Le Nozze di Figaro – Response

Le Nozze di Figaro is fantastic, but highly confusing with everyone betraying each other, then everyone getting together again, then people switching roles, and heck, there was even a part where a woman wants to marry a man and then she finds out that he’s her son! I do have to agree that the opera was more than enjoyable despite the confusion.

After the opera, I came to a conclusion: We, the majority that haven’t been to an opera until then, did not get the full experience or appreciate the opera to its potential.
The opera has so many aspects of art, the set itself, the acting, the singing, the music and even the timing of lights and other stage props. I doubt that many of us noticed every single aspect at every single moment during the opera.

I know I didn’t. My friends say that I have something called art-ism. My friends joke around saying that its like autism, but with art rather than emotions. I agree with my friends, I know nothing of art. During the opera I was so focused on the storyline that I forgot to appreciate how concise the music was, how beautiful the set is, and how well the actors sang.
Then again, how could I know how well the music was, and how well the actors sang?
This was the first experience of an opera for me and I have no idea what does good music or good singing sounds like.
To a common man, student in our case, we have a general definition for good and bad sounding music.
To a person who is trained or professionally knows music, acting and singing, the definition of good and bad has sub-levels and different categories.
Under that logic, even if an actor sung an octave lower, the common man would not notice at all, but the professional would.
Thus, I feel like all of us, those who had their first experience with opera or know nothing related to singing, acting, and art itself, just couldn’t experience and appreciate the opera to its fullest.

Le Nozze di Figaro

Le Nozze Di Figaro was much more interesting that I expected it to be. Going into my first opera experience, I was expecting a very boring experience. Moreover, I did not anticipate being able to understand the plot, but the subtitles were incredibly helpful. Instead of being completely lost throughout the performance, I was able to understand exactly what was going on. The opera was actually much funnier that I anticipated, with many well-timed jokes that made the experience much better than just seeing a typical tragedy or drama.

The most impressive part of the opera is that the singers were able to sing loud enough for everyone to clearly hear what they are saying, despite not using microphones. Sometimes the singers would be lying on the floor and still be able to project loud enough for everyone to hear them. They were also able to do this while performing their actions on stage. Moreover, they had to sing over the orchestra, which makes it much more impressive that everyone could understand them.

Overall, I would say that I enjoyed the experience, which is something I did not expect to happen going in.

The Opera

If you had asked me four years ago, three years ago, two years, a list of all the places I thought I’d go to, the opera would never have been on that list. Going to the Opera this Thursday was an incredibly eye-opening and enjoyable experience.

I went in with the mindset that I’d be bored and I wouldn’t be able to understand anything. I was badly mistaken. The set up at the Met Opera was beautiful. The way the subtitles were shown allowed me to both witness the (incredible) performance on stage, as well as understand what was going on. The sets themselves were another thing of beauty and I was astonished when I saw how they worked.

Everyone involved in the production did an incredible job. The orchestra played very well and you could discern their different sounds. One of the most incredible aspects of the opera, as Professor Drabik talked about in class, was how the actors, unmiked, managed to project their voices to the entire theater over the sound of a full orchestra.

Now there’s the matter of the Opera itself: La Nozze De Figaro. I think I had a great time at the Opera mostly because of how entertaining the narrative was. It was humorous, both in performance and plot. The story, while confusing at times, kept the viewer’s attention.

The Opera was an enlightening experience and, now, if someone asked me where I would like to go, it will definitely be on the list.

All’opera con Figaro

(Note: I’ve added a category for this opera)

Though I had to leave early, I thoroughly enjoyed being able to attend Le Nozze di Figaro–especially in such good company.

I am always struck by not only the splendor of opera, but at how often the story being told is relevant to a contemporary world. I am familiar with Beaumarchais’s plays, though I greatly prefer the operatic versions. The plays were written during a time of immense upheaval in France — the country was building towards revolution (indeed the last of the trilogy was written during the revolution that began in 1789). At this time, immense tension had built between the ruling nobility and the poor commoners. The Sun King (Louis XIV) had run the country financially into the ground and the people were starving.

Though not entirely the same, this tension between economic classes in France during the 1780s and 90s resonates for me with the current national conversation about the disappearing middle class and the increasing number of citizens living below the federal poverty level. I appreciate Mozart’s opera so much because the struggle between classes is clearly present in the tale.

I’m pleased I got to hear “Voi che sapete” during act II, and bummed I missed one of the other pieces I enjoy immensely:

I’ve already made plans to see Carmen next week with a friend. A fantastic opera if you have the chance to get affordable student tickets!

The Metropolitan Opera House : Le Nozze di Figaro

The Metropolitan Opera. Right near Lincoln Center, in the center of the city. A huge building with towering entryways. Floor-to-roof windows.

