Thread: Locker Room Chat: Like Going to the Opera

“Traditional shaving is a lot like going to the opera. It takes preparation.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the best way to enjoy an opera is to prepare for it.”
“Prepare for it.”
“Yes, of course. Know the story. Know something about the singers. The composer. Especially since most operas are in a foreign language you might not know — Italian, German, French, Russian. You can go and hear great music and some glorious singing, but think how much more you’d enjoy the opera if you knew what was going on.”
“I don’t know. That sounds like a lot of work.”
“It all depends is how you look at it. I make going to the opera an event. The same is true with my daily shave. It's a big deal to me every day.”
“I don’t get the connection.”
“Think how much better your shave would be if you prepared your face properly so that the razor can do its job properly.”
“I use the canned stuff. All the same to me.”
“Then again, try using a brush and a good soap. Lots of warm water. Makes you feel good. It’s just possible you might even enjoy shaving.”
“I’m not sure I want to take the time.”
“Think of it as going to the opera.”
“Never been to the opera.”
“Try it. You might get hooked on it. Same thing with the soap and brush — preparing our face. You might get hooked on feeling good after a shave.”


Regards,


Obie

The parallel is very good.... Of course, sometimes beginning with a straight razor is more like something by Janacek rather than Mozart... or maybe even "Lulu"... but eventually you get to that perfect Zauberflöte...

Obie, good sir, you make my day very frequently. Thank you!

My dear Bkratchmer,

How right you are about Zauberflote (Magic Flute), and thanks for the kind words.

Regards,

Obie

Hi Obie,

Thats a great analogy, and very true! The preparation is key to a good shave, and the soaps and creams, plus all the warm water, turn an average shave into a great one. I think thats something that a lot of people new to straight razors and traditional shaving forget about.

Thanks very much for writing, your posts are always excellent and very enjoyable to read!

All the best,

Stuart

As a concert musician, I appreciate the post all the more. I think I may have put something in your old post where you asked people why they SRS...the whole operation is not unlike practicing/performing, both mentally and kinesthetically. We always warm up/prep before getting into a practice session or a performance and I've found the same "head" feels great for a shave.

So glad to know that people on the forum are listening to classical music as well!

Julian

That was nicely put Obie

I usually just eat a nice dinner and have a few drinks to get ready for the opera. I did not realize it was so complicated obie

I will have to modify my Pre-Opera ritual.

YES! Thank you AGAIN Obie, for making me smile and think (so rare I get to do both at the same time!!)

I love Opera, but am not terribly KNOWLEDGEABLE about it. I enjoy it, so I go. My wife joined me for her first a few years ago. We went to Il trovatore performed by a pretty solid local company. On the drive there, I was telling her about Verdi, about the characters, what we would see, some of the famous songs that she would hear and recognize. Some of the heartstopping, tear-inducing moments that still come, even if you know the story. She looked at me like we'd never met, and asked how it was possible that she never knew I was "so into" opera that I knew all of this...and I told her the same thing you told your friend in the locker room. I didn't know any of it until we bought our tickets. I had seen it before, and either forgot or never knew most of the story. I looked it up, i read about the performers, the songs, the story. I prepped, and enjoyed it that much more.
A sad note, is that the local opera company has ceased operations, citing the poor economy. I miss the productions, and the bit of class that it brought to a city that I find somewhat lacking in certain tyopes of culture.

I never thought of the analogy before....how wonderfully fitting!!!

Thank you again.

Gentlemen,

Thank you for the kind remarks.

Yes, the world of opera, I believe, requires total involvement to really enjoy it. In 30 years that I hosted various classical music radio programs, I was much more involved with attending concerts, ballets and operas. If I remember, at one time I had four sets of tuxedos.

For some years, I also hosted concert and opera tours of Europe with a select number of my audience. Covent Garden in London, Vienna State Opera, Berlin Opera, Munich, and so on, were often on our itinerary. Before each production, I gave a talk on that specific opera so that our people knew what they were seeing. They loved it. So did I, because each time I learned more myself.

Ah, those were wonderful years. I miss it all.

Anyway, all of that requires total immersion to really appreciate the art. That's why I equate going to the opera to traditional shaving. It does require total immersion in the art and the craft. My philosophy has always been to dive into what I did heart and soul, especially an art or a craft.

Traditional shaving, with the addition of the straight razor in recent years, has given me a profound sense of joy and satisfaction. Art does that to me. This is an art. And I try to promote traditional shaving with a straight razor wherever I go, whenever the opportunity arises, without being a pushy knucklehead, of course. Good manners and humility go a long way to invite a firm handshake.

Well, anyway, gentlemen, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.

Regards,

Obie