Handel and FIFA madness, etc.

[mundungus42]

Handel's "Theodora" was beautifully sung and played on Saturday evening - not for nothing did Handel consider it his finest piece. However, the plot is pretty silly

Comments

[alicroc]

i request more of these kind of posts...that way i A) don't have to go watch opera but B) can still pretend like i do becuz i know the plot lines. Bwahahahahaha.

[mundungus42]

Hee, I'll be happy to oblige. I ought to do "Coriolanus" next, which, while a play and neither oratorio nor opera, is still plenty silly enough to do well in this format :D

[bluestocking79]

YES. You must do this. I had to read "Coriolanus" while I was an undergrad, and I still resent it, all these years later. (Hey, I LIKE Shakespeare and I think "Coriolanus" is ridiculous.)

[mundungus42]

For heaven's sake, there's so much GOOD Shakespeare? Why do they make us read "Coriolanus" and "Titus Andronicus?" I'm imagining the climactic scene of Cor thus:

Volumnia: Spare Rome for you bland wife and son!

Coriolanus: No way.

Volumnia: Spare Rome FOR ME!

Coriolanus: (twitches) I said, "No way."

Volumnia: DAMN IT!

Coriolanus: Okay, okay, mom. Jeez!

Volscians: Thanks for nothing, asshole! *stabs him*

[duniazade]

LOL! Loved the "Theodora in a nutshell."

[mundungus42]

I'm grateful that the music was so pretty, otherwise, I would have been giggling at the performance. Delighted you enjoyed! Thank you!

[bluestocking79]

Best summary of "Theodora" ever! I needed that laugh. :D

I'd gladly Metaquote it, but not without your approval.

[mundungus42]

Hee, I'm delighted you enjoyed it! By all means, metaquote away. Thanks! *blushes*

[bluestocking79]

Done!

[mundungus42]

Squee! I've been metaquoted! *glomps you*

[dickgloucester]

You should be put in charge of writing the summaries for opera programmes.

[mundungus42]

It would save San Diego Opera oodles of money in type and program space if they'd hire me to write synopses, but translating it into Spanish might be difficult :D

[alicroc]

Ooohh...someone said they loved "Theodora in a nutshell"

That can be the name of your new Blog Series:

"Classical Literature/Opera/ Etc, in a Nutshell"

It's so you....AUNTY Mundungus! :)

[llennhoff]

Are you familiar with ShrinkLits?

Example:
Beowulf

Monster Grendel's tastes were plainish
Breakfast? Just a couple Danish.
etc.

[mundungus42]

That's FABULOUS! I've seen the Pythons summarize Proust and loads of people condense Joyce, but the rhyming and puns set this apart. *applauds*

[mundungus42]

And I'm also a second cousin once removed- Sarah had her baby!!!!!! And I can't claim the "in a nutshell" title because someone beat me to it by a few years... so how about "in a banana peel?"