h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hey! I like this piece - it reads nice and easily, and is informative. Just one thing I noticed ... the date for Barber of Seville ... should be 1816 (not 1916)!
Kes

Oh, hello! The date! Oh dear! I must've made a typo. I made a date typo in the thing I wrote on Vivaldi, and it ended up saying he died before he was born! (Fortunately I noticed).

Hehehe!

I like this article too. I am very interested in opera, so I am glad to see someone else writing entries about operatic composers! A few comments:

You say that Rossini was offered a contract by a millionaire. This sounds a bit vague - I think it would be better to explain that this man Domenico Barbaia was the director of the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, which at that time was probably as important an opera house as La Scala; since writers sometimes talk of "The Barber of Seville", "La Cenerentola" etc. as Rossini's Naples operas I think this would be clearer.

I think to call Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" a sequel opera is a bit confusing, since it was written first, in 1786. Perhaps you could say something like "The main character is called Figaro (whose later history was shown in Mozart's 1786 opera The Marriage of Figaro)".

Since I have just been researching the topic of French opera, I would be inclined to mention that "Guillaume Tell" was in the French Grand Opera style, with lots of crowd scenes and drama.

I think it's very sad that someone who was such a wonderful composer could just stop, and spend nearly 40 years without writing any more operas. What do you think?

Anyway, I really like this entry. Did you put it up for Peer Review? I never saw it there, but I haven't been here on h2g2 very long and I often miss things I should see.
Best wishes,
Azara

Ah, the millionaire thing. I explained who it was and everything except when my Mum edited (it was a school project) she told me to get rid of it. I'll put it back.

One day I'll go through and make the whole thing better listening to both your suggestions. And I'll fix the Mozart thing soon.

No I haven't put it up for Peer Review because I thought it wasn't particularly good - and the last one I put up hasn't had many people comment. Maybe with all the suggestions you two have given me I might. If I do I'll tell you.

Thanks for everything you've said, and when I'm at home I'll try and do something about them. Today is Friday, and I usually go online on Friday.

Niwt

I think it's well worth developing this entry and then submitting it - great suggestions from Azara!

Hi, Niwt!
I think one of the great things about h2g2 compared to school projects is that you can put in so many links - I noticed the Naples thing because I am writing an entry about great Opera Houses and I am going to put La Scala and the Teatro San Carlo in Naples into it, so of course I want other people to mention them so that at some stage they can link to my entry.

Did the stuff you took out mention that Rossini stole Barbaia's girlfriend? His first wife Colbran was living with Barbaia before she went off with Rossini.

I looked at your page and I see that you're in Australia. Would you have any comments about the Sydney Opera House for my Great Opera Houses entry? I haven't as much information about it as about the European opera houses.

Maybe you were a bit unlucky with Peer Review - my impression so far is that if someone doesn't comment fairly soon, a conversation can be pushed down the list and then easily overlooked. I think this Rossini entry is certainly good enough, and if you put it into Peer review and send me a message, I'll comment there as well.
Azara

I agree - the suggestions were great. Thanks!

And when I've done something about them I'll submit it - and tell you here, so keep an eye open (it might be this afternoon).

I agree - the suggestions were great. Thanks!

And when I've done something about them I'll submit it - and tell you here, so keep an eye open (it might be this afternoon).

This afternoon? It's 3.15 a.m. here and of course I should have gone to bed a long time ago! I can never manage the conversion to Australian time from Irish time so I have a very hazy idea of when "this afternoon" might be. Anyway, good luck with the entry and I hope I'll hear that it's ready soon.
Azara

Hehehe. It's add 7 hours to get to Perth time; add 9 hours to get to Eastern Aus. time. Sleep well!

Yeah, that's right. And no, I didn't mention the thingo about whatsit's girlfriend.

And I can't be bothered to submit this to Peer Review yet.

And I've never actually listened to anything in the Sydney Opera House, but I've been round the outside and touched it and stuff. I think the acoustics is meant to be good or something, I'm not really sure. However, some of my friends listened to something there a couple of weeks ago, so I'll ask them.

I am submitting this to Peer Review...if either of you are there...*waits*...going now...okay, if you're not there I will go and tell you on your spaces.

OK - I'll go take a look in Peer Review