The Arts in New York City

Before going to the opera, I honestly believed that I would not enjoy it. However, as the show began and it became evident how much work goes into producing a show like this, I began appreciating the art form more. As I got used to how the show worked, I began to love it. I never would have thought that going to a show where everything is in another language would be so enjoyable. The combination of acting and the amazing level of singing that was present blew my mind. Even without paying attention to the subtitles, by the way they sung and over-emphasized in their acting, you could generally get what was going on.

The set of the opera was one of the things that impressed me the most. I loves how it took you into a whole other world instead of making it apparent that it was a show with sets. I think that this has a lot to do with the lighting and the way that the structure of the set was built to look like the whole thing was a segment of the house and you could look through the windows and see another part of the set.

Since this opera for us is considered a “classic work,” what is its purpose? I agree with what people have said before that this opera sends a message about love or forgiveness. Aren’t both a part of human nature? I believe that when an opera lasts this long and is so poplar and understood, that it provides a message about human nature, and that is why people can enjoy it, sometimes even relate to it in today’s day and age.

I loved the opera, and actually want to go to another one eventually. But in this opera, all that drama in such a short amount of time…wow!

~ Dalya

The ambiance of the opera had intrigued me even before it began. It’ always fun to dress up nice, see the interior of the Metropolitan Opera House, take pictures by the waterfall, and simply surround yourself my the beau monde of society. It’s fun being polite to all the ushers and just having a good time.
The opera itself was a challenge to follow. Early on, I caught on to the pattern of the lyrics. Like in standard music we’re used to, there is a choral part that repeats itself. This choral part reflects the feelings of the characters, and pauses the storyline. This contributes to the lengthy three and a half hours that the opera took to perform. If the plot was progressing constantly without any pauses, without any repetition, it would go a lot quicker. However, would the plot of the opera be understood if it was done in such a short amount of time? By taking the time to incorporate the theatrical aspects of the play along with musical choral aspects, it adds to the general public’s understanding of the play. I also found that the English translations on the screen helped in understanding the play. All of these aspects were essential in my enjoyment of the opera; without them, without understanding what was going on, it would have been hard for me to get through the play.
Finally, I was surprised by transgressions of the opera. I saw a lot of things that I had not expected to see in an opera, especially one that originated in the nineteenth century. One instance that really shocked me occurred in the first act, when Susanna and Figaro were arguing. Figaro was lying on a bench and they were arguing, and in the end, Susanna “won” the argument by pushing Figaro off the bench so he fell on the ground in embarrassment. It was interesting to see a woman pushing a man to the ground in an opera, when clearly at the time, male chauvinism was the way of the world.
-Sean C.

We are moving to a classroom lent to us by the drama department. It is located in the The Thomas Hunter basement and is called the Grouber room. I suggest we meet at 3:00 in front of the Honors Lounge, and go there together. If you happen to be a bit late, please just catch up with us. 

Jason Cottle, the actor, who is working with you tomorrow, will be with us until about 4.15, after which we go to our usual classroom, 1516, for a presentation by Curtis, Luke, and Jacob.

I am still missing some descriptions of your final project. Please be sure to bring them to class tomorrow. I am working on the schedule, but can only finalize it once we have our confirmation for a room with the right equipment.

S ee you tomorrow,

EE

…and again, kept quite awake and thoroughly captivated. Upon arriving at the Met, I looked around and thought, “Oh well. This really isn’t my bag.” This being my first opera, I entered the opera house expecting a stuffy, dull three hours spent while a soprano cracked people’s glasses with an irritating voice. Once it began, though, I was hooked. The sets were amazing, the costumes were convincing, and the lighting was natural. The musicians in the pit were incredible at setting pace, manipulating the emotions of the audience, and keeping together like cogs meshing. The cast was truly remarkable; the projection they achieved while maintaining pitch and tone was borderline mind-blowing. On top of that, their ability to release emotion through their voices and across the language barrier was impressive. The combination of their voices with theatrical gestures got the plot across, almost eliminating the need for subtitles. The process of producing an opera is, apparently, massive to an extent that I had not previously realized. The music, lights, casting, sets… all of these worked together to achieve a perfect balance, and the result was awe-inspiring. A sincere bravo.