(no subject)

[cahn]

All right, I've wanted to do this for a while:

The problem with operas is that they're too long. By which I mean, if anyone in them was sensible they'd all be at most half the length.

So: comment with an opera name (*) and I'll respond with a short snippet of a canon-divergence AU where the opera is Much Shorter. Warning, of course, that at least some of the characters will be wildly out of character. That is to say, probably much more sensible. :)

(*) If it's an opera I know, you'll get the ficlet much sooner. If it's one I haven't watched yet, I'll put it on my list to watch and you'll get the ficlet once I've watched it. This is a good opportunity for you to get me to watch your favorite opera, since after I finish Norma with Caballé I'm gonna go back to RL opera friend and ask for more DVDs! (Though given my previous track record, this might also take a while.)

(cross-posted to tumblr)

Comments

[shewhostaples]

La Forza del Destino?

[cahn]

YES YES
---------------

Don Alvaro entered from the balcony and threw himself into Leonora's arms. "Ah! Forever, now, my angel, heaven has joined us! Let us go now and be married!"

Leonora, for a second, thought of staying; but she knew she must decide now or risk her father finding them together. She glanced briefly at her maid Curra before saying resolutely, "Yes, let us go now! Here are my bags." Curra gave her an encouraging smile.

"Madam," Alvaro said to Curra with the courtesy he showed to everyone, noble or commoner, "will you come with us? You may of course prefer to stay, and we would not hinder that, but I know Leonora would like a friend..."

Curra grinned. "I was hoping you'd ask! I don't fancy staying around here and getting sacked when the old man finds out you've gone."

The three of them rode away, into the darkness.

*

"Gone!" the Marquis of Calatrava groaned. He held in his hand a note from Leonora. "And married, she says! -- and bedded too, I warrant, by this time."

Carlo di Vargas slouched in his seat. He did not see what his father expected him to do about it. Which was, of course, the Marquis' cue to say, "My son, you must avenge ourselves on this half-breed who has sullied our name, who has forced himself on your innocent sister, who has tainted our blood with his --"

Carlo rolled his eyes. "Oh Dad, if they're married, and it sounded from the letter like she was pretty excited about it, then he hasn't exactly sullied her or forced her. And come on, if he's half Peruvian, that isn't the end of the world."

The Marquis grumbled, "I knew I shouldn't have sent you to that progressive school," and stomped off, leaving Carlo to his own thoughts.

He'd never met Don Alvaro, but Leonora had told him enough about him that he wanted to: his nobility, his bravery, his fighting prowess... maybe they would meet someday, and maybe they could even be best friends!

Leonora had left him her address, which of course he hadn't told his father. Looking around to make sure the Marquis was nowhere nearby, he scrounged for a pen and paper and started writing her a letter.

[iberiandoctor]

The Marquis grumbled, "I knew I shouldn't have sent you to that progressive school," and stomped off, leaving Carlo to his own thoughts.

Hee, I love everything about this! And yes, holy God, if everyone in operas just RAN AWAY QUICKLY as opposed to hung around in order to sing lengthily about their concerns, they would all be much better off XD

[cahn]

omg I can't tell you how many times I've yelled at the screen while watching Carlo and Elisabeth, or Alvaro and Leonora, or... etc... singing about how they really need to go Right Now only you have to wait until the end of our duet! Which, it's often a very beautiful duet, but then Bad Things happen!

[zdenka]

I like it! And Curra gets to come along too, good!

[cahn]

yesss! I always felt bad that Curra got, like, five minutes in the beginning and then we never saw her again, and Leonora has no girlfriends in the rest of the entire opera (as far as I know) :(