Am I unusual to find opera excruciatingly difficult to listen to?

I enjoy opera and my family were not afficianados. Music is a matter of taste, I suppose. I'm not keen on jazz.

Your post made me laugh PamelaJ1
I think there are lots of different types of music that have that can cause that reaction if its not the listener's taste.

I love opera (and many other types of music) but coming from a very humble background I doubt I would have been subjected to it in the womb!

Maybe you just don’t have an ear for music?

There's opera and opera! Like any other form of music there's enormous variation from composer to composer and aria to aria. Don't condemn a whole music form based on one experience.

I have an ear for music, my late MIL was a soprano and she sang opera. I can and could ever take opera in very small doses only!

Not one experience Jane, at my age I have heard it before!

Blossoming maybe I don’t although I seem to enjoy other genres.

But you only complained about that one experience

GS listened to part of an opera on a CD once ( he was 2 yrs old) told me to turn it off as it was making his ears bleed!

It really depends on the opera. Some are excruciatingly monotonous and tuneless. Then you get something like the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Nabucco and it's glorious.

My Dad played opera all the time from when we were very small,he sang opera too in charity concerts .He had a fabulous voice. I listen to it rarely now because it reduces me to tears ,

PamelaJ1

We’ve just been watching that lovely Italian chap showing us round Italy. Lovely.
Then a young lady appeared and burst into song. ? it almost hurts. Do you have to have been subjected to the noise in the womb to appreciate it?

Nope. Operatic singing, particularly of the soprano kind, is painful.

Opera does have some wonderful tunes! I had an old cassette tape, many years ago, called "Opera Without Words" which was exactly what it said on the tin: it made me realise what glorious melodies could be found and I now have a CD of famous arias including One Fine Day, the Duet from The Pearlfishers and that fabulous piece by Mozart which was used to such effect in The Shawshank Redemption.

So I would have said I don't like opera, but in fact I find that some of my favourite pieces are from operas. And growing up on a North London council estate, I definitely didn't get exposed to this sort of music in the womb!

That didn’t come out quite as I intended PamelaJ1, I should have said maybe you don’t have an ear for that type of music. I can’t stand K-Pop, all high pitched, nasal and squeaky.

For anyone who doesn't know what I mean, compare any operatic soprano with a pure, clean voice such as Emma Kirkby's or boy sopranos. I think you'll get it then.

I'm not an opera fan but appreciate how talented the performers are. I am however a fan of 'that lovely Italian chap' Francesco da Mosto. We've watched all of his programmes and I queued once to see him at a book signing. He seemed a bit fed up!

I don’t understand it and don’t like it I never ever heard it as a child or growing up so I m not familiar with any of it and don’t know any of the stories it just sounds like a lot of over dramatic voices to me so no not appreciative at all
I like some classical singers, tenors mostly ( like Russel Watson Alfie boe Andre Bocelli )/but my opera loving friend tells me they are more pop singers so what do I know !

I do like a lot musicals especial the rather sad dramatic ones like Les Mis, blood brothers, phantom etc

I find any high-pitched or shrill noise unbearable.

Which lovely Italian chap Pamela?

If you mean Francesco da Mosto, I could watch and listen to him anytime!

?

Jane10

But you only complained about that one experience

?? that’s because it had just happened. I was in shock.

We once attended an ENO production at the London Coliseum. It was so loud and unbearable I begged my husband to leave in the interval but it was an important client and we had to stay. I sat through the second half cringing. Never again!

I love opera but the OP made me laugh.

Like all genres of music there's good and there's not so good. DH reaches for the remote whenever Alfie Boe opens his throat.

Sadly Merlot I think she was good! I don’t think Francesco would have her on otherwise.
It’s definitely me?

I'm with Grandmabatty on this, love opera not keen on Jazz, it takes all sorts.

That's him Calendar as I mentioned above