Good point. I guess I dislike it b/c we did it when I was undergrad (yeah 15 years ago), and our director just beat us down (and the girl who was playing Amahl had a voice that just GRATED on my nerves, so that's what I think of...). I'll try to be more open minded about it next time it comes up, and take my 7 & 9 year olds to see it....

A girl played Amahl? :( Hate to say it, but that probably would have grated on my nerves too.

OMG!!! I'm tickled pink that you started this thread! :) I've been singing opera for the past three years now. I'm a lyric soprano, and we've just revitalized the historical Opera/South Company housed at Jackson State University here in Jackson, MS. Our last production was Mozart's The Magic Flute. I could go on and on, but my favorites are ...

La Boheme
Carmen
The Magic Flute
The Nozze di Figaro
Cosi fan tutte
Die Fledermaus
Lucia di Lammermoor
The Barber of Seville
Gianni Schicci
I Pagliacci
Lakme

... and I'm sure others will form as soon as I submit this reply. :p It's so refreshing to know my greek friends have so much class. ~sigh~

I love the Magic Flute as well...I'm singing the Pamina/Papageno duet (The Man That Feels Love's Sweet Devotion) for a wedding in August...although we're altering it slightly. (Example: Instead of "Rise to join the gods above" we're singing "Rise to join with God above".)

That is so cool. Mozart is my favorite composer in the world and I love all of his operas, ... except for Don Giovanni. I'm still trying to get that one to grow on me a little. His operas are great for younger voices. His music was so playful, but still difficult at times as well. It's so awesome that I found this thread. :D

Thanks to my family having season tickets, I've been to over 40 operas. I love Carmen, Turandot (Nessun Dorma is so beautiful), Tosca, Rigoletto, F_a_u_s_t (for some reason, it's coming up as a 'dirty word') and Don Giovanni (so dramatic!)

opera's not my all-time favorite, but i don't mind some of it

i've seen carmen in england
and i saw a french opera that i can't remember the name of
when i was lucky enough to go to the absolutely AMAZING paris opera house.. i loved it. it's a beautiful place

I am a subscriber to the Lyric of Chicago. I think Turandot was my favorite last season, and this season I am really looking forward to La Boheme.

Has anyone seen Doctor Atomic? I have tix for that this year, and I suspect I will either love it or hate it.

Why do 3/4 of Opera aria compilation CDs start with "O mio babbino caro"?

Seriously, I know it's a common song and good for beginners (in my studio you started with that or "Caro mio ben")...but really, who needs 8 recordings of it?? I think my favorite is the one that has it labeled "O mio bambino caro". She's singing to her father about a boy she wants to be with, not to a baby.:p

Oh, and Pavoratti, I'm on to you with your Opera collection. Does every disc NEED "Nessun Dorma"??? Yes, it's a pretty song, and you sing it OK, but once again, I don't need 8 recordings of it...especially when all of them are of YOU.:rolleyes:;)

I went inside that Opera House too....amazing. (and in true French style, there was a student-protest going on about something..)

Was it "The Pearl Fishers" by Georges Bizet or maybe "*****" by Gounod? I've seen both, but don't really remember them.

The first opera I saw live was the Barber of Seville, when I was doing my study abroad in the UK. I also saw Baz Luhrmann's production of La boheme in 2003.

I do agree that Caro mio ben is over sung by beginning voice students. As is Nel cor piu non mi sento (gosh, I hope I spelled that right).

You did.:D

I would have loved to see a Baz Luhrman production. I saw one on video he did of Cosi with the girls as valley girls (Dorabella and Fiordiligi) and the boys (Guglielmo and Ferrando) as surfer boys and it was set in a 50's diner. Great stuff...

as a musician (instrumentalist) i am ashamed to admit this, but i only KNOW 2 operas off the top of my head. :o
Barber of Seville, and La Bohème

I am seriously considering subscribing to the Washington National Opera this season (they have a young people club thingy)... but my schedule is crazy so we'll see.

does anyone have any suggestions for operas to start kids off with?

i rented Phantom when it came out, and my 6 year old loves it with a passion. so much, that i had to buy the dvd, the poster, the soundtrack, and relive scenes of it in the car with her lol! i would prefer something in english so that she doesnt slaughter the words while shes singing it...

The Mikado (or any Gilbert & Sullivan, really) - it's really an Operetta, but it's still that direction...
The Old Maid and the Thief
The Magic Flute (many, MANY companies perform this in English)

Also, if you are lucky enough to find a company doing this...Alice in Operaland is an opera based on (duh) Alice in Wonderland and is designed to introduce kids to opera.