opera tarot

Gilbert and Sullivan

I love the idea of Verdi operas for the minor arcana. I think Wagner might be a furtile source for a deck, too. I've been developing a deck based on the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan. Unfortunately, I'm not much of an artist and I don't know if there is an artist with similar interests who would want to collaborate.

Hi Schaphio! Nice to meet yet another opera lover!
Welcome to the forum, as well, since I notice this is your first post!

I was thinking of assigning a different language/national tradition to each suit - and using one opera per card. That would allow me to include 78 different operas. (Similarly to the way 78 different fairy tales were used in the Fairy Tale Tarot (Magic Realist Press). It would be horribly difficult to limit to those 78 of course. But yes, one could also go the other way, and just concentrate on one composer -- or even - just on one opera, or one cycle.

The ring cycle alone would furnish more than enough material for a deck.

That's fun that you are working on a deck for Gilbert and Sullivan. I hope you find an interested artist, or maybe you could collage it together with materials that are public domain - old posters, photographs, etc.

Hi Firemaiden!
Thanks for welcoming me to the forum and thanks for the encouragement on the G&S deck! The "Ring" idea seems totally awesome to me. I've been thinking about the four operas in relation to the four traditional minor arcana suits. "Siegfried," with its emphasis on the reforging of "Nothung" seems a likely candidate for swords; "Wulkure" and the Siegmund/Sieglinda motif seems to fit cups; "Reingold" and Alberecht's quest for the gold speaks to me of pentacles; and "Gotterdamerung" has a "wands" feel to it: especially since Wotan and Brunhilda have built themselves funeral pyres! I think I might just start work on a "Ring Cycle" deck, too!