When O MIO BABBINO CARO goes HORRIBLY WRONG

[@EnoVarma]

I didn't realize how much I needed a take down this harsh of Andre Rieu. Beautifully done. Rieu really is a master in his field: a master in making a spectacle of something intimate and fragile, and manipulating the most primal instincts of his audience. Much kudos to you for pointing this out.

[@peterpawlik2495]

Dear EnoVarma, glad I could provide this service for you 😄 Thank you for your comment!

[@peterpawlik2495]

btw: I wished I had come up with your wording. So much better than everything I said in my video 🙏

[@pendorran]

"Reader's Digest" had me bent over laughing, and then "Jesus Christ!" just killed me.

[@ihavenoidea81]

thank. you. i agree with everything you said and I think this applies to pop music as well. i once saw a girl sing "i can't make you love me" by bonnie raitt and it made me laugh because that child had NO idea what she was singing. however, she 'acted' out pained facial expressions and hand movements to try and communicate the emotion of the song. how is a girl supposed to understand the lyrics of, "lay down with me, tell me no lies. just hold me close, don't patronize". i'm so tired of social media promoting kids singing songs they have no business singing. it's jan exercise in imitation, fake emotion, and empty words.

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you for your comment. I am totally with you when it comes to age appropriate performances 🙏

[@shooster5884]

Would people prefer that opera shrank and shrank to a tiny minority even aware of it's long history and existence. I personally became aware of opera because of a little girl singing that aria and listened online to one opera over and over again to become familiar enough with it, and to learn about who would be performing it in my city - and went to my first opera! I also travelled to another country to a classical music festival and went to my first classical concerts of world class performers after discovering a girl composer and falling in love with her piano concerto and then of other composers. But maybe I have no right to be allowed to discover or listen to any of these arias or learn through this gateway about the world of opera or to go to operas... all us plebs are maybe not entitled to it... only those who have studied music about opera should have access to it. And a little girl Amira who of her own nature taught herself to sing an aria because she loved it ... she should have been forbidden.. instead she should have wanted to sing a pop song about love and loss or desire and that would have been alright? How dare a child be born that loved to sing a beautiful aria, is that it ! That is the elite domain only of an opera singer eh and her parents should have forced her to stop singing any aria , forbidden it? What nonsense.. and eliteism... It in no way stops knowledgeable opera goers enjoying operas or opera singers training to be opera singers if the rest of the population enjoy arias.. Ordinary people don't interfere with people who are opera educated, love operas,and regularly go to them. No one is forcing tjose operae experts to either listen to or go to any Andre Rieu concert or Andrea Bocelli or whoever else they do not enjoy or appreciate... There is music to suit everyone in the world.. each to his or her own taste.. listen and let listen..

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you for your comments. Whenever a discussion is held in an emotional way it can be hard to appreciate the arguments one agrees with when they come together with arguments you disagree with. I find it wonderful that you were able to develop a deep appreciation of classical music by listening to this version of O mio babbino caro. Talking about elitism: I would be curious what your position would be when, for example, it comes to writing and syntax or grammar? For a second please try to imagine your favorite writer or poet. And now imagine one of his books is on top of the New York Times bestseller list but published without any regard of punctuation or grammar. No comma, no question mark and the whole complex way it was written and what it made special and unique boiled down so one can read it faster. If you as a fan of this writer or poet are disappointed about this version and if you voice this disappointment: does that make you an elitist? I really appreciate that you took your time and shared your thoughts with me/us. Thank you and all my best!

[@shooster5884]

​@@peterpawlik2495 I appreciate your reply Yes.on the point of my appreciating classical music... Understanding it or how anyone can write all the parts of a composition baffles me entirely.. I listen to sounds I like...though once following an online comments discussion about dissonance I did sit through listening to a recommended and apparently much applauded dissonant piece, I do not recall it's title. I could tell it must have been very complicated to compose, and that there was some meaning to it... but it made me feel very negative so it wasn't something I would listen to again for enjoyment.. With regard to the writer issue... I really don't care how people write. The worst thing I ever did was to study English as one of my subjects at university... academia turns everything, in my opinion, into something to be dissected and labelled and often - if you are a lover of a writer or a poet- one is better off not knowing if they write what they wrote mathematically or according to what rules... I have read a few books with little or no commas, full stops or capital letters - some worked some didn't - for me as a reader. I don't recall reading anything by an author that was unexpected in their writing.. I never saw the point of arguments of the kind - this or that, or this performer or that performer is better than the other - online when it comes to the arts unless it is a discussion on some specific technique or something like that, because my opinion is that a piece of music, a painting, a song, a poem or a piece of other writing speaks to people differently and there is as much variety in all as there are people on the planet... The arts are a gift and whatever someone in the arts is inspired to do or whatever in the arts brings happiness to anyone.. is fine by me..

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you again for sharing your thoughts. I really appreciate the inclusive tone of your comment 🙏

[@pawdaw]

Surely there is nothing in the music that suggests that Lauretta actually wants to kill herself. She is in love, and everything is heightened when you are in love. Her pleas are semi-serious, there is a kind of gentle humour at play.

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you for your comment. Yes, as I have said in my video that’s one way to look at it. That‘s what makes the great works of opera and of art in general so interesting. They are multilayered and therefore offer a wide range of possible interpretations…

[@philzmusic8098]

She's only 15--that explains both the intensity and delicacy of the aria.

[@evarozsa3728]

wow, I always thought it was my fault that I couldn't watch an André Rieu concert. I'm glad someone else is having the same problem...

[@peterpawlik2495]

De gustibus non est disputandum - a little quote to cement my snobby image 😄

[@NemesisTheInevitable]

Rieu represents the commercialization of a serious art form, after turning it into selling trash. People have no taste because they lack on musical education.

