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

[verismissimo]

Yes.

Is Life twaddle?

[cloughie]

Is Life twaddle?

No, it is precious and as the years go by increasingly so.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

What does "twaddle" mean?

[LMcD]

What does "twaddle" mean?

It's how ducks and geese walk in the North of England.

[cloughie]

It's how ducks and geese walk in the North of England.

Now you are talking twaddle, LMcD.

Dictionary definitions:

Noun - Trivial or foolish speech or writing; nonsense.

Verb - Talk or write in a trivial or foolish way.

[MrGongGong]

This isn't

[ahinton]

Nor is the one from which https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAQ-EGJffOE is drawn

or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb-9mWwxoPc

or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrFwfeKzRuE ...

[ahinton]

It's how ducks and geese walk in the North of England.

You'e been listening to too many episodes of ISIHAC!

[MrGongGong]

You'e been listening to too many episodes of ISIHAC!

Which IS

[Bryn]

This isn't

Greatly enjoyed this production in its E.N.O. manifestation, and got the Blu-ray of this Barcelona filming as soon as it was released. I have not listened to my Sony or Wergo CDs of earlier versions/procuctions since. I find my enjoyment, if not appreciation, of opera growing in recent years. Perhaps it's a sign of declining intelectual capacity:

https://psmag.com/social-justice/classical-music-linked-to-high-intelligence-27959

not to be confused with:

https://blogs.uoregon.edu/casitblog/2011/07/29/your-browser-and-your-iq-opera-users-are-exceptionally-smart/

[ahinton]

Which IS

I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue

[LMcD]

Now you are talking twaddle, LMcD.

Dictionary definitions:

Noun - Trivial or foolish speech or writing; nonsense.

Verb - Talk or write in a trivial or foolish way.

Twaddle = t'waddle.....down to t'pond....

[MrGongGong]

I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue

Yes, I know, total TWADDLE

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Dictionary definitions:
Noun - Trivial or foolish speech or writing; nonsense.
Verb - Talk or write in a trivial or foolish way.

Thank you - but that suggests to me that the word is itself flawed, in that "trivial" isn't at all the same thing as "nonsense" (or "foolish"). As you say, Life is precious, and isn't (or shouldn't be) trivial, but it is often "nonsense" - and requires us to create the "sense" for ourselves and each other. Art is/can be one of the ways that we do this.

I suspect (read "reckon") that people who claim that Opera is "twaddle" are concentrating on the "story", and expecting the sort of "realistic" narrative that they'd encounter in a film, play, or "story" - and either can't move beyond the often, yes, trivial plots of many operas, and/or beyond the "unrealistic" "why are they singing?" stage. It's the "looking at a Kandinsky expecting to see a hay cart" thing - people trying to transfer ways of experiencing from one Art form to another in the hope of getting the same enjoyment.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Twaddle = t'waddle.....down to t'pond....

No no no no no .... the "t' " prefix denotes a noun, not a verb: it's the glottal-stopped "the" ("Trouble at t'Mill") and is silent; the "t" in "to" is always sounded ("You've got to see this!") - "t'waddle" would mean "the waddle", and would be pronounced "waddle".

(Bibliography: Learn thissel' Lancy, Butterthwaite ed Ferney; Wippett & Flattkapp, 1972.)