Opera for the weekend

[Jimi75]

How 'bout some of our favourite opera songs for the weekend. I think it beautifully fit the season.

I'll make a start with Libiamo from La Traviata, featuring Luciano Pavarotti.
Looking forward to seeing your favourites.

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[SuperSwede]

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O Holy Night (in swedish O Helga Natt)
The amazing Jussi Björling!

[Katastrophe]

No singing in this clip, but here's the Overture of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro."

I like this opera for two reasons: the music is absolutely beautiful, and Mozart had to gain the blessing of the Austrian Emporer (please excuse the spelling, I'm fairly tired) before he could produce the opera. No small feat, considering the story of Figaro was not exactly popular with royalty.

Brilliant, just brilliant.

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Here's a recording of the last known castrato. Castrati were males who were, well, castrated in order to preserve their high range. Singing parts were written specifically for the castrati. More than a little creepy sounding.

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We covered all this in my Music Appreciation class this semester. We just got through studying Wagner, Mahler, Schubert, and Schumann, a little Tchaikovsky, and a little Brahms.

[msteeln]

Here's a recording of the last known castrato. More than a little creepy sounding.And not at all worth the effort. But he lived a very long life for the times, maybe there was some good from it, if it was a happy life...