A Night at the Opera
and the
Operatta
While the classic Marx
brother film is quite an entertaining classic and funny as hell, that
really isn't what I want to talk about. I think that rather dive
into opera too deeply, I will recommend a recording of an entire opera
and an operetta. I really didn't discuss the operetta in depth
but suffice that an operetta is a short opera and is generally a comedy
rather than a tragedy. The "Merry Widow" is a delightful piece
that also gives us a glimpse of life in Paris around the turn of the
century. If you have been purchasing the CDs recommended here,
you will realize that some of the tunes you have heard before.
Some of them are on the "Viennese Violin" CD. I really enjoy the
"Merry Widow" as it is a fun piece and if you follow along with the
libretto you might pick up a little german along the way.
The opera Carmen was written by Georges Bizet. Bizet also wrote
some other works including a symphony and a suite called
L'Arlesienne. The suite is incidental music for Alphonse Daudet’s
1872 play, L’Arlésienne.