Calling all opera enthusiasts. Guide this poor soul into a wholly fulfilling music genre, please? Version 2.0?
About two month ago I was listening to my personalised Classical playlist in Pandora radio. Then, for the first time in my life, I was graced with "good" opera(the song in question was "Song to the Moon" from the Czech opera "Rusalka" by Antonin Dvorak). Although I have loved Classical music (with particular a infatuation with Luigi Boccherini), I have never heard an Opera that I considered excellent, until I heard that song. Since then, I took an interest in the genre, but I don't know where to start. Simply searching Youtube doesn't cut it, I want to hear the best of the best. So this is a request, a challenge, to all you classy, Opera-loving bastards out there:
Give me all the greatest pieces you can name; any language, any style, I want to love and appreciate this amazing genre of music that I have foolishly shunned.
P.S; I've asked this question before, but all I got was a smarmy answer that read:
"I enjoy opera, but I can't answer your question because I'm not a "bastard". My parents were married when I was born."
So that leads me to say: No, you don't have to fulfill the bastard criteria.
This person thinks (s)he is a riot. You might want to check with your mum again, you certainly are fulfilling the bastard criteria. I even said you didn't have to. Too funny.
Thanks for all the helpful replies thus far; though, oddly enough, I'm not particularly a fan of Nessun Dorma when it is performed by Pavarotti. Many people say that he covers it well, but I don't like it. If you were to recommend a tenure, who would it be.
P.S - To my darling Anna Fransson : I certainly want to give you a nice big kiss right now, a Glasgow one that is. Stop trying so hard, you stopped being funny after the first time. And was I supposed to feel bad about your mum? I'm no stranger to tragedy, and I lost any sympathy I would otherwise have for you after your double troll against me. 2 FOONY U R HAHEHAHEHAHEHAHEHA /sarcasm (because you are too thick to understand, hm?)
I apologise to all else for my unsightly message.
Ah yes, an insult to my intelligence and a display of illiteracy. You certainly show that you are a bastard (not literal, you are presumably a woman), but not a classy one. Are you offended that I don't care for your dead mum? That I expressed that I would LIKE to headbutt you? I'll have you know that I have never wanted to hurt a woman until today, and only because you won't shut up and answer the bloody question. In real life, this wouldn't happen because I can just simply walk away the first time and leave it be. However, the blasted internet not only makes people rage, I have to revisit this so I can find beautiful music.
I'll also have you know, I didn't threaten you (not that it matters if I did anyways). I expressed that I would LIKE to, but never said anything like "I will/going to". Not the same. It's like saying "I really hate that man. I want to knock him over the head, his arrogance is astounding." is a death threat. Of course you don't "sweat the small stuff" (oh look A