Oct 19 2012
First Time at the Met
http://static.thedartmouth.com/2010/08/03/photos/5257_article_photo.jpg
Any place that encourages dressing up, is a place for me. The Met itself is beautiful. The chandeliers, the steps, elevators, everything about the building was incredible. For a few hours I felt like I had a six-digit bank account as opposed to the sad reality of what a college student’s bank account actually looks like.
Since the actors and opera singers knew what they were doing (unlike we did in class) it was more interesting, funny, and sad to watch the production come to life through their portrayal. It was obvious that sometimes things got lost in translation by the awkward way in which they were translated. That is something expected and inevitable but I still felt informed and that I knew what was happening.
Sometimes trying to read the subtitles and watch the production was distracting because it seemed impossible to take in the experience completely without missing something. Just sitting back, listening and watching was relaxing enough. Reading the libretto came in handy in these moments because even though I didn’t understand what they were saying, I had a general idea of the plot surrounding the scene performed.
Even though I was literally broke last night, it was nice to feel like royalty for a little while. My first time at the Met is an experience I’ll never forget.
I liked your response. It was sweet and to the point. I totally feel you. The Met definitely an experience. I felt so rich, so famous, being there. It’s fun to play pretend 🙂
Being inside the Met was quite an experience itself. Being surrounded by all the elegant stairs, elevator and chandeliers also made me feel fancy and special. I agree with you that reading the subtitles and watching the opera at the same time was distracting because it was hard to just focus on one thing. So I decided to forget reading the subtitles and just listen and admire what was on stage. Good thing, we did read the libretto beforehand or else I would have definitely been lost!