GK2, first impressions ... and ***SPOILERS***

[Rath Darkblade]

Say, since you did light opera, what did you think of the scene where the guy who plays Engelhart begs to the conductor for an extra aria just hours before opening?

Honestly? The request is obviously ridiculous. An aria - a proper aria - takes hours to write and rehearse, first with the piano and then with the orchestra. After that, the other members of the cast (and the chorus) need to be aware that it's coming - not to mention the lighting people, and the stage manager ... and then they'd need to print the programs again, to make sure the audience know that it's coming ...

Meanwhile, I think the conductor (who is also the composer) has more important things on his mind!!!

And this guy wants all this done in a few hours? Typical prima donna.

He reminded me of one or two prima donnas that I had the misfortune to work with. One especially was a nightmare. He had a fine tenor voice and was our principal tenor for two years or so, but he was a pathological liar, insulted members of the chorus and other principals backstage, and - worse - he was also a racist, misogynistic pig. Still, all the audience could see was his beautiful looks, his charming stage persona and his dulcet tenor tones, so ... bleh.

It all came to a head when we were running a season of Lehar's The Merry Widow. Backstage, this guy told one of the leading ladies (who was Jewish) that she had a big hooked nose, that she was (in his words) a "filthy Jew", and that "Hitler should have finished the job". (His words, not mine). I'd done my own make-up and dressing-up, and I happened to be passing, so I was furious with him and told him to back off. He started pushing me around, which got the attention of our stage manager (who is also Jewish). Anyway ... to cut a long story short, we finished the run of the play, but the company blackballed him and never invited him back again. Good riddance.

Anyway, if you'd like to see a more pleasant form of prima donna ... I'd urge you to rent or find (maybe in the library?) a copy of the film "Topsy Turvy", directed by Mike Leigh. It tells the story of how Gilbert and Sullivan created "The Mikado", their most popular play - and it sticks faithfully to the true story of how it happened, which makes me very happy.

As for the prima donna bit: before opening night, Gilbert made some cuts. This was usual for him, but he cut the Mikado's solo (and the Mikado only has one solo - see here for the chorus bit leading up to his solo). The Mikado, played by Rutland Barrington (who, in the movie, is played by Timothy Spall), was naturally upset by this, and appealed to Gilbert to restore the song, but Gilbert said no.

Here's the touching bit. Just before the show, the entire chorus of men and women appealed to Gilbert: please, please restore the song. It's a good song, and Rutland does it so well. Well ... Gilbert re-considered, and said yes - and everyone was happy! That song - "A More Humane Mikado Never Did In Japan Exist" - went on to become one of the best known Gilbert-and-Sullivan songs from the show. Even better, that scene (of the chorus appealing to Gilbert) also made it into the film. (Yay!)

So yes, if you're interested in light opera or the theatre, do yourself a favour and see if you can find "Topsy Turvy".

Just so you know, though: there is a scene, early in the film, which is definitely not-safe-for-work or for kids. Sullivan visits, and is entertained in, a brothel in Paris. In reality, Sullivan did exactly that - but this scene is at least R-rated. However, the rest of the film is definitely G-rated and can be enjoyed by the whole family, kids included. So if you have kids, make sure to skip that scene.

There was a release of the English translation but never of the opera libretto. Because of this I didn't bother to translate it in my script or on my page. The German isn't as fluent to me and there are a few bits where I wonder if that's really what's been said.
There's also Hildegunde's mother whose piercing voice is so tough to understand the back-translators of the libretto didn't even bother.

Thank you for the translation, BBP! It makes much more sense now.

[BBP]

Thanks for your thoughts! Sorry you had to put up with that guy...

I never knew much about Gilbert & Sullivan, I guess with all the motormouth songs they translate poorly.

Opera with better sound quality!

[Rath Darkblade]

Prima donnas like that guy are water off a duck's back. He bothered me at the time; now, not so much.

The "motormouth" songs? These are only a very small part of Gilbert and Sullivan, just one per operetta, and only ever given to the comic baritone soloist. The other soloists, and the chorus, are given very beautiful things to sing. The chorus even split at various points to sing counterpoint - men's chorus vs. women's chorus, that sort of thing.

