A good tear-jerker?

[Guest]

Greetings from the Mediterranean and a Happy New Year to all (a little late, but nevertheless well-meant!).

Over Christmas, a few women at a party, no doubt a trifle mellowed by some vino rosso, suggested that they’d like to listen to a little of this opera stuff, and specifically asked for a tear-jerker.

As my knowledge of operas is VERY limited, can anyone suggest a good tear-jerker please? Fidelio can show them what women can achieve, but it’s hardly a tear-jerker, is it? Carmen, Aida, Cavalleria, equally so. Wagner’s entire Ring is out too. Butterfly can be moving, but only live surely? Don Giovanni and Così may anger them, and now I’ve run out of operas that I know.

Any suggestions please both for absolute beginners, and for me to quickly absorb, so that I can somehow guide them through what must surely be for the first time, a rather difficult listening experience?

Thanks,

Mario

[Flosshilde]

La Traviata (Verdi, but I'm sure you knew that :)) is good as a tear-jerker. Violetta may be a 'fallen woman' but she is treated abominably by all concerned. She seizes on a chance of love & happiness, but is thwarted by bourgeouis hypocrisy. She is re-united with her love at the very end, moments before she dies of TB.
A tear-jerker of another kind is Der Rosenkavalier - an older (in this case 35) woman realises that she has to allow her younger (about 17) lover to move on. Fabulous music, with some gut-wrenching moments.

I would add that it would help if they could see the operas on DVD, rather than just listen to a CD - it's difficult to appreciate the tear-jerking aspect from sound alone (although Octavian's entrance as the Rosenkavalier in Act II & the trio at the end can make their effect just hearing the music).

[Frances_iom]

Puccini - any or all from Il Trittico - The Cloak is brutal , Suor Angelica is a tear jerker as is Gianni Schicchi but in a different way - a native language translation would be best if from CD - a DVD can provide subtitles which make a great difference for newcomers

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

... but it’s hardly a tear-jerker, is it? Carmen, Aida, Cavalleria, equally so.

But why not Carmen. Think of Micaela pleading with Don Jose.

But you might be better with Act I of La Boheme. That is a tear-jerker with the wow-factor.

[StephenO]

Wagner’s entire Ring is out too.

Nothing brings tears to the eyes like the final act of Gotterdammerung, though.

Alternatively Rigoletto might hit the spot, particularly with Tito Gobbi in the title role.

[Chris Newman]

I think I would take them to a live La Boheme. Failing that I'd show them the recent Netrebko/Villazon DVD which is lovely and weepy. if it is a recording it has to be Thomas Beecham with Jussi Bjorling and Victoria de los Angeles....the greatest recording ever.

[gradus]

Amongst established repertoire, only Madame Butterfly.
Otherwise it would be Sophie's Choice.

[Auferstehen2]

Some really good suggestions here for which I’m grateful. The idea of DVDs is an excellent one too. Frances_iom, I’ve just bought a box of Puccini’s Complete Operas, 20 CDs of them, and I’ve just dived into IL Tabarro, as I didn’t realize it is less than an hour long. My version is performed by Scotto, Domingo and Wixell with Maazel conducting.

Sounds promising!

Mario

[tom_960]

I'd agree with Rigoletto, and would add Simon Boccanegra. The father-daughter scenes in both of these regularly make me blub.

[Auferstehen2]

Interesting recommendations so far.

We have currently,

One vote each for Bizet (Carmen), R Strauss (Der Rosenkavalier) and Wagner (Götterdämmerung)

Three votes for Verdi (La Traviata and Rigoletto (twice))

but…

Four votes so far for Puccini (La Bohème (twice), Madame Butterfly and Il Tabarro (from Il Trittico))

As I only know Butterfly, I’m surprised by this, as I hadn’t realized that Puccini is the “Niagara” of the opera House.

Thanks,

Mario

[Frances_iom]

Interesting recommendations so far.
As I only know Butterfly, I’m surprised by this, as I hadn’t realized that Puccini is the “Niagara” of the opera House.
Thanks,
Mario

I mentioned Il Trittico as the operas are short - no newcomer is going to sit thru 4 hours of Wagner or Rosencavalier - Butterfly (if reasonably well done) would probably keep their interest - the shorter Puccini operas might be easier - Il Tabarro is not a tear jeker but might interest a newcomer as probably quite different than expectations - for a female audience (esp from a Catholic background) Suor Angelica might also go down well.

[Richard Tarleton]

Two operatic moments unfailingly cause tears to prickle for me, either live or when listening at home. One is in Act 3 of Die Meistersinger, when Sachs is attending to Eva's shoes, Walther comes in dressed in his finery and sings the next bit of the Prize Song, and Eva, who sees him over Sachs' shoulder, is overcome, with emotion, happiness, gratitude etc. The scene concludes with the famous and beautiful Quintet. The other, Flosshilde has mentioned - the final Trio of Der Rosenkavalier, and I could not improve on her remarks.

[Richard Tarleton]

Nothing brings tears to the eyes like the final act of Gotterdammerung, though.

A couple more thoughts. The closing bars of Gotterdammerung - one of Wagner's supreme achievements - where we hear that theme we have only heard previously at the end of Act 3 Scene 1 of Die Walkure (where Sieglinde sang: "Oh mightiest of miracles, most glorious of women") I find above all one of catharsis, rather than tears.

I find the emotions in most verismo operas too crude - Puccini I'm afraid leaves me deeply uninvolved. One moment I would single out is the aria "Ebben ne andro lontana" in Catalani's La Wally, which I find deeply touching, though the plot line in the opera as a whole is crude melodrama. Much as I love Verdi, when it comes to tears it takes Mozart, Wagner and Strauss (with help from da Ponte and Hofmanstahl).