Long Operas
The FSOC has a venue restriction of a 3-hr time slot in the community theatre. Whereas most operas in the canon are less than 3 hours long, some are not. Moreover, some of the most significant works are in the long category. This page serves as a curated collection of some of those longer operas. Since these won't be shared in the Four Seasons theatre, the viewer will have to view them on their own.
The suggested requirement is a premium Youtube subscription to preclude commercial interruptions every 15 minutes.
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Opera North, Leeds Grand Theatre - Leeds, England
Opera North's Complete Ring CycleIt should come as no surprise that the first entries in the LONG category are Wagner operas. Wagner is the most controversial composer in all of opera. It is left to the opera student to explore that aspect of his life and work.
Because of the length of the operas of the Ring Cycle (15hrs 35 mins -- Das Rheingold 2hrs 25 mins; Die Walkure 3 hrs 48 mins; Siegfried 3 hrs 57 mins; Götterdämerung 4 hrs 25 mins), we will likely never be able to present Wagner's masterwork under the auspices of the Four Seasons Opera Club. However, the significance of the Ring is such that it cannot be ignored or overlooked. And I came across a good production of the Ring that is a an excellent first Ring.
Opera North has its origin with the English National Opera with the charter to provide opera to northern England, staging both the opera and musical theatre canons. Their production of the Ring Cycle is cleverly created and presented. It is not a traditional staging -- rather a hybrid of a concert staging with video backdrops and is very serviceable theatre. It's also very accessible -- English subtitles, creative staging designed to propel the story line, and it's free.
Compared to other Rings: Not as grand or traditional as the Mariinsky Ring that came to Segerstrom hall in 2007 under the baton of Valery Gergiev (this production took 21hrs 35mins due to the 90 minute provided dinner breaks included in the $1500 ticket price). Not as cutting edge as the Metropolitan Opera's 2012 cycle produced by Robert LePage and conducted by James Levine. But much better than the 2010 LA Opera Ring Cycle conducted by James Conlon.
Should your interest be piqued, the benchmark CD recording is a complete Decca set recorded at Vienna Staatsoper in 1959 by Sir Georg Solti with Birgit Nillson performing Brünhilde in all four operas.
Parsifal
Parsifal is the last opera of Richard Wagner. It is the most ostensibly religious of his body of work. The story arc is modeled after the Passion of Christ. Wagner overlays his life-long musings on self-actualization and redemption onto that familiar religious story. This performance at Met in 2013 features Jonas Kaufmann as Parsifal, René Pape as Guernemanz, Peter Mattei as Amfortas and Katarina Dalayman as Kundry. From the first bars you will be drawn into a profound, mystical world.
I had good fortune to see this production live at the Met on Feb 15, 2013. It was earth-shaking.
Duration: 4hrs, 50mins