Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion HiFi & HT Chat Blu Ray Opera Reviews

I may be but I am sorry if I come off that way.

My basic recommendation is to put each opera or ballet in a separate post for convenience of access, especially as subsequent compilation posts will be distinguishable only by date.

In fact, it would be easier to have coherent follow-up posts form a thread for each opera/ballet, rather than continue to co-mingle groups associated only by original posting date.

As for the display issue, that was only in response to the attempt to resolve this in a way that doesn't really help much. The attempt is appreciated, nonetheless.

Kal

Just saying thanks for the effort here.

I may be but I am sorry if I come off that way.

My basic recommendation is to put each opera or ballet in a separate post for convenience of access, especially as subsequent compilation posts will be distinguishable only by date.

In fact, it would be easier to have coherent follow-up posts form a thread for each opera/ballet, rather than continue to co-mingle groups associated only by original posting date.

As for the display issue, that was only in response to the attempt to resolve this in a way that doesn't really help much. The attempt is appreciated, nonetheless.

Kal [/quote]
OK, your point is understood. However my experience on another Board (not AA) has been that few people comment.

But to overcome your concern, you can, in this thread, make a header regarding the opera you wish to comment upon so that would make the post just as relevant.

Example: Comment on "Tosca" review ...........

If you like, I could copy that comment in the body of the first post giving reference to the author. This would be particularly valuable if a diametrically different viewpoint was given. Reactions to music are very subjective so different opinions are helpful to those unfamiliar with the work or the disc.

The same could happen with any other opera reviews you or anyone else cares to make. I could copy and paste it into the first post. This would make it relatively easy for anyone to find opinions on a particular opera. All they need do is to locate the composer in the first post.

So Kal, can we see how all this evolves? If it does not work out then we can come back to it later. However at the moment I'm not keen to embark on all the work which would be needed to break up the original post unless it is needed by people here. I could email you the list if you would like to do it.

John

I understand that it is a lot of work but, going forward, I suggest separate posts for separate releases.

Kal

It sounds to me that this is a matter for George to preside on. If we had a new thread for each “Recommendation” it would swamp the 20xx forum.

He could move out the current Recommended Music and Recommended Movie threads in to completely new distinct higher level folders that could then contain separate threads for each recommendation. So the forum structure would look a something like this:

Meridian Unplugged
Meridian Unplugged - Forums - General Discussion
Meridian Unplugged - Forums - General Discussion - Equipment Restaurant at the End of Universe
Meridian Unplugged - Forums - General Discussion - Meridian 2010
Meridian Unplugged - Forums - General Discussion - Meridian 2009
Meridian Unplugged - Forums - General Discussion - Meridian ….
Meridian Unplugged - Forums - General Discussion - Meridian ….

Meridian Unplugged - Forums - Recommendations
Meridian Unplugged - Forums - Recommendations - Music Popular
Meridian Unplugged - Forums - Recommendations - Music Classical
Meridian Unplugged - Forums - Recommendations - Music Opera
Meridian Unplugged - Forums - Recommendations - Movie DVD
Meridian Unplugged - Forums - Recommendations - Movie Bluray

However, I suspect that none of this is trivial or even desirable it is George`s forum not mine.

Regards,
Carl

This is not a music review forum...

True, but we do already have the 3 [growing in number] "Recommended" sticky threads.

Carl, I would follow your last 2 very useful posts with my suggestion.

As you say we currently have
Recommended Music
Recommended Movies

Therefore I would suggest we simplify this classic music discussion by for a start just having a Recommended Classical Music topic, including for classical DVD/Bluray.

I agree that George should make that decision.

Hey guys, are we getting a bit sidetracked here? The whole idea of the thread is to discuss OPERA on Bluray and there is not a single follow up post referring to any one of the discs reviewed yet - either agreeing or disagreeing.

For a trial in the future I'll draw attention to new entries with a post like this but also put it in the main first post so it is easily found by anyone. We can see how that works out unless someone has a better idea.

John

John,

I appreciate the work you've put in here and I'm going to use it as a starter and buying a couple of discs to try out. It's always daunting going into a area you know nothing about - easy to pick a dud and dismiss the genre - so your reviews should help out anyone interested in trying.
Thanks,

Ed.

John, you are correct that your idea of discussing opera on Bluray was maybe "getting a bit sidetracked" and I would add even getting competely derailed.

My suggestion about a single Recommended Classical Music post was my attempt to get something started - with George's approval. I had already stated your Bluray opera reviews should remain as a great reference. Such a classic music post could comment on opera.

But the question remains what will happen next and what interest will there be?

Thanks Ed. I'm chuffed I might have interested you in this genre.

Opera can be an aquired taste and can also be quite repulsive to many who are unused to the combination of singing and acting in stories that are often very trite and unbelievable. The passion and effort put by singers into something like that can leave people bewildered and uninspired to delve any deeper.

I'm no musical expert or professional so please take these comments as coming from a gross amateur but to me there are two basic operatic types:

1. The very tuneful with lots of arias - Verdi, Puccini etc

2. The dramatic with continuous story line - Wagner and many of the modern genre (not all of which I personally like).

So I suggest as a starting point the more tuneful ones like Verdi's "Aida", Traviata" and Puccinni's "Butterfly", "Boheme" are good starting points. Out of these my personal favourite is "Traviata" with its lovely tunes and a story full of pathos. Another good starting point is the Strauss "Die Fledermaus" & Mozart "Die Entfuhrung" although neither of the current BDs of these operas blew me away but to be fair, they are good enough.

Being familiar with the music before attemting the opera can be useful so it is not all completely new. There are discs around featuring the music only without any singing and it was a 78 rpm shellac disc of Kostellanetz playing the Traviata music that got me hooked originally.

Wagner can be particularly repulsive to some but can also be sublime to others. It took me awhile to become used to his operas but I now love them. The composer was a particularly repulsive individual so it remains an enigma his music is so great.

I could go on more but that is enough for now. Please post up your impressions of any of the operas you sample.

John