Of All the Great, Tragic Operas, “Madame Butterfly” Effects Me Emotionally the Most: Which Effects You, Most?

Question by Alberich: Of all the great, tragic operas, “Madame Butterfly” effects me emotionally the most: which effects you, most?
By “emotionally” in this particular context, I mean impacts you with a most profound sense of “sadness, sorrow”: not like in a monumentally philosophical manner, such as I imagine “Die Gotterdammerung” or some other operatic colossus would.

I would imagine some of you are probably thinking, “what’s with this guy? Thought he was Wagnerian “nut”. My explanation? I have none; one would probably think that Tristan would be my candidate – no.

The last time I watched(or maybe just listened to – can’t remember which now)a performance of Butterfly, I actually became depressed for several days afterward: had trouble sleeping, didn’t want to eat, etc.

And swore never again to witness a full-length performance.

Your “depressant ” opera?

Alberich

Best answer:

Answer by Doctor John
Eugene Onegin, by the end of the opera I just want to slap him.

I love Butterfly, I find Suor Angelica infinitely more depressing. Puccini deliberately tries to pull at his audience’s heartstrings in all his operas.

There seems to exist some sort of existential notion in opera, that if it ain’t depressing and/or heart-rending , it doesn’t doesn’t deserve to be taken seriously. it might be true of the whole of the Romantic movement in music.

[EDIT for MissLimLam]

French novels

Emile Zola…The Masterpiece:, gets more depressing with each page turn, just as you think things can’t get worse for the poor sod, they go from worse to wrtched, even his success is tainted, eventually he commits suicide, and after reading it, you will be wanting to join him.. Much worse than a Dame aux camélias.

Miserable blighters those Frenchies

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