Candide

Candide is not only one of Voltaire's funniest farces, it's also one of Bernsteine's funniest operas. While Voltaire makes fun of society and their justification for EVERYTHING (we have noses so glasses will fit on them), Bernsteine does the same thing and emphasizes the farcicalness of it by making the opera a parody of operas -- people having multiple horrible deaths and coming back to life, incredible chance meetings, etc.

If you've read the book or seen the opera, please discuss what you think Voltaire's/Bernstein's message was.

 

I've read Candide, but I haven't seen the opera. I'm with you as far as you saying it was just hysterically funny. I remember I laughed and laughed. (Remember the old woman with one buttock? ).

Candide was born out of an intesting philosphy that began in response to another interesting philosophy. The original philosophy, which had many proponents including Alexander Pope, said that everything that happened in the world was for the good, we just couldn't see the whole picture.

Voltaire, and others, basically thought that was total crap and said, "Listen, bad things happen to good people and sometimes there just isn't any rhyme or reason to it." So, Candide has a lot to say on that score.

Personally, there is a lot of good in both viewpoint (neither of which I've given a fair telling of here), but I think Voltaire's is closer to the truth.

Essay on Man just comes off as pointlessly optimistic and blindly stupid. Candide, on the other hand, is scathing, hilarious and gorgeously resigned to life's horrors.

 

I adore the opera Absolute nonsense can often tell us a lot about ourselves

And of course I adore "Glitter and be Gay" and how morals can be overcome by a lot of pretty things

 

Grrr this pisses me off. When I read the title for this and the descriptions, I got this inkling that I've seen this before, I recgonize it but...grrrrrr, I can't remember .

Anywho, I'll look it up and have a fun time at the library today.

Ciou-See the Sig

 

Well the opera is notoriously difficult to stage, and so some bright spark had the idea to perform it as a concert. I got to see that on video disc I think it was... June Anderson as Cunegonde (I did spell that right I hope.

Maybe you saw that? Or have seen the book? Or heard some music?

I need to listen to it again, I absolutely adored it