Funny Opera recommendations?

[sunandshadow]

I'm looking for links to funny operas (must be the whole opera, acted out like a movie not just vocals, and have English subtitling, assuming the vocals are some other language). So far I've watched The Marriage of Figaro and Don Juan. I wanted to watch The Barber of Seville tonight but I've been unable to find a good version. My friend also recommended Boris Godunov (sp?). I'd be happy to have more recommendations, or a link to a good version of Barber or Boris.

I'm also wondering why it seems like in an opera everything has to be sung 3 times - was this a cultural thing, or a technical thing, or what? The repetition is driving me up the wall a bit. @_@

 

[run_silent]

Try anything by Gilbert and Sullivan.

 

[run_silent]

Try Pirates of Penzance. I'm not sure of the spelling.

 

[sunandshadow]

Try anything by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Oh, I didn't realize those were considered operas - that's cool. I've seen the Pirates of Penzance, it was cute. I'll check out some of their other stuff then, nice to not have to worry about finding a subtitled version.

 

[oggbashan]

Try Offenbach, possibly in English by Sadlers Wells but not The Tales of Hoffman which was his 'serious' opera.

A sample Finale Act 1 of La Perichole.

 

[CandiCame]

Most of the operas I like aren't really funny... do you like musicals to or just Operas? I'd reccomend Dr. Horrible for the latter, but there is some spoken dialogue... But it's really funny/good.

 

[phrodeau]

Der Rosenkavalier and Die Fledermaus.

 

[Lancecastor]

I was at the premiere of "The Golden Ass" in 1999 and found it pleasantly amusing.

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/emc/the-golden-ass

 

[sunandshadow]

Most of the operas I like aren't really funny... do you like musicals to or just Operas? I'd recommend Dr. Horrible for the latter, but there is some spoken dialogue... But it's really funny/good.

I love Dr. Horrible, and Phantom, and A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to the Forum, etc. I was mainly looking for older things though; sort of a cultural research project. I've just been unpleasantly surprised that modern opera houses seem to be ruthless about having films of operas removed from youtube and similar free public archives.