When I started going to operas almost two years ago, I began to keep a list of the operas I had seen. Since my outings to live performances were pretty infrequent but trips to my library's opera dvd/cd collection were not, I decided to keep track of all the operas I listened to as well. In order to make the cut, I had to have listened or watched the opera in its entirety (exception made for Puccini's Il Trittico, which is a series of three smaller operas). Today I decided to transfer my opera tracker from paper to excel spreadsheet. Here's what I have discovered:
- I have watched (live or dvd) or listened (cd or radio) to 52 different operas by 24 different composers.
- The composers that show up the most on my list are Verdi (8), Puccini (5 1/3*), Strauss (5), Massanet (5) and Wagner (3).
- I have been to 55 live performances of 26 different operas - nine of those were the Met's Live in HD simulcasts.
- Clearly I am a repeat offender when it comes to live performances - I see/hear something I like, I go back for more. Four seems to be the magic number. I've seen Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia, Rossini's Barber of Seville, and Massanet's Thais four times each, and Strauss' der Rosenkavlier three times. But Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos takes the cake with a whopping eight viewings** in a span of about four weeks.
- Adding the multiple live performances to audio and video recordings, it seems that Verdi is my go-to guy. He has 20 hits with Otello receiving six and La Traviata receiving five.
- Strauss clocks in at 17 with Ariadne at nine and der Rosenkavalier at five.
- Surprise, surprise! Renee Fleming is my diva of choice appearing on my tracker 40 times.
- The next closest competitor is my recent find, Swedish soprano Iréne Theorin, making 14 appearances live and recorded.
- Placido Domingo shows up 13 times both as conductor and tenor.
- The language breakdown: Italian-21, French-11, German-10, English-7, Russian-2, Czech-1
Final thoughts: Kurt Weill's Threepenny Opera seems to be the most obscure on my list and I'm surprised I don't have more Mozart on there. I would like to explore more Russian and Czech opera. I had attended a recital in the fall that featured some wonderful music from Russlan and Ludmilla and War and Peace (both Russian) that sounded really awesome. I'd also like to give Katya Kabanova and The Makropoulos Affair (both Czech) a shot. Don't ask me to monetarily add it all up. I probably could have purchased a new car by now. And in case you were wondering, Verdi's Otello was my first in house live opera.
* 1/3 = Suor Angelica from Puccini's three mini opera series Il Trittico
** I can't believe I just admitted out loud to seeing Ariadne eight times. I feel like I need support group or something.
9 comments:
In Soviet Russian, Opera watches you.
Max, you're not supposed to post as "Anonymous" now that you have your own blog.
You mean this one?
madmax2012.blogspot.com
You are a nerd.
I saw Threepenny on Broadway a few years ago - LOVE IT - Alan Cumming as Macheath, Nellie McKay as Polly, Cyndi Lauper as Jenny Jim Dale as Mr Peachum, Ana Gasteyer as Mrs Peachum. Do you know The Beggar's Opera, on which it's based? I have a rare recording of it w/ Dame Joan Sutherland, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, James Morris and Angela Lansbury. Remind me to give it to you.
That sounds like a pretty stellar cast. I had the German version of TPO. I haven't been exposed to the Beggar's Opera yet. I will def remind you to share your rare recording w/ me! Looking forward to it. :)
you need a life and a job sweetheart,but I love you...Auntie J
Surely there is a company out ther in desperate need of your passion and organizational skills, says mom, shaking her head
you are simply awesome.
Chelsea,
I am envious of you. In your post you admit to having seen 46 live opera performances in your two years of having been exposed to opera. In my five years of the same, I have seen none live! You are indeed very fortunate!
If you are sincere about expanding your intake of Russian and Czech opera I would suggest that you see Prokofiev's War and Peace regarding the former criterion and Janacek's Jenufa or Smetana's The Bartered Bride, they being two of the most popular Czech operas.
Finally, I think that you have inspired all of us to see more opera, and you have certainly given me a reason to create a list of operas similar to yours for later reference. I am impressed, for when you find a new passion, you evidently devour it.
-Tyler.
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