the song that impacted my young ears so many years ago. a radio show my mom listened to on public radio; Caruso sang it, the intro for the start of the show..i do miss Povarotti..when he sang it,.. and now Inocence Musoco(?) on Britain's Got Talent, WOW! thanks for the breakdown, Povarotti would be proud, as his mission was to bring it to the "rest of the people".😉😊

TY, SO MUCH FOR THE BREAKDOWN OF THIS GREAT OPERA! IT'S BEEN OVER 30 YEARS SINCE I FIRST HEARD THE THREE TENOR'S PERFORMANCE. ❤🎉

What a great explanation! Love it.

Thank you

I absolutely loved this! Yes, Aretha added her signature voice to this song, so much for it being a song for a male performer! Never more!!

Thank you so much...I learned so much from this engagement...Grateful for your passion...

😊 utube JOHN BAVAS BLACK COFFEE

An excellent and clear explanation of Puccini's story of revenge, self-sacrifice and redemption in the name of love.

That was the best explanation I have heard and you explained this so well. I teach Theology and this has always been a part of my lesson on faith and music. True eros. How beautiful. Thank you so much Cassandra.

Beautiful voice!!!

This is great advice for all creatives! 💚

The recital was wonderful

❤ thank you for sharing 3:37

Incredible!!!! And I cannot take my eyes off of those shoes . I look forward to your posts, keep going!!

You should call this opera for all idiots, me included. I can't find anything online that explains opera so clearly and precisely as this channel.

Well.... my personal interest in opera is pretty much the same as my interest in music! I come from a musical family which includes my immediate family as well as extended family such as cousins. All types of music was heard in our home & that includes opera, jazz, R&B, Pop, Modern R&B, Brazilian Jazz & Classical music. From a young age, I participated in school choirs & plays in which I'd have lead parts acting. Being a professional songwriter & composer I've found it useful to draw from classical music (not copy though) to enhance orchestrations of mine, as well as when writing certain types of songs. Part of my story! Smile!

I love this!!!! LOL!!! You're correct on all levels!!! That is a wonderful conversation as well!!! Kinda too extensive to elaborate on the KZfaq platform. I'll say "you're fortunate (hah Blessed) that you've been able to zero in on which music artform that is genuinely you in your heart & soul. And I concur, You're great at it!!!

Noah gave me chills at the end. He was smiling right before because he knew he had ‘em

This is humanity at the highest level! Regards from Sweden!

Amazing. Thank you!

I love love classical music and the opera. I do not know what they are singing but it soothes me immensely. Glad that by understanding the words makes it even better to listen. Thank you so much ❤

You should take the word black out of your title..I'm white, well with pink soles of my feet and dark skin in other places and brown eyes and hair...what has colour got to do with enjoying a song and really enjoying the explanation of it..

I just saw a production of Turandot at the Kennedy Center with the Washington National Opera. Since the copyright just expired Christopher Tin and Susan Soon He Stanton wrote an ending and it was performed. They recontextualized it to be more modern, around Communist Era China and took out some of the overtly Orientalist stuff, like Ping, Pang, Pho became the Chancellor, Majordomo and Head Chef. And Turandot says that it's not just about her ancestor, but that she too experienced the same abuse. Calaf agrees to tell her his name, but she chooses to spare him at and dawn she tells the chorus/citizens that his name is love and she will marry him and bring peace to the kingdom

My first time seeing the operatic mad scene from Lucia di Lammermoor! From my sister’s description I knew that it would be much more elaborate than the books; which is only the Bride saying “Tak up your bloody bridegroom!” …. And this was all based on a true story!

Which other Walter Scott stories have been adapted to opera and/or ballet by Continental European artists ?

I didn’t know any of this ! Thank you!

Geez, i didn't know any of that..i remember seeing Pavoroti on a video years ago singing this and he was coming home from work in the dark and saw his wife fooling around, through a second floor window, with a man...why would he put that spin on it?

You said the ending was controversial. Is that simply because Puccini didn't finish it, or are there other reasons? I know some claim that winning her heart with a kiss is "ridiculous", but I see that as a kind of fairy tale ending, which is not a bad thing, especially in this story which has a lot of fairytale aspects. Take The Princess and the Pea, or The Twelve Dancing Princesses, or the original story of Hans Christian Anderson's Little Mermaid. Taken literally fairytales actually are ridiculous. But that's not their point. They are teaching stories. Don't be vain, don't lie, don't be selfish. Be kind, be generous, help others. And so on. This opera has those elements. So at the end her heart is won by a kiss. How is that different from Sleeping Beauty or half of Shakespeare's plays?

When I heard Sarah Brightman sing this song - I couldn't stop being filled with such emotions... Thanks to her - I really enjoy opera...

Wow I never understood the full context, I always assumed it was about a commoner in love with a princess with no hope of ever having a chance. I always thought “no one will know my name” was lamenting his lowly status compared to hers as princess. I guess I was projecting lmaoo

wowwwww, thank you

Great info! How interesting that you don't like hearing the playbacks- probably too critical of yourself but to me it always sounds divine! Thank you for your honesty

Thank you for sharing this! I love your voice, your enthusiasm, and your concise explanations.

Valuable Information. You are a born teacher and communicator.

Going to the opera is a special event. We’ve been attending operas for fifty -five years and going to the Met for forty years. We’ve attended about three hundred performances at the Met. And have seen beautiful productions and amazing singers. Now coming to how we should dress. We always dress up . Openings, closings and in between. No jeans, shorts, or tee shirts. We usually purchase orchestra seats and have sometimes sat on the first and second tears. We’ve seen and heard amazing music and singers and productions. Never be late, never. I can’t imagine my life without opera.

Perhaps in the last fifty years Pavarotti could be said to have made it popular, but trust me, it has been ridiculously popular since the opera's debut in 1926.

Thank you, Cassandra! (North Carolina, USA) Opera can be so....complicated.....

Such a beautiful rendition of Over the Rainbow. I love it.

Love it❤

Very good summary of Opera. Thanks

Also, a big difference is that musical theatre often has spoken text, whereas operas are usually sung through. There is, of course some overlap here (a great example of this is Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, which, while billing itself as a musical, is completely sung through).

Thank you for explaining it, it's just too beautiful. I always wonder how anyone gets into opera. Did your parents listen to it, or was it just from having an aptitude at a young age?

Beautiful presentation and performance.

Thanks. I always wanted to know the difference between operas and musicals.

WOW

Thank you for sharing this! brings tears to my eyes!

Incredible! I've never heard the whole song before

This is one of my favorite arias by you, I just love your voice. You should hear me in the shower trying to imitate you, my neighbors called the police 😂

Why operas are for rich🎉 people? The answer is easy: the ticket price. When I took Introduction to Music in college, my professor required us to attend an orchestral concert. I asked if I could go to see an opera instead. She said I could, but warned me the opera's tickets were expensive.

Thank you for posting these gems! You're so beautiful!!