why she hasn't worked with a teacher to improve her technique, even (or especially) because she's miked. Which makes her breathing issues loom very large.

Saw her as Carmen. She is the only singer in the role I have seen who makes you understand why Don Jose chucked it all away for love.

Oh, I'd love to have seen that, @EustaceTheMonk -- she's astonishing.

I love live opera, and go to the ROH/ENO as often as possible (or attend cinema live-links).

But as someone said upthread, I wouldn't listen at home. I think if it's all together as an occasion, it has real power to move. But I'd say that's the same for most performance involving music: jazz, blues, classical, ballet, rock, musicals, Eurovision ...😁

No. I have never seen an opera singer in real life though so maybe I would get it if I did.

I like early opera and loathe the heavy Wagnerian stuff. Glyndebourne are good for always including an early opera in their programme - sometimes even a staged oratorio. As its a small house they can afford to use singers with relatively little vibrato like Mary and Sophie Bevan etc. Danielle de Niese is a bit of a mixed bag but she was amazing as Cleopatra rolling around the floor and dancing opposite Sarah Connolly (who I could listen to forever).

But I do find large vibrato pretty painful having grown up in the church music tradition where spot on tuning is so important.

I don't like the bits where they're basically having a conversation in song, but I do really like the arias. I appreciate the bombast! Admittedly, I don't know much about opera. Only been 4-5 times in my whole life.

No! I can't understand it.

Ah, the curse of the perfect ear! I'm with you on that, sometimes I hear something and it's so wrong that it's just painful, but none else can hear it.

The go compare adverts were particularly bad for it.

I don't think I like all opera or all singers, but in general I like opera. I am not remotely musical and have no musical understanding of knowledge. But when DD was a baby she was a terrible sleeper and I'd drive her around with Radio 3 playing, and I found I do like lots of things. I love Monteverdi and I like Purcell's Dido.

I like church music and early chant too - I'm really interested so many people are saying they are very different.

I can't stand the style of opera singing whether it's actual opera or other songs sung in the same style like Katherine Jenkins when she's on TV. I admire the talent but can't listen to it (or understand a word dut to the ridiculous amount of vibrato).

The vibrato/wobbly sound is actually painful for me regardless of the volume/pitch. As a result I avoid any kind of opera or classical singing.

I was going to mention Diana Damrai too. OMG…

The thing about “big” opera for me, is the way that the principals use their voices as instruments during some of the arias. Not to mention the spectacle.

I do actually prefer early music and choral music, so to get the best of both worlds I would recommend Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, although the Lament brings me to tears if well done, without too much vibrato and the contralto isn't too fruity.
Emma Kirkby is considered a great baroque opera singer, very pure and clear:

Damrau, dammit!