A Night at the Opera: An Irreverent Guide to The Plots, The Singers, The Composers, The Recordings

by Denis Forman

Overview

“Delightful and anti-reverential”—Sunday Times (London)

With an encyclopedic knowledge of opera and a delightful dash of irreverence, Sir Denis Forman throws open the world of opera—its structure, composers, conductors, and artists—in this hugely informative guide. A Night at the Opera dissects the eighty-three most popular operas recorded on compact disc, from Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur to Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. For each opera, Sir Denis details the plot and cast of characters, awarding stars to parts that are  “worth looking out for,”  “really good,” or, occasionally, “stunning.” He goes on to tell the history of each opera and its early reception. Finally, each work is graded from alpha to gamma (although the Ring cycle gets an “X”), and Sir Denis has no qualms about voicing his opinion: the first act of Fidelio is  “a bit of a mess,” while the last scene of  Don Giovanni  “towers above the comic finales of Figaro and Così and whether or not [it] is Mozart's greatest opera, it is certainly his most powerful finale.”

The guide also presents brief biographies of the great composers, conductors, and singers. A glossary of musical terms is included, as well as Operatica, or the essential elements of opera, from the proper place and style of the audience's applause (and boos) to the use of subtitles.

A Night at the Opera is for connoisseurs and neophytes alike. It will entertain and inform, delight and (perhaps) infuriate, providing a subject for lively debate and ready reference for years to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780307807823
Publisher:	Random House Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/05/2011
Series:	Modern Library Paperbacks
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	976
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Sir Denis Forman was for nine years the deputy chairman of the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden in London. He was a founding member of the Granada television franchise in the United Kingdom and became its chairman and chief executive, responsible for its acclaimed drama program, which included The Jewel in the Crown. Sir Denis lives near London.

Read an Excerpt

How to use this guide
 
• The operas in this guide are those that have passed the simple popularity test of having three or more versions listed in the Gramophone CD catalogue of December 1992. The temptation to let in some outstanding outsiders (Peter Grimes) and to chuck out some of the weaker qualifiers (Lakmé) has been resisted, with difficulty. Every one of the 83 operas is a guaranteed three-entry item.
 
• Proper names are used in the form that comes most naturally. Opera people tend to talk of Meistersinger, The Flute, Lucia, not The Mas-tersingers, Zauberflöte or Lucy. Every opera has its proper title in its own language at the head of each entry.
 
• The same principle spreads far and wide throughout the guide. In some operas the names of some of the cast are anglicized, others are left in German, Italian or whatever. This may seem odd but it is done to fall in with common usage and anyway consistency is ‘the hobgoblin of small minds’. In the cast list after the title on the first page the names are given in both languages except in those operas–2 out of 83!–where the opera is in English anyway. Accents, umlauts, circumflexes and cedillas are commonly done away with unless they are needed as a guide to pronunciation. A good deal of dog-Italian occurs and even the English language is treated with scant respect.
 
• Throughout the guide Acts are Acts–I, II, III, IV and in extreme cases V. After Scene 1 (Sc 1) scenes are only newly numbered as scenes (Sc 2) where there is a change of scenery. This may seem arbitrary and sometimes goes against the book. But when you get at one end of the spectrum an early opera giving every aria a fresh scene number and at the other end 2 hours 40 minutes of continuous music in Rhinegold broken into only four scenes, you have to give the word ‘scene’ some sort of common meaning. Anyway that’s it.
 
• The LOOK OUT FOR section which comes after the telling of the story in the opera section is designed for the armchair listener (or for the listener who sits at a table or lies on the floor, and why should all listeners’ chairs have arms anyway?) in order to alert them to look out for the best bits, to give them some idea of what is going on simultaneously both in the music and on stage, and thereby take them an inch or two nearer to the experience of actually being in the opera house. Timings are approximate and must be since they can vary greatly between different performances. The slowest Tristan in the records at Bayreuth played for THIRTY MINUTES longer than the most speedy.
 
• Stars are awarded at the whim of the author as follows:
* Worth looking out for
** This is really good
*** Stunning. Brilliant
 
• At the end of the COMMENT in the opera section each opera is given a rating from alpha-plus to gamma. Author’s whim again, and whereas no reader is likely to want to swap any of the gammas with the alphas, these ratings are susceptible to a wide range of disagreement. But what the hell. Everyone their own opera critic.
 
• The aim of the guide is to avoid every technical term in music that can be described in plain English, but there are some basic truths which have to be tackled by anyone who wants to get a fix on certain musical forms (aria) or on basic musical structure (tonality). These are dealt with in a summary fashion in the Words list and more fully in the Operatica section. Would true musicologists please look the other way.
 
• The Artists section includes some sixty conductors and singers, again selected on whim, but with three criteria in mind:
They must be world class.
They must be household names. (At least in households that are opera-prone.)
They must be well represented on disc.
 
THE OPERAS
 
Adriana Lecouvreur     Backstage tragedy
Cilea
 
The one about the star of stage and screen whose rival sends her a bouquet of poison gas violets. She sniffs it: snuffs it.
 
CAST     
Adriana Lecouvreur, star of the Comédie-Française Soprano
Michonnet, stage manager of the Comédie  Baritone
Prince of Bouillon, opera-going prince           Bass
Princess of Bouillon, his wife Mezzo
Abbé of Chazeuil, his companion and social fixer     Tenor
Maurizio, Count of Saxony      Tenor
Actors, servants, etc.   
             
