5 Mar 2015

OPERA OVERDOSE

When I was 13 my parents took me for the first time to the Opera. Today I think it was far too early for a teenager with the head full of Rockn'Roll and Elvis Presley. The only thing which was nice, was that I got my first Cocktail dress, I think it was in light green musslin with perls stitched on the chest.



The music I found boring and the singers awful because in the 60th a singer had to be quite voluminous and that looked ridiculous especially in the Italian operas when young lovers were involved. Voluminous women were supposed to sing better than slim once, which is not true as we can see today.

I quite liked the Italian operas they were supportable, but when it came to others I was really bored.

When we moved to Brussels, my father bought a season ticket for the three of us.



The Brussel's Opera house "La Monnaie" is a beautiful building and the inside were royal !

At that time women wore long dresses and men had black suits. It was a real fashion show when during the pauses we gathered in the lobby and had a drink.

When I got married and my parents couldn't go for whatever reason, we inherited the tickets and went listening Operas.


Ready for the Opera

I think I have seen and heard a great number of Operas, with the result, that now I have an overdose and don't like them anymore. I am especially allergic to the female singers when they sing soprano, to me it sounds as if somebody has walked on a cat's tail.

Of course I appreciate Plácido Domingo, José Carreras, Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli. Their voices are wonderful.



Jenny Matlock
more participants at Jenny Matlock's Alphabet Thursday




Once my parents had moved back to Germany, we never put our feet in an opera again !

10 comments:

  1. Interesting. I always thought I'd be more inclined to like opera if I had been introduced to it at an early ago. Apparently, that didn't work for you. I wouldn't mind having gone to a "dress up in your finest" opera. Sounds pretty special.

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  2. Yes I like opera in small doses. Like your posh dress.

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  3. Ah yes, the tenors are fabulous! But the sopranos... not so much! I agree with your description!

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  4. I was glad I finally got to see this post, since it had been showing on my list since yesterday and I was wondering where it had gone.

    I have never been to an opera, only a few plays and musicals.

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  5. My parents always had season tickets to something that was called "Community Concerts" which was a way to bring 'culture' to small towns like the one where I grew up. (Traveling shows - opera, drama, some soloists, ballet.)

    As soon as I was about 10 or so they included me -- and I pretty much hated everything about it.

    We now enjoy plays and musicals, as often as we can. And I have seen a few ballets (all in real theaters, not the kind we had when I was a child) but I have never attended any other operas.

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  6. I never paid any mind to opera until a friend told me the story of one of the Italian operas, which name I cannot recall any longer. She got me liking opera a little bit because of how moved she was telling the story.
    The View from the Top of the Ladder

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  7. I've never been a fan of opera music, but I do think it would be a fun experience to go to the opera and see/hear it live.

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  8. What a marvelous couple at the opera! You both look like prince and princess!

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  9. Your 1st cocktail dress sounds great.
    Nice pics, Gattina!
    Yet to attend an Opera abroad, though we have different kinds of Opera-shows here in India :)

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  10. Your Opera House is beautiful it would be an experience just to go there. I don't like Opera though I once went to Covent Garden Opera just for the experience. I left at interval as I had had enough. I was amazed that Covent Garden sells tickets for standing up! not a seat.The Queen opened Sydney Opera House in 1973, we had nothing before then' The building looks better outside than in and no one dresses up. If they are wearing shoes and a shirt that seems the only dress code. I have seen some good plays and concerts there so it is not all Opera.

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