Opera for Beginners (Part 3 of 3)

[cahn]

I talked about Opera for Beginners for my family reunion talk and used much of the advice I was given here, thank you! :)

-I brought speakers, because there isn't much use in giving an opera talk if you can't hear the music! The hilarious thing was that I was not the only one who had audio/audiovisual components to my presentation, but I was the only one who had brought speakers. I had been a little bitter about lugging them all around Montana, but less so when they turned out to be broadly useful :) What was more irritating was that after they worked fine when I tried them out in my office, they didn't work at all for a while when I was trying to give the talk. Finally my cousin's teenager, who was acting as unofficial tech support, suggested rebooting as a last resort, and of course that worked. Sigh.

-A couple of people mentioned talking about where one might go looking for opera. My biggest recommendations to a newbie are the following:
1.The Chandos Opera in English CDs, without which I would still hate opera today. I highly highly recommend all the Mozart ones, particularly the da Ponte operas (Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Cosi fan tutte), and the bel canto comedies (e.g., Barber of Seville, The Elixir of Love), and dis-recommend their Verdi except Don Carlos (for some reason Verdi tends to come out a bit muddled). Their French opera also seems to be very good, and I absolutely adore their Eugene Onegin (which stars Thomas Hampson and Kiri te Kanawa).

2. Met On Demand, which comes with a free 7-day trial. People who know a lot about opera rag on the Met for not being adventurous in its staging and concept, which, fair, but for a beginner, in my opinion, that's exactly what you want, and you can't do better than the Met for gorgeous staging and costumes, great singers, and great videography, which I didn't even know would affect me until I started watching a bunch of these... and... it does actually make a huge difference when watching video. (Watching live is, of course, different.)

-I showed several clips, one of which was a 3-minute clip of Kaufmann/Hampson/Salminen in the auto-da-fe scene from Don Carlo. (Alagna/Keenlyside/Furlanetto is still the whole version of Don Carlo I would recommend, but for auto-da-fe out of context I thought the former was better, not least because it didn't have a giant weeping Jesus in the background.) I explained beforehand the background about how Posa is Prince Carlo's best friend but also has the relationship where he has sworn fealty to King Philip. (I have uploaded the clip here (google drive video clip, ~3 minutes) -- mildredofmidgard, I know music/opera is Not Your Thing but this is the moment in Don Carlo I was talking about, check it out) and my big triumph, as far as I am concerned, is that when the clip ended my cousin cried out, "Oh, that's so sad!" MY WORK HERE IS DONE.

-My other great triumph was that E was curious about what I said about Don Giovanni. Being her, she could not care less about Don G himself -- she was perfectly content with a limited understanding that he was the Bad Guy -- but she was particularly interested in what I said about Don G coming to a sticky end, and asked about it the next day. Once I further explained that there was a singing statue and that in many productions Don G disappeared into flames with the statue at the end, both she and A really wanted to watch it, so that afternoon we all snuggled up on the couch and watched "Don Giovanni, a cenar teco" (this one with Rodney Gilfrey) and they still ask for "the statue opera" on occasion. (That's the only part they have watched or are interested in watching, or that I am interested in playing for them, until they're a lot older. Well, okay, "O statua gentilissima," but that's along the same lines.)

-Since you guys said it was fun for people to recognize music in opera, another short clip I showed was from Thais, because, well, I don't know if it's all Koreans or just my particular family, but all our extended relatives LOOOOOVE Meditation from Thais and all of us cousins who play violin (or piano, if that cousin happened to be near one of the cousins who played violin) have had to play that song approximately six million times, every time a third cousin twice removed came to visit. There was much groaning when the melody was revealed :)

-It turns out my aunt (uncle's wife) really likes opera!!!! We are already making plans to go to Salzburg or Italy sometime and watch opera :D (well, pipe dreams right now... I certainly wouldn't go until my kids are older)

(Part 1 was where I asked for help; Part 2 was an outtake of this post about emoting in opera)

Comments

[mildred_of_midgard]

re: Katte's protestations of Protestant faith in his last weeks, I would argue that while hoping for clemency from Friedrich Wilhelm might have been one big reason, another was his own family, specifically his own father, to whom hearing Katte died a good Protestant would be a comfort.