I enter and there is a sweeping staircase, front and center. It’s covered with red carpet and branches both to the left and to the right. The auditorium is a box, furnished with a extruded “U” of seating and a very tall stage. I am sitting in the family circle, and I realize that I am very high up; if I slip on the stairs, very bad things could happen. But we are still not yet in Siberia—that’s over to the left and right. I see the turntable move. This is going to be interesting.

I’ve heard the Overture to the Marriage of Figaro many times since I was in grade school; when the orchestra began playing, I marveled at the clarity of each of the instruments. I can see why surround sound systems and ultra-high-bitrate recordings are in such high demand—the sound coming from the pit orchestra can’t be replicated with a pair of speakers and an mp3 file.

The opera was confusing; I couldn’t keep one eye on the titles and the other on the stage, so I had to choose between understanding the dialogue and perceiving the movement of the actors. There was definitely a lot of humor in this opera, made clear through the liberally translated text and the shenanigans on stage.

Intermission: long lines at the bathroom for both genders, Lindt truffles (yes!), and sesame crunch (high-energy, “reinforcements” in the words of Prof. Drabik). The culture of opera-goers includes ordering food to be served during this 30-minute intermission. Hmm… what kind of occasions can be celebrated with this kind of extravagance? How would it make sense to spend that kind of money?

Back to the opera. A hiding of identities and a swapping of roles take place with the Countess and Susanna to make fools of their respective husbands (and if I may propose this, to elevate themselves over their spouses by requiring them to beg forgiveness for their infidelity).

And out. I can see myself coming back to experience Richard Wagner and Hector Berlioz.

Let the Great World Spin Reaction

I wanted to answer one of the questions that was not brought up in class today.

The question was: The final chapter seems almost not to belong to the novel as it is separated by 32 years from the main events. In what ways does this ending add to, complicate, or even change the story?

First, I want to disagree with the question! I thought the final chapter fit quite nicely with the novel. Even though it was separated by 32 years from the main events, so was the beginning of the story. Let the Great World Spin started off with a description of John and Ciaran’s childhood, which really helped introduce their characters and begin their stories. The ending is just as fitting because it shows the impact all of these different characters had on the new generation. The ending adds to the cycle of stories that brought all these characters together. Just like its title, the stories of every character continues on as the world spins. By showing how the past affected the future of a character like Jaslyn really solidifies the point Colum McCann’s makes in his title as well as through all the different stories he weaves together.

Construction Site, Windy Night Reaction

This is my favorite poem that we have read so far this semester, but I especially liked the final two lines. In the final two lines, Christopher writes, “towering over them / and filling them with dread of heights”. I interpret this to mean that sometimes we create things that instill fear in others, and I think that is especially relevant today with the advances in technology and many people fearing how far it will go. These tall buildings that are being constructed are bringing about a fear of heights, which we didn’t really have before, since we could not get that high. And today we have many new fears related to the advancements in technology.

Construction Site, Windy Night Reaction

I was really confused when I first read this poem. But, I still appreciated how it sounded when I read it aloud after reading it silently and having no clue what it all meant. What is iconic about New York City are the tall skyscrapers, the brownstones, plentitude of apartment buildings and just everything tall. There is always this constant sound of construction around the city, new office space, new family friendly apartments, newly paved streets. The city is always changing and improving for the constant flux of people coming in and moving out.

9/11

My memory of 9/11 was a quite vivid one. I had been preparing to play violin at the U.N. with the rest of my violin troupe for a few months now and it we were all really excited to showcase our talents. I remember sitting on the ground outside of the U.N. (we arrived extra early because we were extra excited) and feeling really eerie because of the weather. I remember it being a humid and cloudy morning, but not cloudy enough to smother our excitement.

When we were finally escorted into the building and through security we unpacked our violins and went through the line-up. I don’t remember what order I was in, but just as the second violinist started her piece, security briskly walked in and called for our attention. They said bluntly that the Twin Towers were hit and we had to leave immediately because this building might be next. Panic filled the air and everyone began to scramble for their bags, their cases and grabbed the closest person they were next to and ran for the lobby. We had so many questions and none of us knew where to go, where it was safest and how to get there.

As we continued walking on the streets, all these bars were filled with people, their mouths gaping wide at the giant screens. The televisions kept showing repeats of the plane hitting the North Tower. The adults and the older college students who were in our troupe counted all the kids and made sure everyone was accounted for. But they didn’t know what to do next. Our troupe began to disintegrate as everyone tried to find their own way back. My dad grabbed my moms hand and yelled at all my siblings to hold hands as we went back out into the streets. Everyone was running in no particular direction, people yelling, cars beeping, it looked and sounded like any ordinary rush hour but everyone was panicking. We couldn’t catch a cab, there were plenty but no one was willing to take us to Queens. We finally caught a cab that would only take us across boroughs for 300 dollars. My dad didn’t hesitate and quickly agreed. We all loaded onto the cab and as we were crossing a bridge (I can’t remember which one) I could see the smoke rising into the gray sky. It was the first time I ever saw my dad cry. He lost many of his colleagues that day like many others and still remembers them every year. My younger sisters can’t remember that day but I can’t seem to forget it. My story isn’t particularly special as I am just one small life that has been affected by this tragedy.

