In my all-the-records-by-forty project, I have suddenly discovered a lacuna, or an inconsistency. I am working steadily through the shelves of my towers. Only problem due to issues about box sets and slotty towers, all my full length operas and oratorios need... you don't need to know the logic or lack thereof.
Suffice to say, that I haven't factored operas and oratorios into the equation, so have set up a further strand to play and blog my Os. However, I anticipated that this would lead to unremitting Verdi, followed by unremitting Wagner, which can't be any more desirable than I found unremitting Mozart to be.
So Gert the Genius said - put the operas in alphabetical order, not the composer chappies. Lacking any Handel (operas, that is...), the first on my Spreadsheet immediately presents me with manifold problems.
Some years ago, I decided to start buying complete opera sets. On vinyl LP. Well done, Gert, I hear you say. I started with what was then an obvious choice. Aida. On vinyl LP. Then I woke up one morning and declared "The future is CD." Although I couldn't afford a CD player I realised it would be silly to continue to buy complete opera sets on LP. Yet, I never transferred that, perhaps once played, set to tape. Not worth it, the future's CD. Besides, I already had a highlights vinyl LP, already on tape. I'm listening to this as I type.
I am currently availing myself of a fortnightly partwork of opera DVDs. The next one, due a week approximately today is Aida. In some ways I am much looking forward to it - Radames is played by His Gorgeous Scrumptiousness. Coincidentally, he also sings Radames on this tape to which I am currently listening.
But I have a problem. I don't actually like Aida very much. I have seen it televised god knows how many times in the past two decades, and I just never get it. I'm not saying it's rubbish, for god's sake. But people talk about the ABCD of opera. A being Aida. But there are a dozen Verdi operas which are just better. I suppose, a highlights tape is the best compromise. There are some fabulous tunes, and I mean fabulous. But an opera should be better than the sum of its parts. And this one, in my honest opinion, isn't.
There's a fabulous thread going on rec.music.classical, rec.arts.movies.current-films, soc.culture.greek, and rec.sport.olympics at the moment, which I think is Usenet at its best. The thread is entitled 'how come US national anthem at olympics is so subdued and sad?', and has even been contributed to by the man who arranged and orchestrated all the anthems for the Olympics. It has been now elevated into a wonderful deviating social discourse between four or five people from rmc, a couple from scg and a couple of others whose origin I don't know. It has included various Olympic topics, cheese, Knights who say Ni, signs in public places, and Aida.
One of the rmc guys says
It's just like the issue of Aida being one of the greatest of all operas and still being a crashing bore. Except for the elephants, of course
Another rmc-er asks what is it with him and elephants, so he replies
Just trying to find something worthwhile in that ... that ...opera thingy
and is asked whether they sing as well, to which he replies
Not in any production of Aida that I have ever heard of--though sometimes the bellowing from human participants may be mistaken for them. ;-)
The conversation continues, and he concludes
I believe that there is a little bit of something good in everything in the world, even if sometimes it's more difficult to locate than others. In the present case, I find that I can enjoy my favourite bits of Aida (without having to endure the boring parts) by visiting the zoo.
And of course, he's joking. (Or is he?)
But, you know, even though I am listening to some insanely gorgeous music sung by some of the most gorgeous voices - Katia Ricciarelli, Plácido Domingo, Elena Obraztsova, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Ruggero Raimondi - in my record collection, and Leo Nucci, too, I just can't get excited by Aida. (BTW, it's the orchestra and chorus of La Scala, under Abbado, for those who care...)
I shall get my DVD next week. I shall read the accompanying booklet carefully. I may even read up on the internet. I shall watch it carefully, and listen just as carefully, and with an open mind, but right now, I wish I could have started with either of the next two - Andrea Chenier or Un Ballo in Maschera. So much much much better than Aida by a magnitude of an awful lot!
Comments