That reminds me, I'm sure you're familiar with the passage where one of his instructors when he was younger wrote that Katte was not too interested in religion, just in pleasing his father? That was part of the evidence I put together as I came to my conclusion that his sudden, vocal, very obvious piety was not a lifelong religious devotion and his atheism just some meaningless words he once said to look good in intellectual society.

How strong an attachment he might have had to freethinking vs. the consolations of religion in extremis we'll never know, but everything he did and said screams "a man with an audience" at me. Multiple audiences. And I am absolutely sure that even once there was no hope of a royal pardon, in the very last seconds, he was trying to make sure he did his family proud, both in piety and in courage. (Somewhere in my fic drafts folder is an attempt at a depiction of all the many complex thoughts, feelings, and coping strategies I think were going through Katte's head in his last days.)

[selenak]

On that note, I'm not sure how much this still applies for Prussia in the 18th century, but I can't help but associate how in 16th century Tudor England, dying a "good" death during your public execution, which most definitely included prayer and a profession of faith (as well as proclamation of loyalty to the Sovereign), was quintessential. In that sense, Katte was following a pattern. (The only roughly contemporary pre revolutionary public execution in 18th century Europe I can immediately think of wasn't comparable to Katte's case at all - the famous hanging, drawing and quartering of the wannabe assassin of Louis XV which Casanova was witness to.)

Whatever went through his head, though: every one present that day sympathized with and admired him. And to bring this back to Schiller again, one major reason why I speculate that Don Carlos started off as Schiller being inspired by the Fritz-Katte-FW situation is Posa's existence. Because there is no Posa (or a differently named best friend) in any account of the historical Carlos, including the infamous "black legend of Spain" ones Schiller drew from. The character was utterly and completely invented by Schiller, as opposed to every single other character in the play. And if you write about a royal Father/son conflict during which the son's dearly beloved best friend is killed in front of him, and you live just a generation post Katte at a time when Friedrich II. still is on everyone's minds - well. (Schiller's and Fritz' lifetimes overlap, but Schiller wasn't on the public consciousness yet when Friedrich died - too young. Goethe, who was ten years older than Schiller, was, and with his usual attitude towards German literature Fritz dimissed "Götz von Berlichingen" as a load of unprincipled rubbish. This did not deterr young Goethe one bit (and he didn't bear a grudge, either - there are a lot of complimentary references to "the great King" from him later in life), but then he had a rock iron self confidence, and also the awareness that having the German states' most famous Monarch publically complain about your first drama is actually great free publicity.

[cahn]

Because there is no Posa (or a differently named best friend) in any account of the historical Carlos

*nods* Yeeeeep. I mean, I totally buy it, anyway!

It is interesting to me, mind you, that Schiller made Posa a rather ambivalent, somewhat fanatical figure. (Like mildred said, one has to put in creativity somewhere?) And it's doubly interesting with what you say above that Posa in Verdi (circa 1866, so, post-Fontane at least a little, and the further revisions would have had to be post-Fontane) seems to me much more the way mildred_in_midgard describes Katte: wholly dedicated to Carlos and their friendship, with Flanders/progressivism as a shared goal of the two of them. That is, now I wonder whether Fontane's take on Katte had anything to do with it...

also the awareness that having the German states' most famous Monarch publically complain about your first drama is actually great free publicity.

heeeee that is awesome!

[selenak]

It is interesting to me, mind you, that Schiller made Posa a rather ambivalent, somewhat fanatical figure.

Caveat here: that's not how he came across to 18th century and 19th century readers/theatre audiences. Posa was everyone's favourite character from the moment Don Carlos was first published, and held up as the most noble of Schiller's heroes, full stop. Reading him as even slightly morally ambiguous didn't, to my knowledge, occur to anyone until the last few decades. Since you've encountered the Verdi version first, you have a different perspective, Which I value, especially since I do think there's ambiguity in Posa, but I would Postulate that it's also a question of modern sensibilty versus age of the enlightenment just before the French Revolution. (Which, among other things, showed that a passion for reform and freedom could also lead to a new tyranny.)

