I have always been an opera fan. Car rides with my family did not exist without a little Puccini or Verdi, and whether I liked it or not, there they were, the robust voices of Domingo, Carreras and Pavarotti! For me Maria Callas was like Debbie Gibson...I really felt like I knew her. My dad would start the car and I'd make my case for Z100 and then he'd say NO and the Tosca would start. He's hum the intro and then slowly start to sing...He has a terrible singing voice, but after a while I was so in awe of how he knew every single word. He would translate it for me so I could appreciate the story and after a while I would begin to hum as well. You might say this is not normal. Most families get in a car and listen to the radio or talk, but not my family...we listened to opera.
It never occured to me that this was strange. Until my friends would come with us somewhere or on a trip and they were in total SHOCK! I can only imagine the things they told their parents and other friends, but I honestly didn't care because the music was so beautiful.
At 26 I now look forward to my opera season. My parents and I go back and forth on tickets and who gets to see what...I check out the next season schedule super early...Some people look forward to rock concerts, I look forward to La Traviata.
So this brings me to what I really want to talk about...Anna Netrebko. SHe is the most incredible soprano I have ever heard! This young Russian singer began her career scrubbing floors in the opera house in Russia and has become one of the worlds best. Her voice is amazing and you can't help but take notice. I heard her for the first time a couple weeks ago at the Metropolitan Opera singing the lead Soprano is Bellini's I Puritani, a wonderful story of love, loss and reuniting. It's actually one of the very few operas that has a happy ending! Shocking, I know, but I was so captivated by her the 3 hour opera flew by!
And so this morning when I turned on the today show, there she was. She is gorgeous and funny, she sparkles on screen as well as on stage and she is making it her mission to bring opera to the younger generation. And when I say younger, I mean ages 18-40! I'm not talking about the little kids, there's time for them still. I wish for this age group to be able to listen and appreciate something as beautiful as opera.
Anyway, I hope you check her out...she really is amazing and I hope to see you at the MET soon:)
4 comments:
I think Richard Gere puts it best in Pretty Woman. Regarding opera, the minute you hear it you either love it or you hate it! For me it is like Sunday Gravy. Love it and give me more. I grew up the same way! We were lucky to have parents with such an appreciation for such musical splendor we hold dear and love.
My mother had a trained voice and sang beautifully. I grew up with opera as well and once you love it you can't leave it. I recently started listening to Netrebko, and I agree with you completely. In opera, some voices are highly trained and technically sing well, but perhaps they're missing a little something to reach our hearts. That little something is exactly what Netrebko has. And it reaches our souls deeply. Her latest CD, "Russian Album" is a gem. Her voice is flawlessly gorgeous.
As a musician, I don't really like to play opera. Some of it is okay, but generally it's boring to have to be accompaniment and I get annoyed when we have to follow them;) It is gorgeous though.
love opera too--but haven't been to the met for it in ages. thanks for the post.
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