Mozart
Puccini
Verdi
JAN 316A--
Opera is probably not what you think. It can be melodramatic, but it can also be hilariously funny. It can feature spectacular staging and lavish costumes to rival any Broadway extravaganza, or depict the stark realism of city slums. The music ranges from classical to rock, from jazz to baroque, including some of our most familiar and best-loved songs and tunes, even though we often don't know their names: from "Nesun Dorma" to the "Toreador Song." Opera is a complete art form and a total experience, represented only in small part by the voice of a tenor or soprano on a CD. We will look at the culture surrounding opera, including the history and the humor, the politics and the personalities, and take the time to watch some operas in their entirety. We cannot guarantee that you will become an opera lover, but you should gain an appreciation of what opera is all about, and have some fun in the process.
Opera is probably not what you think. It can be melodramatic, but it can also be hilariously funny. It can feature spectacular staging and lavish costumes to rival any Broadway extravaganza, or depict the stark realism of city slums. The music ranges from classical to rock, from jazz to baroque, including some of our most familiar and best-loved songs and tunes, even though we often don't know their names: from "Nesun Dorma" to the "Toreador Song." Opera is a complete art form and a total experience, represented only in small part by the voice of a tenor or soprano on a CD. We will look at the culture surrounding opera, including the history and the humor, the politics and the personalities, and take the time to watch some operas in their entirety. We cannot guarantee that you will become an opera lover, but you should gain an appreciation of what opera is all about, and have some fun in the process.
Wagner
Contact: Prof. Charles D. Kay and Prof. Lee O. Hagglund