Results 1 to 11 of 11

Thread: A Mandolin at the Opera

  1. #1
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    New Hampshire
    Posts
    1,979

    Default A Mandolin at the Opera

    "To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar

  2. The following members say thank you to Sue Rieter for this post:


  3. #2
    Registered User Bruce Clausen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Vancouver Island
    Posts
    1,541

    Default Re: A Mandolin at the Opera

    Don Giovanni, maybe? But that f-hole mandolin is all wrong.

  4. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    High Peak - UK
    Posts
    4,167

    Default Re: A Mandolin at the Opera

    ..... but not as wrong as the false facial hair!

  5. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Ray(T) For This Useful Post:


  6. #4
    FIDDLES with STRADOLINS your_diamond's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Tampa
    Posts
    641

    Default Re: A Mandolin at the Opera

    Men in tights... No thank you!

    Is that a Stradolin?!?!?

  7. #5
    Registered User Sue Rieter's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Location
    New Hampshire
    Posts
    1,979

    Default Re: A Mandolin at the Opera

    I was wondering that myself. Kinda looks it, doesn't it?
    "To be obsessed with the destination is to remove the focus from where you are." Philip Toshio Sudo, Zen Guitar

  8. #6
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,340
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: A Mandolin at the Opera

    Then there's his technique. He's not really making a chord, and he's not really playing it well. A bit of coaching might help.

    Any idea which opera this is from?
    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  9. #7
    Teacher, repair person
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    Southeast Tennessee
    Posts
    4,071

    Default Re: A Mandolin at the Opera

    That's probably the serenade scene from Mozart's Don Giovanni. The aria is titled "Deh vieni alla finestra"-- in English, "come to the window."
    For those of you who know the old Don Juan story, Giovanni's [Juan in the original Spanish story] purpose in life was to seduce every woman he could. The opera scene portrays an example of him trying to accomplish this by a serenade under her window.

    There is a prominent mandolin part in the aria. I played the mandolin part in the orchestra here many years ago. They needed a mandolin on stage for a prop, so I lent them my Strad-o-lin. So I wonder if this picture was from that performance?? I'm trying to remember what mandolin I played in the pit. It would either have been an old F-4, or possibly a Lyon & Healy B that I no longer own.
    Last edited by rcc56; Oct-31-2022 at 11:25pm.

  10. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to rcc56 For This Useful Post:


  11. #8
    Professional Dreamer journeybear's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Northeastern South Carolina, west of North Carolina
    Posts
    15,340
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: A Mandolin at the Opera

    Aha. That all makes sense. The character depicted is clearly not playing, just using the mandolin as a prop - indeed, he looks like he's posing for a publicity still.

    Here is a performance with the singer acting like he's playing an instrument, rather like a lute, while the mandolin actually being played is hidden from view, preumably in the orchestra pit.




    Here's a concert performance, in which you can see the player from time to time.


    But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller

    Furthering Mandolin Consciousness

    Finders Keepers, my duo with the astoundingly talented and versatile Patti Rothberg. Our EP is finally done, and available! PM me, while they last!

  12. #9

    Default Re: A Mandolin at the Opera

    Quote Originally Posted by your_diamond View Post
    Men in tights... No thank you!

    Is that a Stradolin?!?!?
    We go around the forest looking for fights! I've got to learn this song.


  13. The following members say thank you to CarlM for this post:


  14. #10
    Registered User Bren's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Aberdeen, Scotland
    Posts
    1,036

    Default Re: A Mandolin at the Opera

    Quote Originally Posted by journeybear View Post

    Here's a concert performance, in which you can see the player from time to time.
    Nice oval-hole Levin.
    Bren

  15. #11
    Registered User Bruce Clausen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Vancouver Island
    Posts
    1,541

    Default Re: A Mandolin at the Opera

    Quote Originally Posted by rcc56 View Post
    There is a prominent mandolin part in the aria. I played the mandolin part in the orchestra here many years ago. They needed a mandolin on stage for a prop, so I lent them my Strad-o-lin. So I wonder if this picture was from that performance??
    Glad it wasn't an F-5 they used on stage.

    It would be cool if this photo was from your production, rcc. Of course as a pit player you never get a look at what's happening on stage. When I played on a run of D.G. in the eighties in Vancouver, I was told later that the singer on stage was holding a big paper maché mandolin-shaped thingy. I guess no one thought of using a real mandolin.

    (Off topic really, but maybe an expert here can tell us what sort of mandolin would actually be authentic for a Mozart opera.)

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •