Opera tales (not quite serious)

[Sieglinde]

Well, Mime's intentions were not good, he raised him mostly because he wanted the booty for himself, but if Siegfried would be a little nicer to him...

It's very hard for a tenor to keep Siegfried sympathetic. Especially in Götter. Sure, the potion made him forget, but most Siegfrieds are staring at Gutrune's neckline way before they drink it. And he's very rude in Act II.

In fact he's a lot like the young Wotan back in Rheingold. Some singers try to play him a majectic God, but he's just a rogue who thinks he can do anything. Later he learns a bit...

[leonora]

Originally Posted by Chi_town/Philly

There is a vocal school of commentators who are forever finding Jewish caricatures in Wagner- Mime (they say), or is it Beckmesser... or is it Mime & Beckmesser? They take great umbrage at the apostrophization of German art at the end of Die Meistersinger. (Imagine any other great composer making any similar comment about any country other than Germany... would the reaction be as strong?!)

I just think that, typically speaking, there's a predisposition to finding what's being sought out (present or not), and that such 'discoveries' say more about the observer than that which is observed.

Uh..yes, a lot of us have discussed this at great length, in print and on the web.....will we ever reach a definitive conclusion? I am supposed to be doing my laundry and housework, but this is more interesting, so......

I don't agree with the idea that Beckmesser is a 'Jewish parody'. Lots of reasons.....mainly, the character is sort of based on Malvolio....uh..everyone knows what 'Malvolio' means, yes? (Yes, I DO know that Wagner was originally intending to call him Hanslich, but I mean as far as the actual 'plot device' function of the character is concerned, he fulfils the same function as Malvolio).
When Sachs admonished Walther, "Verachtet mir die Meister nicht, und ehrt mir ihre Kunst' - after Walther has refused admission to the Master's Guild....isn't he referrring to ALL the Mastersingers, of whom Beckmesser has been the acknowleged leader for years? Beckmesser's problem isn't that he's Jewish, it's that he's a PEDANT!! And at Walther's trial song in the first act, |Sachs is the only one who even bothers to try to listen, the others all agree with Beckmesser......

When I finally got my partner to come to MEISTERSINGER with me, he said he realised that it wasn't about 'anti-Semitism', but he was bored by 'all that technical stuff about how you actually write a poem'. (which is odd really considering his uncle is a poet....Dannie Abse, if anyone is interested!)

And THAT, dear readers, is what DIE MEISTERSINGER is really about!

[Sieglinde]

Beckmesser's based on the Vienna journalist Eduard Hanslick, famous about his vitriolic critics. Particularly against Wagner.

[leonora]

Originally Posted by Sieglinde

Beckmesser's based on the Vienna journalist Eduard Hanslick, famous about his vitriolic critics. Particularly against Wagner.

Yes, I did say that!! I was careful to indicate that as a PLOT DEVICE he fulfils the same role as Malvolio, although he is based on Hanslick.

[Sieglinde]

I made a blog for them, and I'll also update new things there too. Once I can bring myself to get into the Valkyrie.

http://operahumor.blogspot.com/

[sospiro]

Originally Posted by Sieglinde

I made a blog for them, and I'll also update new things there too. Once I can bring myself to get into the Valkyrie.

http://operahumor.blogspot.com/

So pleased I found this thread - been laughing for the last 10 minutes!

Brilliant!!

[mamascarlatti]

Originally Posted by Sieglinde

I made a blog for them, and I'll also update new things there too. Once I can bring myself to get into the Valkyrie.

http://operahumor.blogspot.com/

Come on Sieglinde, I've been looking forward to more hilarity. All makes a lot more sense to me to as I'm now watching my third Ring cycle (Boulez/Chereau, after Copenhagen and Levine). And Siegfried is still a prat, although I can't help crying when he dies.

[Sieglinde]

I've seen only one sympathetic Siegfried so far, Christian Franz. He was also the only one whose voice I liked (out of the living ones).

[mamascarlatti]

Originally Posted by Sieglinde

I've seen only one sympathetic Siegfried so far, Christian Franz. He was also the only one whose voice I liked (out of the living ones).

Unfortunately he doesn't appear to be in any of the DVD versions.

Stig Andersen in the Copenhagen cycle was quite funny - particularly the first act of Siegfried where he was portrayed as a typical teenage rebel literally too big for the miniature 70s bourgeois house of Mime (dig that fondue set).

[Sieglinde]

Oh, the Copenhagen Ring is a wonder. Fantastic set and technique, and the Mime scenes are brilliant. I saw Andersen live too (as Siegmund and Götter/Siegfried), and I didn't like him much, but in the Copenhagen version he's better.


Not really in Valkyrie mood right now, but I'll try something different.



La forza del destino

FATE! SILLY LIBRETTO! REVENGE! HALF-BREED! ANGST!


Characters:

Calatrava (bass) a Commendatore clone who doesn't get the juicy return-from-the-dead scene. He's not happy.
Leonora di Vargas (soprano) his daughter
Don Carlo di Vargas (baritone) racist, proud Spanish nobleman, also Leonora's brother. Doesn't like suspicious half-brreds around his little sister.
Don Alvaro (tenor) the suspicious half-breed, also world champion in angst
Padre Guardiano (bass) your usual kind, wise old priest
Fra Melitone (baritone) funny monk who tends to steal the show
Preziosilla (mezzo-soprano) the OMG War rockz!!!111!!!one! girl who likes to make out with soldiers.
Lots of smaller characters.
Set: 30 years war.



(will edit for more, it's too late now)