[@peterpawlik2495]

I agree - it's sad that kids in schools don't get the chance to get a better education on arts and music (and not getting enough physical exercise as well). But I don't want to start a rant about the education system here 😄

[@johnojvind7641]

@@peterpawlik2495 Don´t get the chance, lol. Where I live in Europe, at state TV-channels on saturday evening, at best time, often airs opera productions. Also the opera ensemble, because they are paid by the state, also, to some extent, has to perform at locals school too, but it doesn´t help when they shouts louds scaring the kids rather than sing well. It´s a contraproductive effort . The state can spend even more millions promoting this hopeless out dated genre, the state already tried everything without any result, than people in the end prefers watching Andre Rieu anyway 😀.

[@dogsmusicbookstravelscience]

My two pennies. I largely agree with your sentiments and you certainly speak from a position of knowledge - such a rare phenomenon on the internet. As someone who had listened to my father's records of Sills, Wunderlich, Björling, Schwarzkopf, Callas and other supreme artists ever since I can remember, and having learnt a bit about the artistry involved in not only performing opera and classical works but also *listening* to it, I do find much to agree with in your statements. I have shelves full of librettos and hardly ever listen to opera without following the narrative and understanding WHAT I'm listening to. However, there are two perspectives I want to add. 1) There are parallels but music and literature are not the same. I do not believe that your argument about the Readers' Digest condensed books (which I'm well acquainted with) is invalid at all, but having studied literature at the tertiary level I do not view that as an airtight argument either. There are reasons why direct comparisons between books and their filmed versions are unfair (visual arts vs literature), and so there are also reasons why direct comparisons between the worlds of music and (classic) books are unfair. I'll stop short of writing a thesis about it here, but I am unsure if many will be swayed towards your point of view by that part of your presentation. Nevertheless, your argument serves to make people think about these issues, which is a validation of its own. 2) My dear father did so much to cultivate a healthy regard for good music in his sons. As such, my exposure to the so-called lesser forms of opera & classical performances was quite limited during my formative years. I recall hours of his ranting against the popularisation of singers and other performers who didn't meet the highest standards. A radio broadcast of some (perceived) inferior performance would soon be drowned out by my dad's colourful language and a better recording being placed on his turntable. Finally getting to the crux of my point. That same dad of mine spent many a night of the last two decades of his life watching and enjoying André Rieu concerts, and even DVDs of Katherine Jenkins (and other mediocre performers) who he'd have hated in years before. I am not going to speak on his behalf to explain it. But I have witnessed a mellowing in the very rigid views of a once highly opinionated man. Initially, I was surprised to see that transformation and was a bit alarmed by it, but as time went by I came to accept that we all change through the years. We are not static beings, we are dynamic. I watched my parents as they watched those Rieu-shows. Always with a smile, always happy. They've grown to accept the musical elements they once rejected - and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Perhaps he just had enough of the "heaviness" of all the superior recordings he'd listened to all his life, and enjoyed a "lightness of being" as a welcome change in the twilight of his years. I realised that, yes, for all its flaws, there is a purpose behind the spectacle of a big André Rieu extravaganza, even if only for the sake of my dear father. Would the world be a better place without the André Rieus of this world? We all would have to figure that out for ourselves...As long as we stay humble enough to know our perspectives may change as we grow older (and wiser).

[@peterpawlik2495]

Dear JacoWium, your comment leaves me speechless! And how could I ever respond in an adequate way? I feel that I can’t at all so let me just say a few random things. First, the picture of your father getting annoyed by a bad radio performance and counteracting by putting good recordings on put a wide smile on my face. Obviously he was (and hopefully still is) quite the character. And I think it’s not just perfectly fine but normal to evolve throughout the span of a life. I for example am glad I don’t have the same awful taste I had as a teenager. So maybe in a few years I will sit in front of a tv and cheer Mr.Rieu on as well 🙂 You are right, of course, that my comparison with literature is lacking. Apples and oranges… I know very well that my perspective is just one of many out there and I am, despite my little rant, very accepting of people’s choices. The advantage though of having your own KZbin channel is (and in my case it’s the only advantage because there is no money to make 😄) that I can post whatever is on my heart even if the result may sometimes be a bit stupid or strange. But the feedback I received for this video, the positive as well as the negative, is highly rewarding. So let me thank you again for sharing your thoughts and your charming personal story with me - highly appreciated!!!

[@shooster5884]

You paint a wonderful picture of your father... and his world of music..

[@17derwanderer]

Very interesting video and great channel! Just a small correction, Opera North is not American, it's in Leeds, UK. They do interesting work, worth keeping an eye on them. Just out of curiosity, the set in that production was designed by the same set designer of Gluck das mir verblieb (Die tote Stadt) in your opera quiz video. 😂

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you for your comment and for the correction - you are absolutely right and it was sloppy research on my behalf. A few weeks ago another comment mentioned this mistake already - very embarrassing 🤦‍♂️ Thank you for making me aware that the set in Strasbourg and in Leeds was done by the same designer. I love these kind of details! All my best!

[@briansolomons744]

The sad thing is that in 1969 Andre Rieu made a fantastic recording of Telemann's string concertos - a really perceptive and compelling performance. Like many musicians he was seduced by money...

[@peterpawlik2495]

wow, I didn't know that. But to be honest: I wouldn't mind being seduced by money as well 🙄😄 Thank you for your comment!

[@steveneardley7541]

No expert here, but Tereza Gevorgyan is truly wonderful.

[@peterpawlik2495]

I didn’t know her before I have seen this clip but now I am a huge fan…

[@gloriabarberi1292]

Gianni Chicchi is a humorous and very pleasant story.

[@ImogenC-rt3fm]

I believe her. Don’t often feel that about this aria.

[@ImogenC-rt3fm]

Lovely, the first interpretation.

[@peterpawlik2495]

@@ImogenC-rt3fm heartbreaking...

[@svenhassel3150]

Opera North got the aria right, imo. I've always heard it as something utterly despairing and heartrending. Real and not faked emotion. (And they presented it almost as a scene from Pink Floyd s bleak 'The Wall'. ) Andre Rieu is like a new, snazzier incarnation of James Last, Mantovani, the Boston Pops Orchestra, etc, the way my parents consumed easy listening light classicalmusic. But despite the layers and layers of cheese it's some kind of a gateway into a better world. I guess if you simply identified Elgar with the overwrought presentation of the Pomp and Circumstance tunes at the Proms, and then discover the string quartet, the symphonies, the cello concerto, the Dream of Gerontius...