Thanks for the opera with the good sound (and video) quality. It's so intense! I wish there was more of this opera to see. The bass soloist as the bad baron is great - basses always (or often, anyway) get the villain roles, because of their low range.

I'll just guess the ranges ...

Hildegunde - mezzo-soprano
Baron - bass
Villagers - mixed tenor and bass
Mother - soprano
Blacksmith - baritone
Father - baritone
Lead villager - tenor

Am I right?

[BBP]

Let's ask Robert Holmes if he wants to write the rest!

[Rath Darkblade]

Why not? I don't have his email, though. Do you?

And hey, I've been performing music - both classical and not - for 15 years. Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Bruckner, Purcell, Verdi, Benjamin Britten, Dvorak - I've done 'em all. Maybe there will be a role in it for me. *crosses fingers*

(Hey, I can dream, can't I?)

[Tawmis]

Why not? I don't have his email, though. Do you?

Let me help you out.

[Rath Darkblade]

I was only being facetious. But would Robert be open to the challenge?

[Tawmis]

I was only being facetious. But would Robert be open to the challenge?

"Never hurts to ask."

I'd say email him - what's the worse that happens? Says no? Doesn't respond?

[Tawmis]

And on another note - congrats on finishing GK2. I loved GK2 but it was considerably harder than the first GK and possibly also more difficult than GK3 (except the ending of GK3... which killed me... literally... quite a few times)...

[BBP]

Eh?
I guess that'sa a matter of skill and opinion. I could barely make headway in GK1 and GK3 (GK3 has that bookstore thing to begin with) plus cat hair moustache with maple syrup glue, that interminable sneaking scene (but fortunately there's a workaround if you can't make it), the beautiful Le Serpent Rouge plus a lot of other hunts and temple hijinx that left me clueless. GK1 begins and later goes back to the three dragons, the penetrating of the swamp, the mime, the ZOMBIES!!! and a whole lot of other hiccups. GK2 has the museum but that's more frustrating than difficult. And the end jump which I somehow managed to make on my first attempt. And the wolf doors, but that's manageable if you don't get nauseous from the Wolf-o-vision.

[Tawmis]

Eh?
I guess that'sa a matter of skill and opinion. I could barely make headway in GK1 and GK3 (GK3 has that bookstore thing to begin with) plus cat hair moustache with maple syrup glue, that interminable sneaking scene (but fortunately there's a workaround if you can't make it), the beautiful Le Serpent Rouge plus a lot of other hunts and temple hijinx that left me clueless. GK1 begins and later goes back to the three dragons, the penetrating of the swamp, the mime, the ZOMBIES!!! and a whole lot of other hiccups. GK2 has the museum but that's more frustrating than difficult. And the end jump which I somehow managed to make on my first attempt. And the wolf doors, but that's manageable if you don't get nauseous from the Wolf-o-vision.

GK2 was more difficult for me. GK1, I think I was just used to playing that type of game from Sierra. FMV was fairly new at the time; so it took getting used to using a new interface and interactions. GK3 was difficult, mostly because the 3D of it, you can swerve the camera around. But that ending in GK3 took me a considerable time.

[Rath Darkblade]

GK1 wasn't that difficult for me, except for the snake and (as BBP mentions) those darn zombies.

GK2 took me a loooooooooooooooooong ... tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime ... tooooooooooo ... finish. This was mostly due to that darned museum, which I could never work out - until now. (Thanks, BBP!) Oddly enough, the wolf-o-vision never made me nauseous - although I managed the final jump on the second try, not the first.

(By the way, something has just occurred to me: has anyone else noticed the "end by fire" theme, common to both GK1 and GK2 (and, arguably, GK3)? In GK1, Gabriel dreams of a person's head in flames, which becomes a lion's head. In GK1, Malia falls into a fiery death - and Gabriel can, too. In GK2, Von Glower falls into a fiery death. In GK3, Montreaux's demon can arise from - presumably - a fiery hell).

As for GK3 ... I finished it once, and didn't want to try playing it again. The camera swerve was choppy, and left me feeling slightly nauseous. And Gabriel's dying screams (whenever he dies) gave me nightmares. So...