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Having seen the premieres of NIXON IN CHINA, and KLINGHOFFER at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, they were astonishing. NIXON had a brilliant libretto by Alice Goodman in English, with a contraction of words (couplets) with repeats that embraced the form of Opera. KLINGHOFFER was also beautiful and heartfelt, but maligned by conservative audience members. John Donne's poetry enhanced Dr. ATOMIC but it was hampered by a dreary Met productions, unfortunately.

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Nov 18, 2020Liked by Opera Daily

Where to begin with Janacek?

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Nov 18, 2020Liked by Opera Daily

I imagine that contemporary opera, like contemporary art, is more accessible and more readily appreciated if we bring to it a foundation in the classical canon, such as I have been exploring since September through Opera Daily.  I enjoy being introduced to opera's famous arias, singers, themes, music, poetry and anecdotes.  Most of all, I love opera's ability to magnify the feelings and passions universally shared by human beings - love, lust, hatred, loneliness, fear, jealousy, happiness, sorrow, regret.

When art draws its inspiration from politics, as is the case with John Adams here with "Doctor Atomic", and in two other works I sampled - "The Death of Klinghoffer" and "Nixon in China" - it felt like Adams had taken me off the opera stage and into a news broadcast or a documentary film. I will need to hear the full operas, rather than make a judgment based on first impressions.

Meanwhile, I enjoyed Julia Bullock's performance of "Am I In Your Light" from "Doctor Atomic", because of her lovely voice and the melody. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of replaying a longer version, featuring Kitty and Robert Oppenheimer, along with superimposed lyrics (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf8Z_ciROM4).

This was enough to drive me back to earlier lessons where the declarations of love (even in translation) were extravagant and for the ages. Lyrics (or is that librettos?) matter!

Opera Daily, 7SEP2020 (Luciano Pavarotti, "M'appari, Tutt' Amor" from "Martha" by Friedrich von Flotow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypDQoiryv1Q&feature=youtu.be)

She appeared to me, purest of love.

I discovered with my eyes this vision of delight.

Lovely was she, that my hungry heart, in a snap, to her did fly;

I was hurt, I was charmed by that beauty from above.

Love is etched in my heart, and cannot now be erased.

The mere thought that our hearts with sweet love might beat as one

Is enough to forget all the sorrow that fills my heart.

Opera Daily, 30SEP2020 Joan Sutherland, "O rendetemi la speme... Qui la voce... Vien, diletto" from Vincenzo Bellini's "I Puritani. "

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypDQoiryv1Q&feature=youtu.be)

It was here his soft voice called me… and then disappeared.

He swore to me he’d be faithful, this he vowed.

And then cruelly he ran away!

Ah, we are no longer together, in the joy of our sighs.

Ah, return to me my hope, or let me die.

Come my beloved, the moon is in the sky!

All is quiet around us; until dawn when the sun rises, come and rest upon my heart!

Hurry! Make haste my Arturo, return to me, dear, it’s your Elvira:

she weeps and longs for you, come my dear, my love, etc.

Forgive me for adding my two cents worth about falling in love with opera so often. I realize not everyone has the time to engage this forum, but with so much sadness in the world around us, Opera Daily has become my happy place. I hope more of your hundreds of subscribers in cyberspace will offer their two cents worth, too. We'll all be the richer for it.

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Nov 21, 2020Liked by Opera Daily

My thanks to you, and to Ms. Heathermezzo, for thinking about this topic. I don't wish to veer off the course you've so carefully charted. It just seems as though the vision of many "contemporary artists" (whether in music, the performing, or the fine arts) is purposely confounding, confusing, confrontational and, to my mind, unaesthetic. I'm okay with owning these feelings, or struggling to access a creator's intent or meaning, when I feel like it If I'm not looking for a Rubik's cube experience, however, I'll just keep it moving. Maybe it all comes down to "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

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