[@peterpawlik2495]

Dear svenhassel3150, thank you for your comment! I really like that you, beside your criticism of the Rieu-like way of performing classical music, preserved your optimism and positive thinking! And your reference of James Last just killed me 😂 It made me remember that I myself, to the dismay of my poor parents, was a huge fan when I was 8 or 9 years old - a memory I successfully have repressed for 50 years, so: thanks for that 😒

[@svenhassel3150]

There is no shame in being a fan of James L at that age. His arrangements were all about the melodies, and there was lots of orchestral colour in those recordings. As a child I was fascinated by the fathomless, mysterious, treasure chest 6 lp boxsets he produced. It was strange when it was only a double album. Plus the Readers Digest 'World of the Romantic Piano' etc box sets. One sensed that classical music was an endless ocean and it would be impossible to listen to/appreciate it all. You don't look almost 60 years btw.

[@peterpawlik2495]

@@svenhassel3150 🙏🙂

[@shooster5884]

I can certainly testify to the discovering further from a small beginning.. Having heard Alma Deutscher play her piano concerto online I was captivated and not long afterwards flew to Vienna having not travelled in years... to hear her play it twice there in one day. To say that sitting in the front row that I was utterly captivated and mesmerized by all the orchestra instruments and the sounds and more so how the hell anyone writes music for an orchestra, notes for all those instruments to make beautiful sounds together, how a composer can even imagine such a piece of music in their head and write it all down - it's insane to me ... I was in awe by that as much as by the beautiful sounds they made and of course Alma right in front of me engrossed in her piano playing... but it was also obvious from her expressions that she was hearing every single instrument part for which she had written every note.. amazing.. And that was my introduction to first hearing an orchestra live - twice in the one day - and it was magical.. It was also special as my mother, who got ill and died young had been a violinist in a symphony orchestra before I was ever old enough to attend any performance that she ever played in, and my only memory of her in that world is of myself sitting alone in the changing area among all the instrument cases behind the theatre stage during a few orchestra afternoon rehearsals and having to be very quiet. That was before I was old enough to be at school. My bribe afterwards was the rare treat for the late 1950's of going with her and some of the other musicians to this fancy cafe nearby and getting lemonade and a choice delicious cakes which came to the table on a plate tower ! Coming out from Alma's piano concerts I was thinking to myself so now I know about my mother's music life. That is what she was doing, that's where she was going, when she left home at night when I was little, with her hair permed, her face powdered and her layers of black skirts on and her good shoes and coat carrying her violin case and music.. or left on tour with a big old brown suitcase as well... I could feel her smiling wherever she was.. as I stood there on the streets in Vienna that it had taken me decades.. and the chance hearing of the voice and the music of two little girls to finally bring me into her world of music and relate to the happiness music was for her.. rather than the sadness of her loss of it and our loss of her as children..

[@peterpawlik2495]

@@shooster5884 What a wonderful and touching story - thank you so much for sharing it with me/us! I was especially moved by the description of your mother sitting alone in the changing area, waiting. What most people don't know is that the life of a musician or an opera singer, especially when you are a soloist, is extremely isolated and lonely sometimes. Being away from your family for many weeks or months and being judged every night of a performance by a too often ungracious audience... As a resident of Vienna I am glad that your trip to this city gave you the joy you was hoping for! 🙂

[@virginiakramer9055]

In my opinion, you can't be hard enough on Andre Rieu or anyone who trots out a child to sing this or any other aria. A child mimicking an adult sound is just wrong wrong wrong!!! She's depressing and contorting her larynx. She may be able to get through this aria without choking, but she's on a fast track to vocal disintegration. Yet all the people in the audience are marveled and weeping and it makes me sick!!! Here's a kid with actual talent, who would have been better served if she'd been allowed to sing like a child and let her voice grow and change as time and proper nurturing progressed. But no. Kids like the one in your video are exploited. Andre Rieu, greedy agents, and the kid's parents make a ton of money, and by the time she's a teenager her voice is in shreds.

[@shooster5884]

So do you think her parents should rather have, because of her voice, directed her and enrolled her in a music school to a one way road to become an opera singer ? I often heard that said by people outraged by Amira not being pushed in that direction and not stopped singing what she chose to sing.. Amira today at almost 20 years old still sings, very much informed by her religious faith and that her voice is a gift from God. She sings a mixed repertoire of religious musical and opera arias and uses her earnings to continue to grow her foundation which she with the help lof her parents set up aged 10 that supplies and maintains playgrounds and sports facilities in deprived townships in South Africa where she lives. She starts university now and in a recent interview stated that she will continue to sing and would like in the future to be involved with giving singers from deprived backgrounds opportunities to develop their talent. Not everyone with a voice that may be suited to becoming an opera singer wants that as their lifelong career.

[@peterpawlik2495]

@@shooster5884 Thank you for your thoughts about this. I can't talk about @virginiakramer9055's intentions. The good Amira and her foundation are doing is very laudable. But the point I was trying to make in my video was less about Amira and more about the way Mr.Rieu was using her as a business prop in order to sell tickets and to enrich himself. And secondly: performing this aria (and all the other music he and his orchestra are performing) in this massively simplified manner is in my opinion a clear sign of disrespect towards the audience, as if the audience is not smart enough or educated enough to appreciate the aria sung the way the composer intended it to be sung.

[@dafyddllewellyn6636]

@@peterpawlik2495 As a matter of fact, Andre did not use Amira to sell tickets. He introduced her as a surprise. Yes, he "popularises" classical music, and he has pioneered the technique of getting acceptable sound to a much larger audience. Traditionalists such as yourself, detest him for this, and he cries all the way to the bank about that. The traditional opera technique of singing without amplification is 400 years old; it is being overtaken by 20th century technology. Andre Rieu typically performs to an audience ten times the size of what is possible in an opera house; the economics of that are overwhelming. I'm aware of the plot of "Gianni Schicchi" and that the majority of Andre's listeners are not, but that does not hamper their enjoyment. And you are quite wrong in your predictions that Amira's voice would be damaged. Andre's video of the 2014 performance has now reached 86 million views on You Tube; can you say that of any formal opera performance?

