Two of my favorite operas, Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges and Janáček's Cunning Little Vixen, are set in the animal world and the music is amazingly mystical and magical. I was trying to think of other operas that deal with animals that capture that same sort of mystical musical quality. I couldn't think of any others in the standard repertory, but maybe I am missing some obvious ones? Probably there are operas by unsung composers that I am not familiar with! Can anybody think of any?
A quick reminder here, please, to keep within the confines of UC's remit when offering suggestions. Both the Janacek and Ravel operas mentioned are essentially off our radar, as it were...
True. The only other one I can think of offhand is (naturally) Krasa's Brundibar (as much for the story around it, at Terezin...) Still... hrm- erm- does Braunfels' Die Vogel (after Aristophanes' The Birds) count, though I need to refresh myself on the latters' plot- probably doesn't qualify closely enough .. (to the question asked)... (Cloud-Cuckoo-Land yay :) )
There is also the ballet, The Tales of Beatrix Potter, which is very traditional with good late 19th style music.
How about César Cui's 'Puss in Boots' (1913), a children's opera? It is still performed in Germany from time to time but I don't know if a commercial recording exists.
This is a German version arranged as a radio play and with chamber orchestra only:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gestiefelte-Kater-Eine-M%C3%A4rchenoper-Jahre/dp/349188764X/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1369233916&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=cui+gestiefelte (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gestiefelte-Kater-Eine-M%C3%A4rchenoper-Jahre/dp/349188764X/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1369233916&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=cui+gestiefelte)
Thanks for reminding me about Brundibar! I attended a performance of Krása's Betrothal in a Dream several years ago and I meant to check out Brundibar, but it kind of slipped off the radar!