Difficulties can be encountered with Opera for those who are beginners, we try, therefore, to offer solutions to deal with these obstacles or, at least, to provide some tricks to get around them. Because after all, we already love Opera even if we don’t know it yet. Here are our 10 suggestions:
1. Open your ears wide
The first tip of all is this, and never was a better way to put it. to appreciate Opera we must first open our ears and start paying attention to how many times we listen to it without realizing it.
2. Be captivated.
The aria has its own magic, and even if we do not know its origin, it is not certain that it cannot captivate us from the first moment. Instead of concentrating too much, we should simply let ourselves be fascinated by the Air itself and its beauty.
3. Enjoy the music
An Aria is composed of text and music, which is undeniably exciting. Enjoy the work as a whole and let yourself be carried away by the composer’s notes, which, we bet, will help you immerse yourself in a new world.
4. Pay attention to your emotions
The fourth step is to focus on how you feel while listening to the opera arias. Each aria is capable of eliciting a riot of different emotions, so listen to your heart and pay attention to the nuances it suggests because this is the first step to truly falling in love with Opera.
5. Remember
Try to remember all the times you have heard that aria in your life: the “Libiano ne’ lieti calici,” “Un bel dì vedremo,” “Largo al factotum” at least a million times for sure! Not only that, let the music seep into you and help you remember what really moved you.
6. Dream
Dream because Opera is a master at this. Who among us has never imagined, while listening to “Nessun dorma” that we would conquer at dawn what we cherished most? This is another wonderful characteristic of Opera: it is the perfect soundtrack oer dreaming about what moves us most.
7. Be curious
Curiosity is inherent in man and it is time to bring it out. By now, having reached this point, we are ready to go and unearth some more information about the arias and the operas from which they are taken. In this way you will be able to unearth epic plots and unbreakable loves-there really is something for everyone!
8. Now it’s time for the libretto
Now is the time to go to Google and search for the libretto of the Opera that most impressed you (if you have it at home all the better). Having the text of the aria at your fingertips as you listen to it, and being able to contextualize it within the opera, makes everything more magical. try it to believe!
9. Get to know the performers
In the world of Opera 2.0, it is much easier to get in touch with the performers. From Youtube to Instagram, you have the opportunity to get to know the artists who have made the most famous arias immortal, Luciano Pavarotti or Maria Callas for example, as well as the new generation stars present on social media, who are getting closer and closer to breaking down the famous wall that separates them from the general public.
10. From arias to operas
The last piece of advice is to take risks. After training your ear enough, reading, listening, poking around, now is the time to try your hand at a whole opera. Which one should you start with? We recommend “The Barber of Seville” or “Turandot,” you will not regret it!
These are some of the tips that can be given to first-time opera listeners. They are small steps, it is true, but we are sure they can produce great results and make even more people fall in love with this extraordinary world.