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<BLOCKQUOTE
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size=2>>>Not being a opera buff, I don't know too much about
this.<BR>But MUST an opera always have a female singer?<BR><BR>And was it
standard practice for THE gedolim of Germany to attend?<BR>And is there any
evidence that others besides RSRH did so -<BR>and whether he did so regularly
or just once or twice?<<<BR><BR><BR>SBA <BR><BR></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
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<DIV>>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>I don't know how to check it out but I doubt that RSR Hirsch actually
ever went to the opera.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Re your other question -- must an opera have female singers? -- they used
to have castrati, male sopranos. I'm sure it's assur for bnai Noach
to do such a thing but once it's done, would it be mutar for a Jew to benefit
(by going to hear one of those poor mutilated men sing)? I actually once
heard a recording of the last of the castrati (sorry I can't remember what the
singular is) -- a recording made in around 1910 of a man who had been operated
on as a child probably fifty or sixty years before that. Was I even
allowed to listen to that recording on the radio? </DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><BR><B>--Toby
Katz<BR>=============</B></FONT></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">See what's free at <A title="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503" href="http://www.aol.com?ncid=AOLAOF00020000000503" target="_blank">AOL.com</A>. </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>