A volte-face

I had to eat humble pie this week for the best possible reason, all to do with my own preconception of Wagner's operas.

When I was young, one of my music teachers was a man called Alberto Remedios. Here he is singing an aria from Lohengrin, and it was Mr Remedios who taught me the beautiful Song to the Evening Star. And that, dear friends, is the closest I have ever been to a Wagner opera! So it was with trepidation that I approached the current module in the degree in opera, a course that I have been doing by distance learning through Rose Bruford College and what a lot of learning I have had to do. Whatever one may think of the man's political leanings and thoughts, he was an amazing composer who completely changed the sound and face of opera forever. My idea of Wagner as long-winded and not saying much over a very long time has been completely overturned. Now isn't that the whole point of education? And isn't it amazing that we can do all of this online. Huzzah for the internet!