I never seem to stop amusing myself with my own actions. I always start out in one direction and wind up completely somewhere else.
I listened to an opera last Saturday as I was mowing the lawn.
It was a beautiful Saturday here in the Midwest. Sun shining, slight breeze to cool the body, lots of stay-at-home chores waiting for attention. Especially mowing the lawn.
I often listen to the radio in headphones while I mow these never-ending “yards.” It’s usually either oldies rock n’ roll or classical.
This time I chose classical.
Turning on WPR from Madison, Wisconsin, they were just starting a live broadcast from the Met in New York City of La bohème, an opera composed by Giacomo Puccini.
Now, if you know me (or took a good guess) I really enjoy upbeat classical music, along with smooth jazz, oldies rock and roll, big band, pop tunes from the 80s, and an occasional hairband like Metallica. Opera is about as popular in my repertoire as slasher movies. Like non-existent.
But it was either listen to this hoity toity singing or listen to music with a thousand commercials. So on to La Bohème I went.
You already can guess the outcome of this story. It was beautiful.
The voices, the story, everything was so much more than I was wont to believe. The opera was sung in Italian, so the announcers explained each act before it started. I had a vague notion of the story line, seeing that Nicolas Cage and Cher went to see that opera in the movie Moonstruck.
Now, I think you have to be in a certain state of mind to enjoy something not everyone appreciates. Opera is one of those niches.
But I was a ready listener, and caught all four acts before I finished for the day. I even went inside after the first act to read the synopsis of the opera before I went to finish mowing.
Another world of Art opened to me on Saturday, one I hope to revisit again soon. We all need to give other forms of Art a chance.
After all, Richard Gere and Julia Roberts go to see Giuseppe Verdi’s opera La Traviata! in the movie Pretty Woman …
Humoring the Goddess 
Get outa here! How much fun that must be! That is truly following the crazy cosmic calls we always get! Do you do any background singing? Or just mill around in costume? Now that I’m more “accepting” of opera I think I’d like to see one live. So many good ones, famous ones, I don’t have any idea where to start. Any suggestions?
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I have only recently come to the opera party. On a whim, I auditioned to be a supernumerary (opera extra), got the part and have since been in 6 productions of the Dallas Opera.
Interesting fact: I’ve only ever actually been in the audience for an opera once… and fell asleep. 🫤
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Ha! Thank you! I admit I don’t often (if ever) listen to opera, but there are familiar songs throughout that you undoubtedly recognize from other sources. And to me, it’s not something I’d sit still and listen to, but as a secondary action it fit perfectly into what I was doing.
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I haven’t heard opera ever..but your way of writing is making me a believer…
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Ooohhh … what I could do with that last word … ha! I love the wording of your response!
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That is true. Italian vowels are pure. English vowels are often diphthongs.
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Yes! Funny — one of the opera singers was being interviewed Saturday, and he said unless the opera is written in English, its often hard to translate certain words and phrases of Spanish and Italian. Certain vowels sound flat and tinny once translated.
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Is it? I know through the years I’ve listened to a lot of opera, not knowing it was from an opera. Now I wish I had listened to greats like
Luciano Pavarotti and Maria Callas to learn what masterful singing can be.
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I have to admit I was skeptical at the very beginning — I’m so glad I stuck with it. They are doing Mozart’s Don Giovanni in a couple of weeks — just in time for more mowing!
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If you think you would like to hear an opera written in English, try Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin.
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Growing up, the Saturday opera from the Met was always on the radio. La Boheme is one of my favorites.
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You are so right! We don’t need to be “Stick in the muds!” Reach out and “ give other forms of Art a chance.” Good point!!
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