Here's the thing, though: Schiller certainly gave Posa his own ideals and political Credo (not just in the famous "Sire, geben Sie Gedankenfreiheit!" speech), but he was too good a dramatist to just make Posa a mouthpiece, instead of a character, and also, the play isn't called "Posa". Carlos prioritizing emotion and truth to emotion above all Things (without being as unhinged about it as Opera!Carlo with the sword drawing, though) also is a symptom of the age, just of a different aspect, and I think what he might have been going for was that the two need each other for balance: sense and sensibility, to Quote another writer of the age.:)

[cahn]

That makes total sense!

and also, the play isn't called "Posa"

it totally should be
or maybe "Posa, Philip, and the Prince"

[mildred_of_midgard]

+1

[mildred_of_midgard]

Oh, the comparanda that always go through my head when I read about Katte's execution are absolutely Mary, Queen of Scots (who was said to have known how to die like a queen, even if she never knew how to live like one) and Charles I.

Also, haha, the eighteenth-century execution that always comes to mind for me, because it was so entertaining, is Lord Lovat. Rather different than Katte's! To quote from a random internet page, "After Culloden, Lovat was imprisoned in Fort Augustus before being taken to the Tower of London to await trial. He knew he would end up on the gallows, yet he conducted his own defence with great dignity and wit.

"As he was stepping into the carriage which would carry him to his death, an old woman shouted, 'You will have your head chopped off, you ugly old Scots dog.' Without a second's hesitation he turned upon her, and, raising his hat, replied, 'I verily believe I shall, you old English bitch.'

"A huge crowd gathered to see Lovat's execution, and as he went proudly to the scaffold, one of the stands for spectators collapsed, killing a number of people. With a twinkle in his eve, the old chief exclaimed, 'The more the mischief, the better the sport!' He felt the axe-blade and gave a handsome donation to the executioner. He was over 80 years old, and met death with the same mixture of cynicism and gallantry with which he had lived his life."

Way, way, off topic: I'm convinced that Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat is the real life historical figure behind Lord Frey (the name similarities took me a while to notice) in ASOIAF. I actually think Jacobite history was more of an inspiration for GRRM than I usually see it get credit for.

Whatever went through his head, though: every one present that day sympathized with and admired him.

As do I! I hope it didn't come across otherwise. It occurs to me that you don't know me, and coming from someone else, some of the things I said might have seemed less than complimentary. Be assured they were all highly complimentary and sympathetic. (It might help to know, for example, that I am an atheist and was pleased rather than otherwise to be able to decide that he was too.)

Because there is no Posa (or a differently named best friend) in any account of the historical Carlos, including the infamous "black legend of Spain" ones Schiller drew from.

Ah, interesting! I had been wondering how much of the inspiration was Fritz/FW and how much the Black Legend. If Posa was made up from whole cloth by an author writing in German at the time Schiller was, yeah, looks a lot like Katte to me.

From what I have read (albeit a secondary source and I haven't checked the primary source), Friedrich also didn't have complimentary words about Schiller. I kinda think you had to have a thick skin with Old Fritz, and people probably did a lot of telling themselves, "Well, he's like that with everyone, you can't take it personally, and look what happened with the one author he *did* like." (Cahn, the context is that Fritz was crazy about Voltaire as a thinker and writer, and was great pen pals with him, but when they tried having an in-person working relationship at the same court, it imploded spectacularly and left ripples across swathes of Europe.

Fritz the Great: sometimes amazing, sometimes drove you up the wall, never boring.)

Huh, Wikipedia says Friedrich Schiller was named after Friedrich II during the Seven Years' War and called Fritz by nearly everyone. Hmmmm!

[selenak]

Lovat sounds like a character, alright. And interesting about ASOIAF, I've only ever heard about the Wars of the Roses as inspiration.

As do I! I hope it didn't come across otherwise.

