Please welcome humorist, Slim Randles, back as today’s Wednesday’s Guest. I don’t think I want to follow his advice about the proper way in which to enjoy the opera, but it may work for Three-Chord Cortez. I’m not sure what is served in the way of refreshments at an opera, but probably something fancy like a petit four. We can have those, and maybe some biscuits and gravy for the guys down at the Mule Barn Truck Stop. I doubt they know what a petit four is.
 |
| Image Courtesy of Diana’s Desserts |
 |
| Image Courtesty of Jenn’s Food Journey Where You can Get a Recipe or Two |
Our resident cowboy, Steve, brought us the shocking news: cowpuncher Three-Chord Cortez, that bunkhouse balladeer, plans to study opera, in hopes an aria or three will make him even more attractive to girls during a serenade. Apparently, singing “La Donna Mobile” might be more effective than “You don’t know what lonesome is ‘til you start herding co-o-o-ows” … especially if she doesn’t speak European.
I thought I’d jot down a few opera truths for ol’ T.C. just to help him out.
1. Take off your hat. You can keep Jujubes in it if you want.
2. If you like a particular aria, you can yell Bravo! if it’s a man; Brava! if it’s a woman; or Bravisimo! if it’s an isimo. It’s considered poor form to yell “Eeeee-HAAA!” or “You get ‘em, Hon!”
3. One of the strangest operatic devices is called recitative – pronounced rest-a-TEEF – (don’t ask), and is a combination of singing and speaking that is used when the composer wants to hurry through a song because he wasn’t too fond of it in the first place but it was in the contract and he wants it out of the way quickly. Feel free to mention recitative to a woman at half time. Operas have two half times.
The speaking part of the recitative is done like a machine gun, and then you break into song when you get tired of that, and it can happen in the same sentence. For example:
“Don’t make me come down there, don’t make me come down there, don’t make me come down there and k-i-i-i-I-I-I-I-i-i-ck your bu-u-u-u-u-tt.”
4. That bit of music they play before the curtain goes up is called the overture, and not foreplay. It’s to give you a hint of what’s to come, in case you decide to leave early. You might listen to the overture and say, “That allegretto tickles my fancy, but if that tenor duet goes on for more than two minutes, I’ll get the scours.”
This makes a guy a connoisseur, you see. Connoisseur is European for smart aleck.
And finally, 5. Don’t forget to clean your boots.
———–
If you like what Slim shares here, you will enjoy his books. Check out his author page on Amazon if you have a moment. His books are a delight, and they make perfect gifts for any occasion.
In order to provide these columns for free and still buy groceries, Slim has sponsors, and the current sponsor is Beltone Hearing Aids, so we do have to do this little ad:
A free hearing test will ease the grief if you can’t hear the recitative. Beltone 1-866-867-8700.