I’ve fallen in love…
I’ve decided to spend a few extra days in Vienna after seeing Wagner’s Die Walkure. I’ve seen 4 operas in 5 days and found myself captivated by the stories and the performances. I am so grateful that a few years ago, one of my professors challenged our class to a Wagner opera marathon – it provided a great background for seeing the live performances.
What’s the appeal? Well, there are songs that I have grown up with and have listened to many, many times. Songs that are deeply rooted into popular culture and hearing them performed live is an amazing experience. Let’s see if I can convey this with a couple of YouTube videos.
The Drinking Song from Verdi’s La Traviata:
Or the Ride of the Valkyries from Wagner’s Die Walkure – or more commonly known as the helicopter from Apocalypse Now:
I must confess, I got a little teary during the Ride of the Valkyries – it’s a powerful piece of music and hearing it performed live was a dream come true.
And finally, the horn call in Siegfried (starts at 00:40):
Going to the opera in Vienna has become an experience that I won’t soon forget. I’ve met some great people during the waits for the tickets and though 5 hours seems like a long time for a performance, the time just flies by.
I’ve fallen in love… with the opera.
