Originally published April 6, 2009. Updated, revised and republished March 21, 2025
Update: It is a rare and wonderful thing these days to find that something you found online nearly sixteen years ago is STILL available. It’s an even more rare and wonderful thing to find that the person that created this wonderful thing is online. To learn more about Kim Thompson, the genius behind this gem, please see her site.
Many, many years ago I saw a video short that boiled down all the great operas into 10 minutes. When I first saw it, I was struck by the running body count in the lower right screen and the way the narrator highlighted all the murder, mayham and rampant immorality that was being shown.
I only saw it once, but I remembered it clearly and was always hoping to see it again. Of course, in the intervening years, I couldn’t for the life of me remember what it was called.
Then, a couple of years ago, the Internet stepped in and I was able to FINALLY find the name of the short: All the Great Operas in 10 Minutes. Even better, I was able to find contact information for the woman who made this up in Canada. I got in touch with her and was soon the proud owner of a VHS tape with the coveted short.
I would trot it out for friends every now and again, but I’ve always been sparing in using the tape: it is after all a rare treasure.
So, I was happy to see that the Internet has gifted me once again in regards to this lovely short. I found it up on YouTube yesterday.
And so now I can watch this anywhere, anytime, and not have to worry about wearing the tape out.
If nothing else, the Internet has turned out to be a boon in terms of finding lost or hard to find items.
English