WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2020
The Fanny Brice of opera…
Anna Russel was one of the funniest ladies we’ve ever seen and was famous for this routine. If you know nothing about Wagner, you may laugh a bit. If you know more, you will laugh harder. If you know The Ring, inside and out, there may be nothing funnier in the universe. Everything she talks about, no matter how absurd it sounds, is essentially true, just exaggerated.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN5dAQLYYrs
She was hilarious and I didn’t even know what she was talking about. I like how she was able to play and joke at the same time during this whole routine.
She is amazing. I laughed a lot. At the same time, the opera seems less daunting now, with that convoluted plot and case of characters.
I had heard about this, and I need to listen to it again while not working — because she’s utterly brilliant. I”ve heard about this from not just Gary but from several other friends.
She tells the whole Ring story, with music, in half an hour.
It took wagner.. what… eight LPs? 4 CDs? A week and a half of opera?
=o)
The combination of commentary and playing really bring out the story. The leitmotifs string the different parts of the story and music. This is a really great performance. The humor is immeasurable, and it really engages the viewer into the music and story.
Her analysis of this massive opera was informative and humorous. It was interesting to learn that Wagner used Leitmotifs in this music.