All that is good and all that is bad about opera is summarized by the following splendid sentence. It comes from a plot summary of Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore. Prepare to savor.
"At the pre-wedding feast, Adina and Dulcamara entertain the guests with a barcarole."
Is that genius, or what?
Here's the situation: the plot's a little thin and needs to be padded. Barcaroles were big in the 1840s. By good fortune, Donizetti just happens to have one in his drawer, or perhaps he has been thinking about gondoliers since his last trip to Venice. So let's slip a barcarole in there.
Moreover, the barcarole is beautiful. Perfectly wonderful and enjoyable. It's as lovely as the excuse for its performance is ridiculous.
That's why we love grand opera -- its inevitable and constant juxtaposition of glorious and absurd.
Thanks, Metropolitan Opera in HD, for bringing it to our attention. Let's hope for many more afternoons of such transcendent, splendid silliness.
Ah that in real life we could while away our empty hours with barcaroles.
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