why is opera preposterous?...i pride myself on being able to give anything at least one impartial hearing..but

Question

after repeated viewings and listenings...i still find nothing but elitist absurdity in opera...
i used to claim incomprehension about the value of country & western...and though i still detest it, i can now acknowledge its merit in the scheme of things .... but i cant with opera.

all i can think is that it was an absurd varient that got taken up by the wealthy ethically challenged classes, and outlived its proper 10 year fad lifespan, to somehow survive, much like some prehistoric fish...right up to the present day!

its an obsolete throwback to the days when there was no amplification available, and hence singers had to sing in an absurd unnatural way in oerder to compete with an orchestra..

i could ramble on, but i feel im already wasting too much breath on this old dinosaur called opera.

ive even come round to dubious delights of country &western music and..yes! even musicals [though i still detest 98% of them]

but the merit of any opera still eludes me....i would still prefer to hear cats screaching and bulls bellowing to sitting through an opera... whatever the similarities may be!

why do i care i hear you ask.?

because i like to see the logic or value of things, even though i may personally dislike them....but opera continues to baffle me.
i question everything...so im not being a philistine about this.

can a whole strata of society be conned into liking a thing...just because it has been elevated by the trend setters?

or why is it that ive got a blindspot or silent spot! for this one thing...when i can see the merit of everything else?

Answer 1

Have you seen the film "Tommy" by the Who? That's an opera and it has Elton John, Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, Oliver Reed, Jack Nicholson and more in it. Watch "Tommy" and then tell me you don't like operas.

Answer 2

Noo. Opera can be absolutely beautiful, incredibly so. Yes, I also hate the absurd snobbery surrounding it but it's possible to just ignore the idiots around you, and enjoy it for what it is.

What have you been to see? Go and see Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" - it's comic, beautiful and very accessible by "opera" standards. My only advice would be: know the story beforehand so you can enjoy it even more.

It's sad if you want to appreciate it but can't! Because I feel that you're truly missing out on something spectacular...just not as user-friendly as it could be because of the attitudes toward it.

Answer 3

Musical styles, likes and dislikes vary widely from person to person. I personally do not like opera either, however I can't knock the fact that millions of people do. I'm also sure a lot of operatics wouldn't prefer my favorite style of music which is heavy metal and alternative rock.

I also strongly dislike my daughter's favorite musical style; rap and hip-hop. Perhaps I've finally become too old, but I just don't get it and would actually prefer to listen to grinding sheet metal than exaggerated slang about bragging and violence set to poorly synthesized music, drum machines and ripped off song samples.

However just as my father would lambaste my music when I was a teen (Black Sabbath & Led Zeppelin) while he comfortably listened to big band like Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey, I have learned to be as tolerant as I can with her and not criticize it too harshly.

To each his/her own... At least you did more than most and gave it a college try. If you're not sold, you can now go back to listening to your own favorites. No one forces us to attend concerts or buy albums we don't prefer, at least not in this country.

Answer 4

Try Porgy and Bess, its fabulous, the story is heart rending. I really think someone with intelligence like yourself should give it another go.....what have you got to loose? I used to hate Jazz. I decided to read about the history of jazz and listen to some older stuff, IE Mahalia Jackson, Billie Holiday (bluesy I know) and then some more contemporary vocalists, Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald etc and in the end I got it. And I was so satisfied. I;d opened another door.
I'm sure this will happen for you. Good luck

Answer 5

Why anyone would want to listen to Italians shouting to music is beyond me.