You’ve Heard it Before

Even if you have never attended the opera, there are certain pieces from within the operatic repertoire that everyone is familiar with.  Opera has found a place for itself in mainstream American Media, and through this medium its melodies have found their way to the masses.

From Bugs Bunny…

To Family Guy…

To the inevitable Superbowl Commercials…

Opera has infiltrated its way into the ears of everyday Americans. In honor of National Opera week, I have searched YouTube and found four examples of this infiltration.

The Bug’s Bunny cartoon above, What’s Opera, Doc, aired in 1957 and is a parody of Richard Wagner’s Ring Cycle, heavily borrowing music from the second opera in the cycle, Die Walküre. The leitmotif (recurring tune) of the Valkyries is sung by Elmer Fudd on “Kill the Wabbit” giving this cartoon its informal name. Wagner was a German composer who lived in the 19th century, revolutionalizing opera with his concept of Gesamantkunstwerk (Total work of art). Writing his own libretto (lyrics) and music for each of his operatic works, Wagner sought to combine the dramatic, musical, poetic and visual arts into nothing short of a spectacle. The Ride of the Valkyries, which features the Valkyrie leitmotif, takes place as the Valkyrie sisters greet each other and prepare for the transportation of the fallen heroes to Vallhalla. The leitmotif has also made appearances in American films such as Apocalypse Now (1979) and Watchmen (2009).

The Lakmé Flower duet makes an appearance in the 11^th season of Family Guy when Peter takes up skydiving in the “Turban Cowboy” episode. In the Delibes’ opera this duet is song by Lakmé and Mallika as they go to the river to gather flowers. This duet is the second piece of the opera and takes place before the real plot of the opera is revealed (Lakmé, daughter of the high priest Nilakantham, & Gérald’s, a British officer, love affair).

In Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Lauretta threatens her father with suicide if she is not permitted to marry Rinuccio in her aria O mio babbino caro. Used in many commercials (as seen above) and films, this aria is far more famous than the one act opera which it originates from. Gianni Schicchi, is the third and final one act opera written as part of Puccini’s Il trittico. Il trittico is a collection of three one-act operas with contrasting themes written to be performed together.

Finally, we have Carmen’s L’amour est un oiseau rebelle, commonly called the Habanera. This is Carmen’s entrance aria where she warns the listener of the fleeting nature of love and to guard themselves from her love. During composition, Bizet thought he using a Spanish folk song as the inspiration for the aria. However, he was later informed that his habanera was based upon Spanish composer Sebastián Yradier’s habanera El Arreglito.

While to many, opera seems outdated and out of place in modern culture, we see many examples of opera within mainstream culture. These four pieces are easily recognizable and only a small portion of the repertoire which has infiltrated its way in the everyday sights and sounds of America.