On September 29th, I was much excited for the opera Rigoletto that I was going to watch. Even though I was sick and missed every classes in the morning, I certainly did not want to miss this opportunity. It was going to be my first opera experience and I have always dreamed of going to one. I finally decided to get out of the bed and take the train to the Lincoln Center.

When I arrived in the Lincoln Center, I was amazed. It was much bigger than I thought, and the buildings shined gorgeously with yellow lights. I also loved the fountain in the middle. Then I suddenly realized how privileged I was for living in New York City. I actually have been taking it for granted for a while, but the Lincoln Center reminded me that I was living in one of the most astonishing and glamorous cities. As I stepped into the MET building, red carpets and fancy design of the building welcomed me to the opera. I took a seat, and talked with my classmates for the remaining time. Before the opera started, Professor Goldstein told us to press the button if anybody needed the subtitle. I was so much excited at the fact that they had subtitles because I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to follow the performance in a different language. It was amazing, and I was ready for the opera.

The opera began. First thing that amazed me was their background. Unlike musicals, it was more realistic, and it was huge. People looked so small on the stage. When I listened to them singing, I just couldn’t believe how they could sing so loud without the microphone. Especially Gilda, because she was such a tiny woman. Even though their acting skills weren’t that good in my opinion, their songs covered them up. They changed the background pretty quickly, and that was impressive. I liked the plot, and unlike other people, I actually thought it was realistic. I just think that kind of passionate love still exists in the world – maybe very few – and I hope they do. Not that I want people to die, but I think it would be romantic.

Anyway, back to the opera. I want to point out some negative aspects. Frankly, watching the performance with the subtitles was a bit annoying because I couldn’t really concentrate, even though after some time I got used to it. Also, it would have been better if I didn’t read the plot. I regretted a little bit for reading it, because that actually made me concentrate more on the incidents than anything else. At the last scene, I kept questioning myself: ‘When is she going to die?’ ‘When is Rigoletto going to hear the Duke sing again?’

Overall, my first opera experience was unique. I think it was a valuable experience, but to tell the truth I’m not sure if I would go again spending my own money. I would rather watch Broadway musicals.

The 827th Metropolitan Opera performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s , Rigoletto, blinded me.  Literally and Figurately.  How could anyone not be blinded by the overwhelming number of white-haired heads glowing in the light of the translation screens as Lincoln Center dimmed? The opening night at the MET on September 29 was the debut for three important characters, Francesco Meli, the Duke of Mantua; Sparafucile, Andrea Silvestrelli; and Maddalena, Nino Surguladze, as well as the conductor, Paolo Arrivabeni.  Despite the fact that the meaning behind the words of the English translation of the opera do not sound particularly intriguing, the Italian version can be described as “music to one’s ears.”  Rigoletto contains many touching parts even for one who does not speak Italian.  One of these moments is during the quartet sang by Francesco Meli, who plays the Duke of Mantua, Lado Ataneli, who plays Rigoletto, Christine Schafer, who plays Gilda, and Nino Surguladze, who plays Maddalena.  The audience assured the performers of their successful betrayal of emotions with their energy-filled applause at the song’s finish.  Comprised of three acts and two intermissions, Rigoletto took three hours to perform. These two intermissions were about twenty minutes each, which is way too long to keep hold of the audience’s attention.  It is understandable to have two intermissions, however it is ludicrous to give the audience enough time to eat a five-course meal during intermission.  By the time the next act begins in the opera, the audience finds it difficult to remember what the last act was about.  A disappointing element of the opera was the performance of Christine Schafer, who plays Gilda.  At first it appeared that she was having a rough start, but as she approached the end the opera without changing levels, I knew that was just how her voice was.  Schafer’s voice seemed too quiet and weak in comparison to the other vocalists and many times during joint parts, her voice was completely drowned out.  Before the beginning of the third act when a MET representative asked the audience to excuse Meli’s performance because of his sickness, it seemed as if they should have been excusing Shafer instead of Meli.  In fact, Francesco Meli is such a phenomenal performer that if the representative had never informed the audience of his illness, most likely the majority of audience members would not have noticed.  He hid his illness quite well, wiping his nose before singing long phrases.  Overall, Rigoletto proved to be a successful performance filled with powerful emotions placed into not so meaningful words and unforgettable scenes such as the one when the entire cast had their backs facing the easily-pitied character, Rigoletto.  A refreshing performance, Rigoletto was enjoyable, despite its imperfections.  But remember, it’s live theater, nothing’s perfect.

I went into Les contes d’Hoffman, or The Tales Of Hoffmann, knowing absolutely nothing about the story line. Not only was I a first time opera goer, who knew no background for what I was about to see, I also did not know a single person there. I was in many ways a stranger that night.

Prior to this performance, I viewed Opera as a lullaby, something I would listen to if I wanted to induce a good nap. A lullaby sung in a language I do not understand, by people that weigh more than double what I weigh.  To my surprise, the beginning of Les contes d’Hoffman was everything but boring. I felt like I was immediately absorbed into the story line. Though I could not understand what the performers were saying without the help of the given translation, at times I would forget that the play was in French. I often found myself forgetting to even look down at the translations provided. The story was easy to following because of the performers’ motions and vocals, and what emotions were brought out in the two. When I did remember to look down at the translations, I was impressed to find the chosen words modern and easy to understand, almost as if in current slang.

Also exciting were the loud and flashy costumes. Many of which resembled a uniform of an exotic dancer, only with more sequins.  A group of students, I included, got a chance to talk to the concertmaster that night.  She informed us that this opera, especially in the area of costume design, was altered in order to appeal to a younger audience in an attempt to bring more students to come to opera. I thought that the costumes chosen were very eye catching to a young audience. Well done.

Opera to me as a child, was supposed to be boring, and certainly not humorous. To my surprise, I found myself laughing during Tales of Hoffman. There was a pleasant element of comic relief built into the story. I used to think that jokes were not allowed in opera, but after that night, I know better.

The thing I was most impressed with that night was the performance of Olympia in Act 1. Without any words all, it was clear to see that she was playing the role of a robot. Her acting performance was amazing, and as if that was not good enough, she had an outstandingly powerful voice to match. You can walk out of that opera after act one and know with certainty that you have seen a fabulous performance. But maybe stay for the rest anyway.