I Need help writing an Opera

Hi, in my future compositions projects I have the idea of writing an opera.

There's already one candidate... Who else ?

if by chaldean you mean Akkadian language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, then I see your point. Then again, Aramaic was spoken in that area as well.

on the other hand... if english is your first language, why not want the libretto in english? or nonsense words, if you're looking for that "far away" feel. the whole point to exotica is that it's not an exact copy... (see Porgy and Bess for more deatils)

Chaldean, Arabic, Martian, Javascript or whatever was the language in that area I was saying that would be very difficult to sing that, and not, my frist language is the Spanish.

Why not write it in Spanish then? The issue, in my uneducated and opera-negative opinion, is to express the emotion of the story, not necessarily the story itself. So that the story's particulars are changed even significantly should not change the emotional rise and fall. Check out Akira Kurosawa's version of Macbeth, Throne of Blood.

My point is that you might be asking hows before you ask whys.

Yes, you're right, the point is that I won't write the libretto, that's what I'm looking for, a writer, but if the writer speaks not Spanish, then what ? I'm going to have to translate the whole libretto...well, maybe, could be...

I didn't like Operas neither until I heard "The Firey Angel" by Prokofiev, then I bought "Prince Igor" (Borodin) and "Turandot" (Puccini) and I decided that every good composer should have at least 1 Opera...well that's my opinion, maybe if you're a Jazzist, that makes no sense of course.

I would say you should just find a librettist that speaks spanish so they can write it in your first language.

Also, the reason you are writing an opera is because "every good composer should have at least one?" And because of that, you are going to spend 4-5 years on this project? If you are interested in writing an opera, why not start with a one-act opera, or an operetta, so that you can grasp the ropes of writing for voice and the implications of writing for stage, etc.?

Furthermore, it sounds like you have pretty limited exposure to opera, and I would recommend exposing yourself to as many operas as possible before diving into this.

I too would love to write an opera, but can't seem to manage a libretto. I hope this works out for you.

I woud help, but sadly I cant write in Chaldean nor Aramaic....maybe hebrew?

Ok I read the whole post now...yes I want to help this sounds like a fun project and would be a fun way of rediscovering the poet I me

lucky for you...spanish is my first language

but yeah I want to help out

do you have skype?

Dan is a smart man. You should further delve into opera and styles practice small before you just attempt grand.

every great composer has an opera, maybe. they didnt become great because they wrote one, the became great because they did all the work studying and writing small pieces to master style and orchestration, and then they were able to take on this powerful art form successfully due to their skills.

The reason is because I simply want to write an opera that’s all, and I feel myself completely capable of do it.

I Have a particularly way of learn things in music, I never wanted to take piano lessons because Conservatories and all those people think like Mr. “Dan Gilbert” that you should learn to walk before running.

What would be the answer you all would give me if I tell you:

I’m going to learn piano in this way: I’ll study

-Beethoven “Moonlight” Sonata Mov.3 only, …then

-Chopin: "Revolutionary" Study…then

-Grieg: Piano Concert,…then

-Prokofiev: Suggestion Diabolique… and now

-Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No.2

That’s it….I’m a Pianist…..no “beyer” methods, no uncountable exercises through years to then start to playing a little piece.

I’m sure you all would tell me that’s an insane plan, you’re out of your mind, you’ll never make it… well, I have played 4 or the five works in the list… of course it take more time in that way, a conservatory piano student may get the “Chopin Study” ready in 1 month, it took me 6 months to study that piece…but think about it, at the end, you made your career in much less time.

Well that’s for intrepid radical people I guess…

Let me tell you that it is possible to learn running just like that, no matter how unbelievable sound, and you know what ?...you want to learn an instrument or to sing, go to the conservatories, … you want to be a composer… don’t even put your foot on those places.

I won’t write mini operas first, then a little bigger and so…. I’ll write a Great Opera, with the help of one of you writing the libretto. I have always been contradicted by my way to work, I write directly for Orchestra, not piano and then the orchestration, and I’m very proud of my orchestral works, I never rewrite passages.

Please forget about the Chaldean and all that nonsense, I only mentioned like a “I would be great”,

Just think in French, English, Spanish, that’s it.

Who is going to do it ? The whole Story, like I describe it in the first post,

(I’ll will surely write other works while I finish the Opera, I always have several work at a time)

Why not just use your local vulgate translation of the bible? If i remember right, the Nimrod story and the tower of babel are a few chapters worth, plus I'm sure you can find a bit of stuff from the Apocrypha.

Not trying to shoot you down; legitimately trying to help for once.

*shrug* If you can't walk, your running will be either painful or hilarious to behold.

Good luck, though. Should only waste a couple years of your productive life.

Yes, I would love to hear you actually play these pieces on the piano.

It's well enough to disregard hundreds of years worth of pedagogical wisdom in favor of your own approach which is based on laziness and ignorance, but I would love to hear the results.

That

Ok, ok, this is getting out of the subjet...Nobody agrees with my method, that isn't new for me...It seems there are many "Conservatory" guys here, you must believe that I wasn't trying to offend anybody, I apologize.

In my country I did see many students playing exercices for years and then a little piece...You must know, I'm not in U.S. we have the worst schools here, maybe that's the reason I hate them and I decided to be an autodidactic. I do play the works I said except the Prokofiev Piano Concerto no.2, is not ready yet...but it's true those are the only works I studied, I used to play as a kid my works only must of the time, but other composers pieces, only the ones I mentioned.

I can discuss this later...I just want to know, Who's going to write the libretto ????

Yes, you're right, the point is that I won't write the libretto, that's what I'm looking for, a writer, but if the writer speaks not Spanish, then what ? I'm going to have to translate the whole libretto...well, maybe, could be...

I didn't like Operas neither until I heard "The Firey Angel" by Prokofiev, then I bought "Prince Igor" (Borodin) and "Turandot" (Puccini) and I decided that every good composer should have at least 1 Opera...well that's my opinion, maybe if you're a Jazzist, that makes no sense of course.

J.S. Bach never wrote an opera.

WTF are you spouting here?

J.S. Bach never wrote an opera.

WTF are you spouting here?

Sure he did.. he just didn't call it that. ;)

if Bach said that, I suppose Wagner, Puccini, R.Strauss were totally an unobedient bad boys….

I have only a few days in YoungComposers.com and I feel I have already created some weird commotion, What if I tell you about how did I learn another 8 instruments ? eh ??? THIS WOULD EXPLODE LIKE CRAZINESS so I won’t tell more about my personal experiences, no more.

I did not say my method is easy and does not need labor and dedication, actually is more difficult, you misunderstood my words.

I admit I was the one started changing the subject, I’ll take more care of what I post, and I ask anybody to focus in my first post.

I feel somebody thinks that the libretto is only the story, I already know what the story is about, the libretto is, what exact words are going to sing the characters, when, and with who ?, every single word in every dialog, that’s the libretto.

Some serious people already contacted me willing to do it, I shall make my decision soon, I’ll write one last post saying I found the one, and then I’ll abandon this threat, no matter what you post.

Good luck with your careers everyone,