But isn't all opera twaddle? I was asked.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

A suspension perhaps more easily achieved by some audiences that by others - I think particularly of Donizetti's Emilia di Liverpool.

That's positively realistic when compared with "Das Rheingold" and "Haydn's Il Mondo della Luna".

Isn't there an opera in which someone jumps out of the Royal Palacein Naples into the crater of Vesuvius (a leap of several miles)?

Edit: It occurs in Auber's Masaniello.

[jean]

That's positively realistic...

In gereral terms perhaps, but not as a representation of life in the city in the early nineteenth century.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

In gereral terms perhaps, but not as a representation of life in the city in the early nineteenth century.

Isn't there some reference in it to the Mountains around Liverpool.

On a similar point to yours, what about "The Onedin Line?" 90 episodes with no Scouse accent.

[visualnickmos]

Isn't there some - possibly obscure - Italian opera or other, set in, or, about Kenilworth Castle? I seem to remember an old Joan Sutherland LP of arias, including one containing the words in the title "..... Il castello di Kenilworth....." Forgive me - I don't (unfortunately) speak Italian. Wish I did.

[Flosshilde]

On a similar point to yours, what about "The Onedin Line?" 90 episodes with no Scouse accent.

I thought that was set in Bristol (the land-based scenes, anyway)

[Flosshilde]

Isn't there an opera in which someone jumps out of the Royal Palacein Naples into the crater of Vesuvius (a leap of several miles)?

I think Tosca would have difficulty killing herself jumping off the Castel Sant'Angello from the terrace with St Michael's statue. Broken limbs, perhaps, but not death.

[jean]

Isn't there some - possibly obscure - Italian opera or other, set in, or, about Kenilworth Castle?

Much as Italy was for Shakespeare, Britain -and particularly Scotland, filtered through the words of Sir Walter Scott - became the favourite fantasy-land for Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini. (Did anyone hear the wonderful I Puritani from the Met last Saturday?)

[jean]

I thought that was set in Bristol (the land-based scenes, anyway)

I never saw the Onedin Line or knew anything about it, but if as it says here it was set in Liverpool between 1860 and 1886, they'd have had to shoot it somewhere else as the Liverpool waterfront changed so radically in the early years of the C20.

As for the accent - that was a late arrival too, and might not have established itself by that date.

.

[ardcarp]

I've been mulling over all this business about fantastical plots and settings. It occurs to me that, given a stage in a theatre is about as far away from the grim realities of life as it's possible to get, then surely it is easier to produce something bizarre, magical, otherwordly, surreal, whatever, than to attempt 'verismo'. I've never seen Nixon in China (though I've heard it) but I think I'd find it easier to suspend my disbelief in respect of Orfeo crossing the Styx courtesy of Charon.

[Beppe]

If anyone says opera is all twaddle, then they should be told that it their opinion and that in all likelihood they have some thing they pursue for entertainment that I would think to be twaddle.

[LMcD]

I've been mulling over all this business about fantastical plots and settings. It occurs to me that, given a stage in a theatre is about as far away from the grim realities of life as it's possible to get, then surely it is easier to produce something bizarre, magical, otherwordly, surreal, whatever, than to attempt 'verismo'. I've never seen Nixon in China (though I've heard it) but I think I'd find it easier to suspend my disbelief in respect of Orfeo crossing the Styx courtesy of Charon.

I'm not a great opera fan, but that's down to me because I simply lack the intellectual capacity to deal simultaneously with what I'm watching and what I'm hearing. The few I have on DVD are mostly by Mozart ('cos they're Mozart!) and Britten, whose operas can, IMHO, not generally really be described as bizarre, magical, other-worldly or surreal. Life is pretty grim for Budd and Grimes, wouldn't you say? And even the idea of a male May Queen doesn't seem that odd these days.

[Serial_Apologist]

I'm not a great opera fan, but that's down to me because I simply lack the intellectual capacity to deal simultaneously with what I'm watching and what I'm hearing. The few I have on DVD are mostly by Mozart ('cos they're Mozart!) and Britten, whose operas can, IMHO, not generally really be described as bizarre, magical, other-worldly or surreal. Life is pretty grim for Budd and Grimes, wouldn't you say? And even the idea of a male May Queen doesn't seem that odd these days.

I've always thought that to fully appreciate opera must involve a great deal of disbelief in ones suspenders!

[gradus]

Emilia di Liverpool is an unpromising title but is it twaddle? Don't know, never heard a note of it although various recordings exist. One for the canary-fanciers perhaps?

[french frank]

Is all theatre twaddle - unless it was written last year or later? Is Harry Potter/Doctor Who twaddle? What are the criteria for twaddle? I don't know anything about it but I think it's all twaddle? If so, HP/DrW are definitely twaddle IMHO (But I like opera)

[Richard Barrett]

Is Harry Potter/Doctor Who twaddle?

Yes.