Opera
Opera
I know very little about opera as a music genre, performance type, historical touchpoint, etc.
Part of my ignorance is tied to my inability to speak Italian, which the majority of prominent operas (though not all) are written and performed in, and part is down to the many assumptions made about listeners, their background knowledge, their understanding of norms associated with this type of performance—things that can make breaking into this type of performance as a newbie a bit intimidating and frictionful.
I was induced to do a little bit of research into this genre of work a few years ago, though, when I stumbled across a podcast called Aria Code, which, as the title implies, is about arias: components of a larger operatic piece that can often tell you a great deal about that piece, the characters, the conflicts, and other vital aspects of what’s happening (and why it’s happening).
Here’s a link to the Aria Code podcast (you can also search for it in your podcast app of choice): https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/aria-code
This is part of what I love about podcasts: they can nudge you into being interested in things you may never have otherwise encountered, and which—had you encountered them in other contexts or shapes—you may never have latched onto as something that might be “for you” in the same way.
Some other audio offerings that are focused on different topics, but similar in the sense that they might inspire you to look into things you might not otherwise have discovered or found interesting enough to explore further (again, click the link or search for in your podcast app):
Hardcore History (also: Tides of History)
Poetry Unbound (also: The Slowdown)
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