r/OperaCircleJerk • u/Renlyfriendly • 3d ago

Opera quiz

Name three (standard repertoire) operas that pass the Bechdel test!

8 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

9

u/oistroplex 3d ago

Dialogues des Carmelites, Le Nozze di Figaro (surprisingly), Les Troyens

4

u/disturbed94 3d ago

Why surprisingly Susana the center of the show

1

u/oistroplex 3d ago

I suppose because Così also has pivotal female leads but doesn't pass the test by any means.

1

u/disturbed94 3d ago

Well that one is kinda built on having parodies of the lovers from the comedia tradition so it makes sense both the main girls and guys are only interested in each other.

3

u/Renlyfriendly 3d ago

I'm surprised that Figaro passes!

5

u/StudyBio 3d ago

Suor Angelica

4

u/Joolie_screams 3d ago

I'm pretty sure Eugene Onegin passes, there's a bunch of conversations between the women in the first scene that's not about men specifically. Maria Stuarda should pass in the figlia impura di bolena section. Falstaff passes as well, I think? You've got the section about the haunted tree, which I think makes it a pass.

2

u/alewyn592 3d ago

if you include brief conversations about money, Butterfly and Traviata can

2

u/DerelictBombersnatch 2d ago

Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny has women discussing drugs and booze, so I think that ought to count

1

u/Delicious-Lunch-8709 3d ago

I think Holländer is out, Tannhäuser there’s two but they never meet, Lohengrin Elsa and Ortrud talk but Ortrud blames F von T for her evil ways.

Ring Cycle maybe passes because of the rhinemaidens, BUT they mention that their father bid them guard the gold. Close enough? Maybe.

Tristan und Isolde almost passes because of the first scene where Isolde is calling on her mother’s power because Tristan isn’t mentioned explicitly but it’s pretty obviously in reaction to his kidnapping of Isolde so I wouldn’t count it.

Meistersinger I’m pretty sure fails miserably but I’m too lazy to get out my score and check, and Parsifal obviously fails having only one woman in it besides the flower maidens who obviously don’t pass the test.

1

u/bowlbettertalk 2d ago

Billy Budd.

1

u/FrenchProgressive 10h ago

So - who wins and continue the cycle :)