to think Opera doesn't deserve the elite image?

[KnitPurlKnitPurl]

At the age of almost 49, went to the opera for the first time last night. Touring production of Carmen, tickets cost me £22.50 each through a Groupon type website. None of the preconceptions about opera applied. Yes it was sung in French, but there were subtitles. Nobody was dressed to the nines, DH and I were there in jeans and smart-casual tops and didn't feel out of place. It wasn't at all expensive when you compare with other sorts of entertainment (our panto tickets last year were double the price, it's at least £20 to get into a zoo or a theme park). It wasn't boring or difficult to follow what was going on. It was quite long at about 3 hours with breaks but so are some superhero movies.

Not saying it's turned me into a die-hard opera fan but it was a nice evening out seeing some seriously skilled singers and performers.

This is lovely to read. Theatre and opera should be accessible to everyone. I’ve never been to the opera (but an avid theatre goer!), I’d be interested in trying an opera after reading this. Glad you had fun!

I think if I went to see madam butterfly I’d enjoy that as I’ve seen the ballet and I know the story. And I love the music. But I couldn’t go see a show without knowledge of the story.

The way you capitalised the word opera has me thinking this thread was going to be about Oprah Winfrey at first glance.

Was it the Ellen Kent production? They use local children etc as extras and dd danced in Aida and sand in Tosca with them when she was 8 & 10 respectively.

Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed it OP. Tickets for big sporting events are usually more expensive than tickets for opera or classical music concerts.

How do they do sub titles?

It's "highbrow" though, isn't it? The difference between an Opera in French with subtitles and The Lion King musical is surely like the difference between a Dostoevsky novel and a "chick lit" romance? Different things appeal to different people.

I think it's more that the appeal of opera is limited to those who love classical music and the love of classical music is much more common in people who are well-educated and wealthy, hence it has an elitist image. I totally get what you're saying and the one time I went to an opera the audience looked like any normal audience for a play or for a classical concert. I do feel that the appeal of opera is quite narrow though.

I did know a little of the story, but I don't think it matters as DH didn't and with the over-stage subtitles (above-titles?) it was easy to follow. Something like ballet is arguably harder as there aren't subtitles or words at all, it's all dance.

They have a LED banner thing suspended above the stage. they are not translating word for word but the basic meaning of what's being sung. My french is pretty decent but not good enough to understand a full opera.

Yes - it was the Ellen Kent production. The kids were great although on and off in 2 minutes. All the singers and the orchestra are from Ukraine. Very emotional at the end when they brought the flag out and sang their national anthem.

YANBU (but don’t spread it around or everyone will want to come and the prices will go back up!).

I agree that opera doesn’t have to be snobbish but I think the company that has really, really proved that is OperaUpClose. I saw an awesome production of, I think, La Boheme, that was modernised and sung in English. Two things I usually hate. But it was AWESOME! I won’t give anything more away but for non-snobby opera, they are the people to see.

OK, I take it back, I’ll give their secrets away. I hate modernised settings and singing in English but someone else bought the tickets and I couldn’t say no politely. So I went and braced myself for a dreadful evening. It was modern era so they were flat sharers and when they sang of champagne and oysters, they did so ironically/sarcastically and unpacked beer and pot noodles from sainsbury’s bags. It just got better from there!

Yes, I think for Carmen (and La Boheme) they just cone on and off as extras so don't do much whereas for Tosca they sing an entire chorus plus one gets to do a solo aria. For Aida four of them (one of which was dd) do a complicated little dance with the rest of the cast watching). It was fantastic.

😂

Glad you had a good time. Maybe it's better described as a minority interest?

Apologies for capitalising Opera. Oprah doesn't really have an elite image either!

I agree, I think many people think it's not for them, it's women screeching in foreign languages, too high-brow and so on. Once you know the plotlines, they're like any other play or musical, and once a beautiful aria hooks you, you don't hear screeching any more. Most people will actually already be familiar with the more famous tunes and arias, from being used in films and adverts and suchlike. Most people would recognise the Flower Duet, the Toreador song, the Libiamo bit from La traviata, maybe the Vissi d'arte from Tosca, bit of Figaro, obviously Nessun Dorma. Loads more.

I got into opera as a teenager - started listening to a bit of classical, and my grandfather got dead excited (no-one else in the family is very interested) and bought me several popular operas on CD, with librettos and translations. I absolutely fell in love with Aida once I knew what they were singing. That's probably still my favourite, along with Tosca.

When I saw Opera with the capital O, I thought was going to be about the web browser!

I think it's more that the appeal of opera is limited to those who love classical music and the love of classical music is much more common in people who are well-educated and wealthy, hence it has an elitist image

I don't know...I love classical music but I don't rate opera at all.

No doubt it may have appealed to people years ago when entertainment options were fairly limited. But I find it too basic and slow-paced for this day and age.

I agree I don't understand it's elite image. I wouldn't dare say this IRL as it's still so overhyped

The problem with opera is that they sing/wail/warble/screech in a funny way. Heavy metal for toffs.

But that's my whole point - why is your perception that it is for "toffs"?

You obviously didn't go to the ROH as you would need a second mortgage for a glass of wine

For me this is the distinction in terms of "who goes". I can turn up to an Opera at my local theatre (we get a lto of Welsh National Opera since they cancelled all the Russian State Operas), wearing my jeans and flats, have a coffee or a wine and some chocolate buttons or an ice cream, and other than the noise it's no different to going to see JOSEPH or Grease.

Then you've got the posh frocks, no snacks and wine more expensive than my shoes options...

I'm gutted they cancelled Carmen, Welsh National Opera are doing all the rest but not that. V excited for Coppelia later in the year too. And I'm def working class

Not really the best comparison, because plot-wise, a lot of operas are very very simplistic. I’d also argue that the music in the Lion King is multi-layered and complex. The only thing that makes it simpler is that it’s in English and the melodies are perhaps more mainstream.

I do feel that the big sopranos with their huge vibrato voices give opera a bad name. Much of the earlier work - Handel, Mozart etc was written to be performed to the aristocracy at a time when many of them were pretty thick (and many of the women not well educated) and they can be fun - especially if early music sopranos are used as they tend to have lighter less wobbly voices that are beautiful to listen to. I like a lot of classical music but I'm quite picky about which operas I'll go to see - one evening of Tristan and Isolde was enough Wagner was enough to last me a lifetime.

Despite its evening dress picnics Glyndebourne can be quite irreverent in its productions - an amazing Bollywood inspired dance number in Handel's Cesare springs to mind. They used to do a great children's night each year with operas like Hansel and Gretel and Cendrillon which was great fun as they had an interactive workshop beforehand. I'll never forget the witch in Hansel and Gretel's surprise when all the children started booing everytime he came on - he loved it. Sadly they scrapped the children's event but tickets aren't eye-watering in the lesser seats and the picnic/gardens are lovely.

There were no "posh frocks" in evidence last night. Most people casually dressed. Saw one man in a suit and tie. Drinks at the bar weren't cheap but they never are at the theatre or a concert, whatever you're seeing. And lots of people sipping coffee.

I'd also agree that the plot of the opera we saw last night was simple. Soap-opera stuff - the classic love triangle. It's an easy enough story whether it's 19th century Seville or Eastenders.