Members Squeakbox Posted September 29, 2011 Members Share Posted September 29, 2011 I know there's a lot of opera music out there, but my issue is finding a great opera song that is in English! Can anyone suggest some good English opera songs I can check out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators davie Posted September 29, 2011 Moderators Share Posted September 29, 2011 Opera in English? I don't think you'll find a lot in English. If you want to be taken seriously in singing Opera you have to sing in Italian, or maybe French or German. You just have to get over the fact that most Opera isn't in English. You just have to learn and get use to it. You don't necessarily need to understand it, just know how to pronounce in those languages. The pure vowels sung in Italian sound really beautiful, which will actually add another dimension to the voice. And plus, opera sounds kinda lame in English. But anyways, the Twenty-Four Italian Songs and Arias are a good start. They even have English version lyrics in it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members staticsound Posted September 29, 2011 Members Share Posted September 29, 2011 Study and take notes...I guess the only english parts would be "boats and hoes" though [video=youtube;ZR6Z6q8RjBs] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DukeOfBoom Posted September 29, 2011 Members Share Posted September 29, 2011 Squeeky is quickly becoming my new favorite poster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Squeakbox Posted September 29, 2011 Author Members Share Posted September 29, 2011 Opera in English? I don't think you'll find a lot in English. If you want to be taken seriously in singing Opera you have to sing in Italian, or maybe French or German. You just have to get over the fact that most Opera isn't in English. You just have to learn and get use to it. You don't necessarily need to understand it, just know how to pronounce in those languages. The pure vowels sung in Italian sound really beautiful, which will actually add another dimension to the voice. And plus, opera sounds kinda lame in English. But anyways, the Twenty-Four Italian Songs and Arias are a good start. They even have English version lyrics in it too. Ya, I know the really good ones are in other languages... I guess I'll just have to practice some and see how I do with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted October 4, 2011 Members Share Posted October 4, 2011 Purcell (his "Dido and Aeneas" is a beautiful work:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dido_and_Aeneas ) and Handel come to mind. And in modern times: Michael Tippet, Benjamin Britten, William Walton, John Adams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members deepflight Posted October 10, 2011 Members Share Posted October 10, 2011 Of course it all depends on what you mean by "opera music." "The Alabama Song" from the opera "Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny" by Kurt Weill is in English. (You may know it as "Whiskey Bar" covered by The Doors.) It isn't exactly traditional opera, however. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members deepflight Posted October 10, 2011 Members Share Posted October 10, 2011 Oh, I just thought of an amazing modern aria, also in English. "Batter My Heart" from the opera "Doctor Atomic" by John Adams. Here's a youtube of it: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ido1957 Posted October 11, 2011 Members Share Posted October 11, 2011 Rocky Horror Picture Show..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chamcham Posted October 11, 2011 Members Share Posted October 11, 2011 If there are no good English operas, why not make one yourself? America doesn't yet have an opera to call its own. Somebody needs to step up and fix that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members deepflight Posted October 11, 2011 Members Share Posted October 11, 2011 If there are no good English operas, why not make one yourself? America doesn't yet have an opera to call its own. Somebody needs to step up and fix that There are Americans among the ranks of modern opera composers. Listen to the "Batter My Heart" clip above from John Adams' "Doctor Atomic" opera-- you can't get an opera much more American than one about the Manhattan Project by an American composer! Here's a clip with video of the singer (Gerald Finley) rather than just stills, http://youtu.be/7fJRoKlCroU I'd put that aria right up there with some of the great ones from classical opera, honestly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Consume Posted October 17, 2011 Members Share Posted October 17, 2011 I know there's a lot of opera music out there, but my issue is finding a great opera song that is in English!Can anyone suggest some good English opera songs I can check out? My suggestion?Broadway. Unfortunately, they will let actors who aren't necessarily great singers perform for the sake of their celebrity. (i.e., Walter Matthau - great actor, probably COULD have been a great singer if he had really worked at it, but not what I would call great.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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