[@shooster5884]

​​@@peterpawlik2495I think that you are not grasping the reality of the whole music world.. If I was to accept your premise that the Andre Rieu's of the world should not include any opera arias in their concerts, and especially not sung by children.. would you also say that child musicians should not play an advanced classical piece of music on such a stage? The fact is that many thousands of people pay to go to his concerts who have never been to an opera or could even probably name one nor may ever go to one. But some may be inspired to go to an opera as a result of going to one of his concerts.. The concerts employ a vast amount of people, a whole orchestra, all the soloists etc, all the technical people it must take to put in a concert like that.. Then there's the waiting staff - I believe the evening involves dinner? ..and those thousands all seem to have drinks.. They all have to book in somewhere to stay for the night and will spend money I assume locally while there... When you add all this up plus the fact that the audience hears a lot of different music and song and has a special night out - I really do not see what's to knock about it. As for the lyrics of any aria being sung by a child.... have you looked up the lyrics of many pop songs kids sing??? And in my opinion when watching talent shows it is far more children singing pop songs who risk shredding their voices often because they are screaming many of the pop songs because the songs require it. I am not at all religious, and when Amira's second cd Merry Christmas came out there were some beautiful pieces on it that I had never heard before... I made the mistake of actually looking up the lyrics of one and for me they were let's just say not appealing... and I did not look up the lyrics of any of the others... Now, do you think that religious people should tell me I should not be allowed to listen to those beautiful songs because I don't go to any church services, or study the Bible etc? Where would one draw the line as to what anyone should listen to permitted to be sung by who and in what context... and who would decide all that? Music is one of the few things that everyone can listen to and so much variety of music is available online.. If I had not heard by accident Amira 'audition for what someone called .that tacky show... I would have missed out on so much.. I would never have thought to look up opera singers, never have heard some beautiful arias, looked up others, learned a bit from others online to appreciate any of it.. and I would not have, through Amira singing with Alma Deutscher, gone down the road of watching and appreciating classical musical compositions.. No one objects to listening to solo boy singers of choirs but it seems mostly to be girls that are subjected to criticism or their fans. Children have a different voice to adults that has a beauty of it's own and if a child is not being forced to sing, and is being protected by their parents from the industry and how to ignore the online abuse they get... if that's their passion I see nothing wrong with it. Many different 'covers' of songs are sung from other genres, why not also of opera songs..

[@johnojvind7641]

You evidently are total clueless about vocals. There are numerous analyses by vocal coaches on her and she sings effortless and rarely strain her voice in any aspect, She just is unusual skilled in using resonance and other vocal tricks. For example Oxford Singing Lessons uses exactly this performance as an example of "truly extraordinary mastery of resonance" he also mentioned Montserrat Caballe in his study. Amira has sung at Royal Albert Hall invited by the choir director, at this age she just was phenomenal. Truth is she almost had no formal voice guidings, only a few before important events and CD recording. Let the voice develope natural instead of too much stultifying interference making the singer average as the teachers. For sure, Andre made millions on this performance and gave nothing in return to Amira, not even financing her future music studies. Later Amira in an interview said the music industry is full of sharks, Andre imust be in her mind. Amira also almost always sung amplifed, a technique, that saves voices, in opposition from tradition classical voice training that ruins voices when they must force to project the voice in bigger spaces without the help of amplification. Opera has a graveyard packed with ruined voices. Amira voice style fits best with musical style of music with incoporated operatic elements, that is where she shines. Her latest opera video ebben ne andro lontana was a mess. But in her latest O Sole Mio cover AGAIN she displays her vocals just are outstanding, not to mention some of her duets with Ruhan De Toit where they blew the main number Il Divo off the stage to the degree they were not welcome sing as a prenumber at hteir second concert in SA 😀.

[@PartiallyGeorge]

I was kinda ok about Amira's interpretation of O mio babbino caro (maybe because I've never actually noticed it properly), but you're absolutely right: a reader's digest adaptation of opera is totally wrong. P.S. Not actually opera' wise, but there's another thing I REALLY hate: when singers mispronounce lyrics. Like this lady called Eva Rivas who sang Andrea Boccelli's Con te partirò and managed to mispronounce almost every second word (I speak Italian, you can imagine what torture is for me.) kzbin.info/www/bejne/jICboGuCj81qfqc. Then there was the case of Beethoven's 9th, where the soloist sang "fötterfunken instead of Götterfunken and I had to delete the entire collection from my musical library because of this...

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you for your comment! I agree that Amira's singing itself wasn't bad (and especially for a child that young). What frustrates me though is unnecessarily simplifying a complex work in order to make it more digestible - this way of performing opera in my humble opinion is the sign of a performer who does not have any respect for his audience, treating them as an immature crowd who would not be able to cherish an opera, or in this specific case this aria, if it were performed how it was intended by the composer

[@dogsmusicbookstravelscience]

"Fötterfunken" ... I just spent 10 minutes giggling about this! But indeed, an unforgivable mistake to make, no doubt. Will I ever now regard Beethoven's 9th as anything other than a dedication to smelly feet... 😂

[@johnojvind7641]

Opera is notorious famous for their bad diction so be not surpised. It´s so bad opera houses has to use subtitles even when sung in native language. In theatre the story is everything but in opera the story is a total failure, just because of horrible diction, especially by the sopranos. Check Sutherland and go critisice her as well 😂

[@peterpawlik2495]