4 acts: running time 2 hrs 5 mins
 
STORY
Act I  Backstage in the Comédie-Française
 
We are waiting for curtain up on one of Racine’s smash hits in Paris France 1730. Backstage it is all go: final touches to costume and make-up: a heavy demand for beauty spots etc.: distracted stage manager Michonnet urges everyone to hurry up: the Prince arrives plus his sidekick the Abbé seeking his good friend star actress Duclos: Duclos is not available. Rival star Adriana comes on spouting Racine like mad. Poncey pair offer her fatuous compliments. She says come off it I am a humble working actress and the only good guy here amongst you phoneys is Michonnet (M. is very chuffed). All go on stage.
 
The Prince asks why Duclos is not available: she is busy writing a letter says Michonnet: the Prince orders the creepy Abbé to get the letter using bribery or whatever. Exit the poncey pair. Michonnet is moonstruck by Adriana. There is some roundabout talk about marriage. Adriana has no idea what the hell Michonnet is going on about. I’m in love too! she says. Whizzo! My lover’s in the front of house tonight. Michonnet (hopes dashed) exits: Maurizio (really the Count of Saxony) comes in. Big hellos. How’s your career? asks Adriana. Have you been promoted Company Commander yet? My boss the Count of Saxony (ho ho) keeps promising but never delivers says he: bastard. I am seated in Box 3 let’s meet after the show. Adriana gives him a posy of violets. Both exit.
 
The poncey pair come on. I got the letter says the Abbé. He reads: ‘Meet me at 42 rue Rouge tonight.’ Zut! says the Prince: 42 RR is the house I use for assignations with Duclos: double-crossing whore and Zut! again. The letter is addressed to Box 3 says the Abbé. It’s that Maurizio says the Prince. What to do? Invite all the cast to a party at 42 RR says the Abbé give ’em a surprise. Ha ha and very good says the Prince go ahead. Send on the letter to Box 3: exits.
 
Actors rush off stage. All is chatter scandal and gossip: they say Duclos meets many lovers at 42 RR and also gives the key to the Princess who indulges in adulterous fancies there. 42 will be busy tonight for sure. Who will meet whom? Buzz buzz. Michonnet left alone watches Adriana on stage adoringly. He holds a property letter for Adriana’s next scene.
 
Maurizio comes on. (The letter he received in Box 3 was not from Duclos but written by her on instructions from the Princess who demands an immediate meeting at 42 RR to discuss an urgent political crisis.) Maurizio writes a message on the property letter: ‘Tonight’s meeting is not on. I have to see a man about a dog’: Adriana reads the message on stage. Shock and anger greatly improve her performance: she gets a standing ovation. Offstage she receives an invitation to a midnight party to meet the Count of Saxony (our Maurizio!). Aha thinks Adriana I’ll get after that Duke to make my Maurizio a Company Commander.
 
Act II  A room in maison 42 rue Rouge with French windows and garden beyond
 
The Princess awaits Maurizio with anxiety: will he come? He comes. There is an incomprehensible discussion. Maurizio is interested in politics not sex: the Princess in sex but not in politics. Have you gone off me or something? she asks. Well he says hum haw we shall always be good friends. Good friends! Pshaw! she says. She sees the violets. There must be another woman she says: who is she? They’re for you he says.
 
A coach draws up. The Princess panics. Quick jump into the fridge says Maurizio. She jumps. (As he opens the fridge door he drops the violets.) The Prince plus the Abbé come in. Got you Maurizio! they cry. Where’s the lady old boy? What lady? says Maurizio. Duclos they reply (a mistake, of course). I was going off her myself you can take her over old boy says the Prince. (Maurizio twigs the mistake.)
 
Enter Adriana: surprise all round. I thought you were seeing a man about a dog she says. So I came to meet the Count of Saxony to plead your cause. Go ahead for I am he! says Maurizio. Another surprise. Well fancy that she says I always thought you were officer material. The poncey pair plus Michonnet come on. Michonnet says he must go and seek Duclos.
 
She’s here says the Abbé. Eh? What? says Michonnet. She’s in that fridge there says the Abbé. Is she hell I’ll soon see says Adriana (jealous). No! says Maurizio it’s not Duclos: I came here to talk politics. It’s a serious matter. There is a person in the fridge true enough but it’s not Duclos but a political contact. Do you believe me? I believe you says Adriana. We must keep the poncey pair away from the fridge says he. It would be politically disastrous if the person were exposed. You must release the occupant in the dark: and the person must not be seen even by you. OK says the trusting Adriana. Take this secret key says Maurizio. Exits.
 
Meanwhile Michonnet goes and opens the fridge but it’s too dark to recognize the occupant. He closes the fridge. Now the Abbé proposes getting candles and opening the fridge. Adriana interposes, as instructed. The Abbé goes off to get the Prince: Michonnet stands guard. Adriana blows out the candles and opens the fridge and the Princess jumps out. What now? she says. Escape! says Adriana. All exits are blocked says the Princess. Here’s a secret key says Adriana. Get out.
 
Who are you? asks the Princess. Mind your own business says Adriana. Do you know Maurizio? asks the Princess. By the way I love him. He’s mine. Rubbish he’s mine says Adriana. A big argument is terminated by the Prince and helpers appearing in the garden with torches etc. The Princess scarpers. The search party enters: Michonnet finds the Princess’s specs on the floor. He hands them to Adriana.