Not at all, don't worry about it. BTW, found a Philip/Carlos - FW/Fritz crossreference Schiller couldn't have known about (due to the publication date) when I checked Wilhelmine's memoirs for the other quote - according to Wilhelmine, the lady-in-waiting defending her and her mother during that awful scene where FW first went "I killed Fritz" and then "no, didn't, but I so will!", the courageous Frau von Kamecke, told FW point blank: "You have always thought of yourself as a pious and just King and God has overhwelmed you with blessings for it. But woe to you if you cross his commandments! Don't you fear divine retribution? It has brought two rulers down who did what you intend to do, shed their own son's blood. Philip II. and Peter the Great died without male heirs, their states were ravaged through external and internal wars, and both monarchs went from being regarded as great men to being seen as monsters by humanity. Think, your Majesty; your first outbursts of anger may be forgivable, but you will turn criminal if you don't try to surpress them."

The King did not interrupt her. He regarded her silently for a while. When she had finished talking, he finally broke his silence. "You are very brave for daring to talk to me in such a manner," he said, "but I do not hold it against you; your intentions are good, and you speak honestly. I respect you for it. Go and comfort my wife."

Now Peter I. might be an obvious reference, since not only was he a contemporary but the Prussian Royals had actually met him in person, but naming Philipp II as an example to FW as to why he shouldn't kill his son is rare synergy, wouldn't you say?

re: Schiller being named after Friedrich II - well, his father was an army doctor. And a fan. Schiller's own attitude towards the military was ambivalent, btw, not least because he had to be a cadet for a while, which he really didn't like. It came in handy for all the army scenes in Wallenstein, though.

[mildred_of_midgard]

And interesting about ASOIAF, I've only ever heard about the Wars of the Roses as inspiration.

Yes, exactly, that's all I ever see anyone talk about. But beyond Simon Fraser/Walder Frey, I swear Viserys is straight out of the Stuarts in exile. And the anecdote about "Late Lord Frey" hanging out and watching the battle and only declaring which side he was on once it was clear who had won has echoes in Rob Roy at Sheriffmuir.

Now Peter I. might be an obvious reference, since not only was he a contemporary but the Prussian Royals had actually met him in person, but naming Philipp II as an example to FW as to why he shouldn't kill his son is rare synergy, wouldn't you say?

You keep anticipating items in my notes of things to talk about! I was going to mention that one of Fritz's biographers says that FW must have had both Peter and Philip in mind when thinking about killing his son. I had forgotten he was mentioned in that speech in Wilhelmine's memoirs, though. Presumably because when I read it, I was unaware of Schiller. It all makes sense to me--a modern European monarch killing or accused of killing his heir must have been a pretty rare thing.

re: Schiller being named after Friedrich II - well, his father was an army doctor. And a fan.

Well, yeah, I imagine a million people were being named after him at the time, not to mention all those taverns. ;)

[selenak]

And the anecdote about "Late Lord Frey" hanging out and watching the battle and only declaring which side he was on once it was clear who had won has echoes in Rob Roy at Sheriffmuir.

Though didn't either Stanley, Percy or both pull that one at the Battle of Bosworth?

With you about Viserys as a Stuart, though.

[mildred_of_midgard]

I was going to say, I know Rob Roy wasn't the only one who did this (if nothing else, I really thought it was Lovat, would have been totally in character, and it turned out I was misremembering), and I wouldn't have proposed a Jacobite source just on the basis of that one anecdote, but since Frey is already basically Lovat in my mind, I didn't look too far for parallels. GRRM may of course have had Bosworth instead or also Bosworth in mind (I myself don't remember the battle well enough to confirm your memory).

[zdenka]

IIRC, Stanley waited to see who was winning; Northumberland just hung back and didn't fight at all (which led to him scornfully being called "Northumberland, the shame of the North" though at this point I can't recall by who).

[mildred_of_midgard]

Cool, thanks! I am super rusty on the Wars of the Roses, sadly. IIRC, Henry VII dated his reign to before Bosworth and accused Richard's supporters of "treason"? Making the noncommittal approach seem like a pretty reasonable move to protect your neck, if you ask me.