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Stray Thought On A Rainy Quiet Monday

Jan 18, 2010
By .
Effluvia

Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated. I hope to return soon.

Meanwhile, as I work in my quiet and empty office, watching the rainstorm outside as I edit a Ninth Circuit brief, I've indulged myself by turning up the volume on my iPod dock. Resulting thought for the morning: there are more sublimely beautiful operas than Tannhauser, and there are operas with more completely ridiculous plots than Tannhauser, but I think Tannhauser takes the prize for being most simultaneously beautiful and ridiculous. The transition from Venusberg to the shepherd's pipes gets me every time. And who can resist an emo-sex-slave-wastrel-knight abjuring a love goddess by invoking the Virgin Mary? That beats the hell out of sneaking out before she wakes up and blocking her calls on your cell phone. Die Zauberflote is more transcendentally beautiful, but dragons and dancing animals notwithstanding, is nowhere near as ridiculous.

Last 5 posts by Ken

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6 Comments

  1. Mike  •  Jan 18, 2010 @2:15 pm

    I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate.

    I had no idea they'd made an opera out of Blade Runner. I hope it has the scene with the topless chick and the snake.

  2. Ken  •  Jan 18, 2010 @4:38 pm

    Tannhauser is actually substantially more bizarre than Blade Runner.

  3. Brian Dunbar  •  Jan 18, 2010 @6:41 pm

    but I think Tannhauser takes the prize for being most simultaneously beautiful and ridiculous

    Is there 'a' definitive version I should listen to?

  4. Valhawk  •  Jan 19, 2010 @12:15 pm

    I haven't seen Tannhauser, but have you read the Libretto for Die Zauberflote recently? It's pretty weird.

  5. Ken  •  Jan 19, 2010 @12:16 pm

    Yeah, it's weird. But it's not "start with an orgy, end with the pope's staff growing leaves" weird.

  6. Ken  •  Jan 20, 2010 @10:13 am

    Brian, as to the definitive version, I don't know. Once upon a time I would have consulted the Penguin Guide to determine that, but I haven't seen one in years — all the good classical music stores near me have closed down, even the exceptional Tower Classics that used to be on Sunset.

    I don't remember how I got the one I have; it's not particularly inspired. Looking through Amazon, if I were buying one now, based on my preference for remastered mid-century productions and my fondness for various particular singers, I'd probably try out this one. YMMV.