Opera Parodies

[Tim Twiss]

We see a great concentration on a large body of Minstrel Tunes, but nobody seems to have ever tried the opera stuff that was so often done in parody. The Buckleys did much of this. That would certainly be unexplored territory. I thought of this while looking at a tune in the new Converse book....."Children of Haymon" by Balfe. He wrote The Bohemian Girl, which included Marble Halls. Anybody got some of this stuff on the burner....or would like to try it?  

[Carl Anderton]

Of course the Les Sylphides that many of us do falls in to the operatic catagory. Thanks for pointing out COH, I hadn't even noticed that one. I'll bet your anticipated guitar tutor will have some opera.

[Tim Twiss]

I was especially thinking vocally.

[John Masciale]

I once did the I dreamt i dwelt in Hotel Halls parody up, and Elaine and I have been talking about her doing it.  I also did my own parody on opera (AEBG 2).  The problem with parodying opera is that the more you know about the specific opera, the funnier the parody.  Most of us are not really acquainted with the English operas of the time period.  My parody was on La Donne Mobile done up as Rose of Alabama.  In the same pass I did Oh du liebe Augustin as Old Dan Tucker.

[Carl Anderton]

Perhaps our vocal quartet should consider some operatic material?

[Tim Twiss]

yes...that stuff is out there...and available. I wonder why it is ignored?

[Mark Weems]

Well, the only way I'd be interested is if we could all put on two hundred pounds, roll our eyes around a lot, and screech with paint-peeling vibrato!

[Trapdoor2]

Because opera is the single most boring entertainment man has ever invented? No wait, that would be being dragged to your niece's dance recitals every year. Ok, 2nd most boring. ;-)

If I could just get a discount ticket to listen to the overture. I would leave just before the screeching started and be happy. ;-)

I am being half-facetious. Parodies are different and usually enjoyable (like John said, even better if you are acquainted with the original).

[John Masciale]

More to the point, have you ever tried singing opera?  It is well beyond the ability of most people, and requires a lot of training and practice.  I have a lot of respect for opera singers. 

One of my favorite parodies is PDQ Bach's Abduction of Figaro.  It took a full opera company to pull it off.  If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.  Once again however, the more you know about opera, the funnier it is.

[Trapdoor2]

I do love PDQ Bach...and the "Abduction" is hysterical. I still prefer instrumentals like the "Unbegun Symphony" ;-)

[Tim Twiss]

Somebody must have liked it...it certainly filled the playbills for years.

Perhaps we should look at the twists and turns they put on it to fit into popular culture. 

I think things came back around to the simpler, old style.

[Trapdoor2]

That was when you could throw stuff at the actors. ;-)

Tim Twiss said:

Somebody must have liked it...it certainly filled the playbills for years.

[Carl Anderton]

Personally I love opera.  Especially comic opera.  It's the highest form of artistic expression yet devised!!

Here's something interesting.  In Gilbert and Sullivan's "Utopia, Ltd." (1893) there is a scene where all the characters on stage grab banjos, tambourines, and fiddles and perform a parody of Christy's Minstrels (who were a staple in London).

http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/utopia/webop/ul014.html

So here we have opera parodying blackface minstrels!!  The piece was the biggest hit of the opera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhSpCsRob8s&feature=related

The funny line before the tune has the south-sea island king asking "Is this in accordance with the practice at the Court of St. James?" and they reply "It is in accordance with the practice at St. James Hall," that being the place where Christy's performed.

ps.  The Banjo player in the video is a farb...and the spoons player needs some schooling from Cuffy....