@@johnojvind7641 Thank you for your comment! If I had to take a guess I would say that opera is the most criticized theater genre anyway. Sometimes rightly so. Most of opera fans, including me, are aware of the fact that opera performed live is far from perfect. And I have criticized opera on my channel many times. But I don't agree that the use of subtitles in opera is an indication for a bad performance practice. Most of the time it's used to translate the story from a foreign language to an audience who is not familiar with the plot. Yes, you are right, when a soprano has to sing in the highest register it can be hard for them to articulate well. Understandably so. The physical effort to produce such extreme high notes is something we as ordinary human beings can't really understand. Is there room for improvement? Always! 🙂👍

[@Patatteke1]

André Rieu filled the gap between the Eurovision televised Neujahrsconcert in Wien and the next Neujahrsconcert a year later. The Peoples Stehgeiger; for the people who didn't visit concerthalls. A bit like Diana Spencers role. The formula appeared very succesful as we all know. And a ladies orchestra with a very undefined style of dresses added to the success. And today, Amira would be a TiKToK meme....She was presented on Dutch TV as a curiosity before an audience that probably never heard opera before. I only can say: Let it Be.....Geschmack ist eine Geschmacksache....as out neighbours use to say...... (And now back to my 78-records of Celestina Boninsegna, Louisa Tetrazzini, Guiseppe de Luca etc. etc. etc. When it comes to singing, there is so much to enjoy.)

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you for your thoughtful comment - I appreciate your live and let live approach. And I am completely on board with it. At least when it come's to Rieu's audiences - if they are happy I am happy. I am a peaceful guy and have respect for most members of humankind. But Mr.Rieu is where I draw a line - I really can't tell you exactly what triggers me so much. Is it his vanity, his too long hair for his age, his artificial smile, his lack of musical integrity...? Anyway, please don't think bad of me. Most of the time I am a relaxed and decent enough guy 😄

[@williamnethercott4364]

I'm at risk of sounding like one of my maths teachers did, 50 years ago (sorry Mr Benneworth) but whatever Andre Rieu does, I wouldn't call it classical music. I suppose it has it's place for those who enjoy it but you have picked out a very good example of where it doesn't work or belong.

[@peterpawlik2495]

My warm greetings to all the Mr.Benneworths out there in the world - your efforts have not been in vain 😄🙏

[@johnojvind7641]

And , guess what, Patricia Janeckova(strictly classical trained since the age of 4) sang O Mio Babbino Caro at her Got Talent Win as well(but with a strained voice), surprise, surprise 😀.

[@operaFan-tn8ng]

Oh my goodness! That Andre Rieu clip was the stuff of nightmares. It reminds me of something from "The Shining!" Totally inappropriate for a young child to sing about adult love and suicide. But that first clip? How gorgeous ❤ I always thought that Opera North was a British opera company. There must be two.

[@peterpawlik2495]

No, you are completely right: Opera North IS a British opera company. It was simply sloppy research on my behalf 🤦‍♂ But at least I got it right that their performance of the aria was brilliant - in contrast to the cheap show Mr.Rieu delivered...

[@stephenhills3239]

You were right to have a green background......

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you, I agree 😄 But why do you think so?

[@lisaleicht9440]

Bravo! So good to hear someone tell the truth about people who vandalize great music and do it by using a small child as a cudgel.

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you for your comment 🙏

[@12341234W1]

Seems to me this aria should be performed in the way the composer wanted ! It is a comic opera, full of makebelief, so, performing it like singing Electra is too much !

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you for your comment! You are making a really interesting point there. But I still have two questions I am curious about how you see them: 1) Do we actually know what the composer‘s intention was beyond the written music? I mean we can see the written notes of this aria but do we know if Puccini wanted it performed in a makebelief way or on a more serious note (no pun intended)? And 2) when I think about it I believe that each comedy has to have some dramatic moments in order to make the humor stand out and work even better (I just realized that this is actually not a question but a personal observation🤦‍♂️). Anyway, these are my 2 cents about this issue. Would be happy if you let me know your opinion. Again thank you for commenting, I really appreciate it!

[@12341234W1]

@@peterpawlik2495 I think you have to take the end of the opera in consideration ; everything ends well ! I think the way Callas sings it is the right way ; playfull, a bit sarcastic, a girl, deeply loved by her father, who knows she can get him around to what she wants anytime ! To portrai the character in this way is more demanding, because you work on different levels of emotion, I hope you understand what I mean ? I am sure the composer wanted it this way ; a girl pulling her fathers leg a bit, that way the whole piece is written in one mood, whitout a sudden dramatic brake...which will make it difficult to resume the comic mood again !.

[@peterpawlik2495]

@@12341234W1 Maybe we find common ground when postulating that both the lighthearted way AND the more dramatic way to perform this aria have their pros and cons and that the only important matter is that it is done in a true and convincing matter?

[@Raulgermont]

Totally agree with your opinion of Andre Rieu.

[@peterpawlik2495]

🙏

[@ian.marais1202]

I absolutely agree with you on the Andre Reui version and the pathetic performance of Amira Wildhagen(spelling???) The poor soul is now trying to carve a singing career for herself in South Africa. Singing opera with a microphone is anyway not real classical singing. Where is the technique, projection etc etc. I find her singing revolting. Thank you very much for your insightful postings. Keep up the good work.

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you for your comment, I appreciate it very much 🙏

[@n.n.5293]

I don‘t mind someone like Andrea Bocelli singing the odd Aria or inviting professionals to sing duets with as he seems to be a nice guy and genuinely passionate about classical music. Is he a good tenor? By operatic standards, definetily not, but I do believe that he sincerely tries to sing everything he sings to the best of his ability. Pavarotti on the other hand was well aware that his voice was rapidly deteriorating when the three tenors became a thing. But with Rieu I just see red. Children have NO BUSINESS singing reportoire like this. This is just ruining her voice and Rieu MUST know this. Also Rieu not only does nothing to discourage the stereotypes that harm classical music (that it is exclusively for rich old sentimental snobby white people) but he actually thrives on reinfircing that exact stereotype. So yeah, don‘t like the guy.

