Opera is a very polarizing form of music.
You either love it or you hate it, there’s rarely an in-between.
You have a CD collection the size of a small bus, or you think opera is pretty much a fat lady in a helmet with horns.
It’s an obsession or you just can’t be bothered.
I’ve wondered just what causes this massive dichotomy between lovers and haters, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the haters just didn’t have the right start. They didn’t listen to something user friendly, they didn’t have the proper gateway drug. They were pushed off the cliff into the deep end of the spectrum and expected to start swimming immediately.
And of course, that would be under the heading of wrong.
I hope that I have found something for you, you opera haters (or at least opera neutrals) that will be under the heading of right.
I’m going to give you that first hit, that first toke, that great little morsel of information, history and music that just might turn you into an opera fan.
It’s a little NPR broadcast called “The Ring And I”, and in it, you’re going to learn about one of the masters of opera, Richard Wagner.
But don’t panic!
We’re going to learn about Wagner and his four opera Ring Cycle in such a way that I hope you will be chomping at the bit to learn more, to listen more to explore more about Wagner’s work.
We’re going to learn about Wagner by talking about Tolkien.
Huh?
That’s right! We’re going to learn just how a doddering old linguistics professor took some of the story, motifs and symbolism from Wagner’s Ring Cycle and turned it into one of the greatest fantasy classics of all time.
We’re going to learn about The Lord of The Rings and The Ring Cycle.
We’re going to learn about Richard Wagner and J.R.R. Tolkien.
We’re going to learn about music, melody, counter melody, and leit motif.
What I really love about the Radiolab piece is that it shows the many facets of creativity in our lives.
I want you to realize that you don’t have to be a poet, novelist, artist or some other officially branded ‘artist’ to be creative.
I want you to realize that you can be passionate about something that you love, and bring that passion into your every day life.
I want you to realize that you can step outside the box, outside the definition of ‘creativity’ and ‘art’ and make something wonderful.
I hope that you enjoy “The Ring And I”.
Thank you so much for reading! I truly hope you found some value in this post.
If so, why not purchase my first book, the award nominated Resurrection Angel for only 99 cents!
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