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Date: | Tue, 26 Jan 1999 05:53:21 -0600 |
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Ed Morgan wrote:
>In the days of Classical opera, the libretto was not considered to be
>the most important part of an opera. In fact, very often they were rather
>silly. From an emotional level, the music pretty much stands on it own on
>all levels. If you are firm on these two operas, then tread carefully.
>For next year you might want Verdi or Puccini- that would be dramatic.
Surely silliness is an important part of dramatic literature: Lysistrata,
A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Importance of Being Ernest, Noises Off,
etc, etc. I think that Mozart's operas make just as profound a dramatic
statement as any of these (though often comic). I justify my choice of
Mozart because I have only two weeks to spend on opera, and these texts
seem more accessible than, say, Verdi for students who claim that they hate
opera.
John
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