[@peterpawlik2495]

I am glad I am not the only one who gets triggered by this kind of show. It’s so obscene…

[@maxthecat14]

The little girl Almira Wilhagen had sung that song several time before appearing on Andre's show, she learned it especially to go on a talent show (which she won) her parents and brother are all musical,so i doubt they would have let her perform if they thought it would harm her, which it didn't as she is still a singer who sings in her own concerts. As for " Sentimental, snobby white people", what is wrong with being a sentimental white person? and snobby? do you have any idea how snobby your own post comes across? Having watched a couple of his shows with my mother in law, i realise that whether I am a fan or not, he makes thousands of people happy, and you can't really knock that.

[@n.n.5293]

@@maxthecat14 being musically educated is no protection from making the wrong callwhen it comes to singers. I‘d argue Karajan was rather musical but him choosing Carreras for more dramatic roles than his voice was suited for at the time was arguably a big factor in the ruin of his voice. With his timbre and musicality he had the potential to be the greatest of the three Tenors but Leucemia and yes, some bad decisions on his and Karajans part came in between. Both of which were very intelligent musical people or in the case of Carreras still are. At this young age the voice is not developed, that only happens post puberty and Puccini is dramatic repertoire requiring a mature voice period. Allthough I suppose some of the problems are mitigated by giving her a microphone which people singing Opera don‘t get. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being an old sentimental white person. But the fact of the matter is that most people my age (22) are put off by that kind of reputation. That is music for some reactionary elitists or so the saying goes and Rieu actively cultivates that immage with his pseudo historical costumes, ticket prices, and yes, to a degree the people going there and being shown on the TV. I mean the man literally lives in a castle. Also, moving into full on snob territory here. His music is just bad. Classical music is more difficult than Pop it makes you wait for gratification it forces you to actively listen (some of it anyways) and I think by simplifying classical pieces like the ninth to nice and easy soundbites what he does amounts to false advertisement. All that being said if you enjoy his work by all means go ahead. It‘s your right to like him. Just as it is mine to dislike him. As long as we leave each other be, there should be no problem, right?

[@peterpawlik2495]

@@maxthecat14 I wasn’t saying or implying that she got harmed by those performances but I find it interesting that you bring this up. Good for you and your mother in law that you enjoyed the concerts!

[@n.n.5293]

@@maxthecat14 I apologize for my harsh wording especially in my second comment. I should have added some form of qualifier like „in my opinion“ or „I feel like“. It wasn‘t and isn‘t my intention to take away any or belittle any of the enjoyment from you or others. I got a bit emotional and overstepped the boundaries of constructive critcism. Sorry.

[@Campuscoll]

Rieu has probably brought as many people to classical music as Pavarotti did with his P and Friends concerts and opera. Pavarotti singing pop music is laughable. Rieu is the P.T. Barnum of classical music who follows in the same footsteps as Victor Borge and Liberace. He just did it on a much grander scale. One has to take it for what it was and is; enjoyable for the masses. Don't lose any sleep over it. I won't.

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you for your comment and for your reminder not to lose sleep over this. I still wouldn’t put Pavarotti and Friends (and I am not a fan at all of this kind of show) and especially not Victor Borge in the same category. The latter combined enormous talent with overwhelming charme and humor and was able to make fun of himself. And humor or self-irony/self deprecating are not Mr.Rieu‘ strong suits. I guess it‘s his vanity which shocks me most. But alright, let‘s go to sleep 😄Thank you again for your comment - I appreciate it very much!

[@samueljaramillo4221]

Beautiful aria. But I’m sick of hearing it. We hear it everywhere. I don’t care much for Andre Rieu. He is exploiting that little girl.

[@Mestrcs]

Let me start by congratulating you on your videos, that I have recently discovered. I fully understand your position and I agree with it, but I do not share your visceral reaction to Rieu and other similar “populists”. I think that music in general (including hip hop) should be measured subjectively by the reaction it creates in the listener. The music itself can be more or less “legitimate”, but the reaction of the listener is always legitimate. The feeling that you have from the Opera North performance is as authentic as the feeling of any of Rieu’s spectators. And I think that should be respected. I myself would not get caught dead in one of his concerts, I have never ever consumed any of his products and will never do it, but I have no quarrel with anybody making a living for him or herself (and for probably more than 100 musicians that earn their lives with Rieu) and at the same time bring classical music closer to people that probably think that it is too foreign for them. If only 10% of those 85 million keep discovering the reality of classical music by listening, for instance, to the Caballé video in KZbin, I am pretty sure many will stay hooked with the real thing. I myself am indelebly hooked on Italian Opera (among other things): do you know where I discovered it, launching a passion that has provided the best moments in my life? In the Marx Brothers movie “A Night at the Opera”!

[@peterpawlik2495]

Dear mestrcs, thank you very much for your comment! As you can imagine I am making this videos because I enjoy sharing my passion for opera with as many people as possible. And getting such (mostly) positive and interesting feedback really makes me very happy. The fact that more people than I have thought would engage in a discussion about what opera or classical music mean to them is extremely rewarding for me. So again: thank you for your very interesting thoughts about this issue. You are right to call my reaction visceral. And maybe reacting like I did is not the smartest thing to do. On the other hand: as much as I believe in building bridges it could in my opinion sometimes be productive as well to use a kind of provocative language in order to make us think about what is important to each of us. You make a bunch of really good points. For example that it is no small achievement to employ so many musicians. And that making people happy is also something which shouldn't be ridiculed. And of course I love that you fell for opera after watching the Marx Brothers' movie which is one of my favorites. I still believe that you are too optimistic when you estimate that 10% of Rieu's audience will find opera or classical music by going to his concerts. But maybe I am wrong. Maybe it is not important that they do. And: of course it would be a bit too self centered that I want everyone to be happy only in the way I am happy. Anyway, I am starting to babble. Sorry about that. Thank you again for your comment and all my best!

[@Mestrcs]

Many thanks for your reply. Let me reassure you that I do not condemn your tone or your message, quite the contrary, I invite you to continue in this vein since these are very interesting topics. And I think we should embrace different opinions and positions, and seeing the number and quality of reactions it is clear that a lot of people share this pleasure in debating. I also like very much your delivery and your humour. The love for Classical music is what unites us, we should not let that same love divide us.

