Talk:Rusalka (opera)

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[edit] Comment

Rusalka is the name of the title character. See a list of the opera's roles. - Nunh-huh 01:42, 10 May 2004 (UTC)

So, is Prince is the name of the character too? Mikkalai 01:53, 10 May 2004 (UTC)

And by the way, Vodník in the list of roles, but in the article is translated. into English as Water-Gnome. Rusalka is not translated only becase of tradition. Why don't you believe people who know something you don't know? Mikkalai 02:05, 10 May 2004 (UTC)

[1] Yes, the role is "The Prince". [2] The title role is "Rusalka". [3] I don't believe everyone who says they know something, because such people are often wrong. There's no reason to believe unsupported assertions. [4] I do know what the heroine was named last week when I saw this thing. [5] When have you ever seen a performance of the opera where the heroine is referred to as "Mermaid"? [6] If you cavil at the translation, it belongs in a note towards the end of the article, not in the initial paragraph. [7] Your emendations have also eliminated the link to rusalka. - Nunh-huh 02:24, 10 May 2004 (UTC)

OK, I begin see some point in yours. I'll back off a bit. Mikkalai 02:56, 10 May 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Spoiler warnings for operas

Somehow the edit summary discussion style comes more naturally, but I guess better buckle down and start a talk thread... I'll start it here since you're more likely to see it, and then if we find we've actually decided something meaningful we could move it to the opera talk page or something.

So I guess the crux of this is really your assertion that opera plots do not contain surprises. It's pretty easy for me to disagree here. I know plenty of people who would be surprised at the ending of even the most pop-culture relevant operas, such as Aida, Carmen, (okay maybe not Traviata or Boheme).

Maybe you mean because synopses are always included in the playbill and most neophytes read them ahead of time because they are afraid they won't understand what's going on even if there are supertitles? That's probably true for a good portion of viewers, but not all. --Chinasaur 06:02, 16 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Well, I'd started at template talk:spoiler. (See "The cartoonlike, clown-faced, painted like a two-bit whore spoiler warning isn't always appropriate"). Yes, someone, perhaps a six-year-old, may be surprised by a plot turn in an opera. But unlike such breathtaking works of art as "The Sixth Sense", the opera is completely enjoyable in every respect with full knowledge of the plot, and most operagoers have acquainted themselves with the plot before attending. "Spoilers" is Internet slang, not appropriate to opera, barely appropriate to an encyclopedia, and frankly quite galling when slapped like a garish wound on articles about such works as "Romeo and Juliet". We need not tell the readers that we suspect they are so stupid that they [1] don't know the plot of Romeo and Juliet [2] that they would be upset if they find the plot of Romeo and Juliet under the heading "Plot", or that the [3] should be upset if they discover the shocking ending by reading it here. This is an encyclopedia, not a news-group or an internet chat room about the latest Buffy episode. You say you "know plenty of people who would be surprised at the ending of even the most pop-culture relevant operas": do you also know plenty of people who would be surprised that an article in an encyclopedia discusses its ending? No complete article on opera can possibly avoid revealing the plot. = Nunh-huh 08:26, 16 Aug 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Rusalka (Dargomyzhsky)

I believe Rusalka (opera) should be a disambiguation page, as there are several opera by this name. See Rusalka (Dargomyzhsky) for another. --Ghirla ^-трёп- 15:23, 28 October 2006 (UTC)