Oct 19 2012

Spoiler: Carmen dies…

Published by under Carmen

I was torn about last night’s excursion to the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. For one, I should be ecstatic and grateful that I was going to be able to experience part of a rich theatrical culture  that most people never experience – and in such a beautiful place as the MET. But then I thought: “Wonderful. Four hours up in the severe nosebleed seats to listen to a story that I find both flat and irritating. I just want to be home so I can sleep.” Yes, I knew I should be excited for the show, and I mean really, the fact that this is an arts event should have been enough motivation. It was, and I’m very glad I didn’t let my typical college kid craving for sleep get in the way of a wonderful evening. I credit Porgy & Bess with my decision to go into the evening with a positive attitude – because after you’ve watched Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis in a Broadway adaptation of the original opera, you tend to think positively about operas.

Okay, seriously. We could have gotten to the stabbing two acts ago.

I should probably explain that part about Carmen having a “flat and irritating story…” When I read through the libretto, and found that the general plot could be condensed to maybe a few pages of dialogue, I felt it was bad storytelling. Add in all that unnecessary repetition, and even now I cannot say that Carmen is a good opera in terms of plot and dialogue. (We get it Carmen, if you love us, we better watch out.) The experience of going to the opera made me realize something, however, opera is meant to be heard, not read. The opera is about masterful melodies and amazing arias, and coupled with some of the most intricate set and costume designs I’ve ever seen on a stage, this boring story transformed into something that let me starstruck.

I appreciate the opera, and while it won’t probably ever be something I over-excitedly insist I need to go see again, I’m not exactly going to turn down the opportunity. Even the seats were pretty good… if you don’t mind spending fifteen minutes trying to figure out which one was Carmen.

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3 responses so far




3 Responses to “Spoiler: Carmen dies…”

  1.   # Thomas Seuberton 21 Oct 2012 at 7:41 pm

    I had the same feeling about the opera when we read the libretto. It was about some women who has a new flame every few minutes and gets what she deserves in the end. But actually seeing the performance made it come to life, and made the whole thing an actual experience.

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  2.   # jtraubeon 23 Oct 2012 at 4:51 pm

    I completely agree that operas should be heard and not read! (Or maybe just read for reference…) I think the opera is really about the orchestra, music, acting, lights, etc., and not really about the story-line. The whole experience is how the words are communicated, not really what the exact words are. However, since it is a story, it would’ve been great to actually understand what was going on (by listening instead of having to read.)

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  3.   # nayoungahnon 21 Dec 2012 at 8:07 pm

    Your review made me think about the real focus of the opera. Is it the singing, acting, music piece, stage or the plot? I get that it should be the balance between all those elements but for Carmen I somehow felt the plot was second to the music. For us, who are living in a fast paced world bombarded by hollywood blockbusters with such short attention span, a piece like “Carmen” can be tedious. But at the same time, I feel that, from the point of those audiences back in the days, this piece could have been breathtaking and exciting.

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