[@shooster5884]

@@Mestrcs I believe that you are right when you say that maybe for 10% of people attending something like Rieu's nights out it could be a bridge to further appreciation of classical music or opera.. I say this because I notice that in Amira's and Alma's fan groups I would say the large majority of us were not at all familiar with classical music or opera.. but with the two girls singing and playing certain arias and classical concert pieces, the songs and music got discussed, other singers of them listened too, and those in the fan groups who were knowledgeable were very generous in explaining about voice types and periods of classical music and making recommendations of what to listen to, or what opera was one to go to as one's first opera. While I don't say we all became super fond of opera I think it fair to say that we came to appreciate and respect it more and some like me did go to their first opera ever and go again to one.. And I found myself buying up classical and opera CDs in charity shops then as well as books I used only go in to buy 🥰

[@emellestan]

Spot on

[@TheFigaro666]

Moreorless the same "popularization" of opera that Pavarotti carried out with his " Friends" ( Nessun Dorma became famous and well-known because those horrible Pavarotti's concerts). I personally hate these cheap approaches to opera and classical music in general ( e.g. Il Divo, Hauser, Nana Muskory and even Andrea Bocelli) but perhaps they serve a purpose that goes beyond these performers own profit. Probably they bring good music to audiences that only know about Justin Bieber, Shakira or ( even worse) Bad Bunny 😂

[@peterpawlik2495]

Bad Bunny? What the heck is that? 😄

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you for your comment! I know that this is a difficult and controversial issue… It simply triggers me seeing people who are not familiar with opera being manipulated by letting a little girl perform this aria. This seems to me extremely cynical. But maybe I am overly sensitive about this? Pavarotti and Friends or Il Divo (🤦‍♂) is not to my taste as well but those performers are at least grownups who have not been instrumentalized (is this even a word?). And: I doubt that people will be brought to opera by watching those shows which give them such a quick and easy emotional reward. I guess it’s the same as when you watch a soap opera on tv and you get emotional - will you say then: wow, I loved this soap opera, now I have to see a Tennessee Williams play in the theatre 🤷‍♂😄

[@TheFigaro666]

@@peterpawlik2495 well, that manipulation is not new. In the XVIII century Leopold Mozart used and abused of his two kids' talent as well the rest is history 🙂

[@peterpawlik2495]

@@TheFigaro666 Thank you for your comment - I like it even when I don't agree wholeheartedly. But someone with such a great KZbin name is automatically close to my heart 🙂

[@deanronson6331]

I'm not a fan of Rieu's commercialized, self-centered, petit-bourgeois version of popular classic music. Yet, I believe 85 million people viewing and listening to his stuff, performed in a professional way, is better than tens of millions getting off on hip-hop. They will become acquainted with popular classical themes, and some, especially musically inclined youngsters, may graduate to the real stuff or be influenced to study music themselves. We have to reconcile ourselves to the fact that a refined and discriminating music taste, like anything else of value, is rare. I'm saying this as an extremely picky listener of all kinds of genres under the sun, who used to feature them on my radio show in a major market in America for 25 years: from Medieval motets to avant-garde legit, from pop and rock to folk and world music, from be-bop to free jazz as well as the countless fusions of these styles.

[@peterpawlik2495]

Dear deanronson6331, thank you for your great comment! Obviously you have an impressive career and featured a wide array of genres in your show. How come that you seem not to like especially hip-hop? 😄 Would it be possible that you tell me the name of your show? It sounds really interesting and I would love to try listening to it, if possible. Thank you again for your comment, I really appreciate it!

[@deanronson6331]

​@@peterpawlik2495 Thank you. Apparently, it wasn't clear from my post that my show is no more. I retired from music radio DJ-ing in 2011. However, I'm still an avid listener through Spotify and KZbin. I don't consider pure hip hop a bona fide genre of music but rather doggerel lyrics set to a beat. However, I can get into select hip hop fusion numbers that feature what we normally consider to be music, with recognizable melodic lines, harmony, good arrangements, and good vocal or instrumental performances. For example, a Brazilian band issued an album in the 2000's with well-known A.C. Jobim numbers, interspersed with rapping, in a well-crafted package. One of the most influential, original, and creative jazz movements of the turn of the century was MBASE from Brooklyn, whose adherents used hip hop rhythms in their music. So, I don't disregard hip hop out of hand. The motto of my show was "Big ears and an open mind".

[@peterpawlik2495]

@@deanronson6331 You make me painfully aware how uninformed I am when it comes to all the different kinds of music in this world. I will start to change that and listen to MBASE. Thank you for this tip!

[@deanronson6331]

@@peterpawlik2495 If this is any consolation, very few people, even those with music academy education, naturally respond to such a wide variety of music. You have to be an eclectic music "nerd" to seek out and enjoy the best of the best in any given genre. But, I'm sure that my music repertoire awareness has big holes too because there's so much music and so little time. If you like modern jazz, MBASE artists should be a treat because of their music's melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic complexity. Greg Osby's Inner Circle album is a fine example of this style.

[@seanosborne3343]

Isn't Opera North an English company?

[@peterpawlik2495]

Dammit, I hate it when people watch my videos and detect all the mistakes I made 😄 You are absolutely right. Don’t know how this could happen 🤦‍♂️

[@rugby8-Philadelphia]

My own personal take on Lauretta is that she's just a little brat who wants her way. "If I can't marry him, I'll, I'll....(stomping foot) .... I'll Kill myself" .....she's Playing Him, Throwing a Tantrum .....just my 2 cents. 😎😎😎

[@peterpawlik2495]

Many ways to see/interpret this role - thank you for your comment/2 cents 😄👍

[@danielklempner4786]

i discovered this version by rieu just yesterday, and now i see someone sharing my opinions today! It really bothers me that such a young girl is singing about suicide. she does not understand what she is saying at all! that repeat i think is weird, and rieu also changed the orchestral part, too. What i will say is that rieu has another version with a much older girl, maybe an older teenager, who does know what she is saying. She does a much better interpretation of the aria as she is conscious of the meaning of her words and leans into the emotions. And its not disturbing, as she seems to be a logical age for the character. Some of your issues, such as the repeat, do still exist in that one, though. As a side note, it also bothers me in a lesser way when people sing arias when they are totally different from the character. A good example of what i mean is women singing nessun dorma. You are not trying to marry turandot. She isnt going to kill YOU if she figures out your name.

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you fort your thoughts about this issue. And I agree that it is kind of ridiculous for a woman to sing Nessun dorma - I get it that it's tempting to ride this most famous aria and hoping to get some publicity out of it but I think its kind of a lazy attempt. The first thought which pops in my head when I hear somebody doing it: Probably she is not good enough to sing the repertoire originally meant for her voice. But that's maybe just me, the old opera snob 😄

[@vahanyazarian5582]

Ithink your,e abit overreacting because this is a young talent's opportunity and not to be judged with professional singers. Thank you for your opinion!

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you for your comment! Your observation is not completely wrong. Mr.Rieu simply triggers me - thank you very much for the gentle way of reminding me not to go overboard 🙏

[@johnojvind7641]

The first opera production is the one that gone completely wrong, the music is sort of beautiful and lovely but she sings like she is angry, total off what the music brings, just bspretentious nonsense no one is interested in. Andre must be a music genius in comparison with that incompetent producer, lol. 85 million is not enough combined with another 24 million video it has +100 million only on YT. On his FB channel he released the performance at least twice with another +100 million views. That performance already is legendary, it´s also released on one of his DVD:s that sold in millions so he now can afford live in a Castle, lol. Andre is so successful he employes a private 50 men strong orchestra whom he pays from his own pocket, which cannot be said about the usual state paid spoiled opera ensamble who parasites on tax payers with production that displays the producers own ego more than what is asked by the market. Andre also brings OMBC with Carmen Monarcha, notice the same dress, it´s his style of production. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6PXn5uqfN6ZjaM

[@peterpawlik2495]

Thank you for your comment! But I respectfully disagree with the notion that a high viewership on KZbin automatically equals quality and/or talent. That Mr.Rieu is extremely successful goes without saying. But to call opera companies who get support by the government parasites is not appropriate on many levels. It's the government's job to create possibilities and jobs in as many sectors as possible. Governments give financial support to the industries from Tesla, Boeing, Airbus etc etc every day. The amount the public sector gives to the arts in general is a tiny fraction of this money. And please take into account that the entertainment industry is creating a huge amount of money flowing back to the government - their audience spends money around an opera performance by traveling to a performance, by going to restaurants before or after a performance, by staying overnight in hotels and so on. And by the way: because the government has supported opera companies over the last 100 years opera is still alive and loved so Mr.Rieu can come and rip off opera in order to make money. Couldn't rather that be called parasite behavior? 🤔

[@johnojvind7641]

@@peterpawlik2495 Yeah, yeah, primarily the state classical-opera institutions community is a closed comfortable, low productive, place for internal admiration reagrdless the crap they produce. It´s a stagnated art form with no impact on soceity, nothing new of value comes out despite enormous amount of free easy money. Subsidies should not be granted anymore so those who are interested can invest their own money and work, come out on the free market, get new ideas, perhaps downscale to smaller affordable productions, make a difference and produly earn their own living on their own merits.

[@lesgrimwood3621]

A typical opere snob is what we have here100000000 plus know what they likeh

[@peterpawlik2495]

🤣

[@jorgechavesfilho]

Well, you're absolutely wrong. And it's not even an original mistake. You think that singing with the artificial voice of a fat old Italian lady from the 17th century is "natural". And no, Amira Willighagen didn't just get 80 million views. This video is just one of several videos of her singing this aria at this concert. The videos of this performance combined have 1 BILLION views. And Amira went on for another 10 years posting various live videos in large venues, most (87) with millions of views. She attracted more people to appreciate classical singing than any purist. And she never needed government subsidies. On the contrary, since the age of 9 she has donated half of everything she earns to help poor children in South Africa.

[@peterpawlik2495]

Dear jorgechavesfilho, thank you for your comment. I appreciate your passion. And Amira is lucky to have such ardent fans. 🙏

[@jorgechavesfilho]

@@peterpawlik2495 Thanks. Classic singing didn't have to be copy and paste. The great classical composers revolutionized the music of their time, such as Bach.

[@maxthecat14]

Your utterly snobby attitude is the reason why many people won't listen to Opera. Andre Rieu concerts make people happy. is that not allowed? and yes, it does bring classical music to the common people, the same as if you hear a snippet on the radio or in an advert, you then look it up for yourself, perhaps buy a CD or download the real thing. Same goes for the Readers Digest, and condensed classics. The little girl you were so dismissive, of now travels the world singing, so appearing on the show did her no harm at all. You can dislike whoever you choose, but why be so scathing of someone who brings happiness to thousands?

[@peterpawlik2495]

Dear maxthecat14, thank you for your comment! I was aware that my video would spark some harsh criticism. I don't think that I was dismissive of the girl. I clearly stated that she sang really well and paired my words with the visual of a crowd giving standing ovations. I accept that you find me snobby. At the same time I am not snobby enough to think that my poor little video would have any larger impact. I still wanted to share my position towards the way Andre Rieu is presenting classical music. And I embrace any productive discussion which may arise from this. Again thank you for your comment and all the best!

[@Malcriada115]

The Law of Raspberry Jam: the wider any culture is spread, the thinner it gets.- Alvin Toffler

[@evarozsa3728]

Art shocks me, kitsch drives me crazy. Art is cathartic, it purifies, kitsch pollutes. The stake of art is salvation the kitsch is the income. Culture is born in the community, kitsch in the crowd. Andre Rieu is pure kitsch.

[@peterpawlik2495]

@@Malcriada115 Didn't know that one 😄👍

[@peterpawlik2495]

@@evarozsa3728 wow - and I thought I found clear words already 😄 Thank you for your comment!