Reflection on Let the Great World Spin

The book “Let the Great World Spin” was interesting because it was made up of three different main stories and it gave the audience knowledge of what was going on from the perspectives of different people. One story was about John and Corian Corrigan and the people they met in New York City. Another story was about Claire, Gloria, Jaslyn and other people they met in or going to New York City. There was also the real life story about the man, Philippe Petit, when he walked across a wire between the Twin Towers in New York City. Throughout the book, there are connections between the stories.

Each story has the goal of telling the reader that it is important to get involved with New York City, rather than sit back and let things happen without your input. Everyone is effected by the city. Whether living in it as a religious pauper, walking on a tight rope between the World Trade Centers, or even just coming to buy a special chess set made of Canadian wood.

What I find unique about this book is that the author, Colum McCann, switches his writing style back and forth between first person and third person. Once I read a chapter of the book, I have to change the way I pick up information from the following chapter.

Man On Wire

For some odd reason, I feel as if the beginning of any documentary is bound to bore me, however, as this particular film went on, past a certain point I could not peel my eyes off that screen. I was so intrigued by the process Phillipe and his crew had to go through in order for him just to walk that tightrope between the Twin Towers. So to me, the feat that amazed me and demanded my attention the most was not necessarily the actual walk across the wire itself (although it was extremely out of this world), but rather the successful act of breaking into both Twin Towers and stringing the wire between each tower before daylight without getting caught or seen.

I’m pretty into video games that involve stealth and not getting caught, so I guess that explains why I was so drawn to the whole process of breaking into the Twin Towers and setting up their equipment in the middle of the night.

~Pun

Keep Spinning, World- Reactions to LTGWS

It’s kind of intriguing to see how the World Trade Center has such an effect on people in the last half of the century. From the time construction started in 1968, to its opening in 1973, to its tragic incident in 2001, and even extending to now in 2014, and to the future, World Trade Center is and will always be a symbolic representation of New York. This thought really hit me while I was on the E train today, one that was bound for none other than World Trade Center.

My Japanese class made 1000 cranes and attached it to one of the trees in the 9/11 Memorial. The 1000 cranes symbolizes hope. (March 8th, 2014)

Upon finishing Let The Great World Spin, I’m really disappointed- disappointed at the fact that it had to end. I started off with an indifferent attitude to it, since it just felt like a lost piece of novel. I didn’t understand what anybody had to do with each other. It was like a puzzle, with pieces fitting in as the novel progresses, jumping between different people’s viewpoint. It really shows what a small world we live in. I guess the whole “Six Degrees of Separation” thing is true!

In the story, World Trade Center acted as a reference point for everything. So does our lives today as New Yorkers. It symbolizes that even though we were attacked in 2001, we didn’t give up. We get up, rebuild, and are stronger than before. I guess the “world” can mean the World Trade Center in Let the Great World Spin (play on words, doesn’t mean that of course).

~Christopher Chong

On Mannahatta

After reading “Mannahatta,” by Walt Whitman, one thing really stood out to me. The overall mood and flow of the poem completely relates to the theme of the stereotypical Manhattan. Not once in this poem does Whitman come to a full stop, that is until the end. This matches the “hustle and bustle” that many people use to describe the fast-paced life that is demanded by Manhattan. He describes scenes separately, yet he is able to create a single picture. His word choice, even, causes the reader to keep the images of speed and grandness in their minds. He uses words such as “swift,” “ample,” “numberless,” and “countless.” Even in his descriptions of the seasons, he ignores spring and autumn, causing the readers mind to simply jump forward in time, adding to the element of speed. Overall, I generally enjoyed reading this poem, as it reveals how true the Manhattan culture has remained since the late 1800s.

My Memories of 9/11

It was late at night in Busan, South Korea. I am not sure exactly, but what I do know for sure is that it was way past my bedtime. I was thirsty, so I went to the kitchen to grab a cup of water. However, the television was on in the living room and I see my dad all alone, sitting on the couch, quietly looking at the television. “Why..are you here, dad?” I asked. I looked the screen, and I see a tall tower with black smoke coming out. “What is happening….” My dad calmly replied.. “America is under attack.” At that time, I was too young, and to be honest, I did not know what America even was. I was way too tired, I just got my cup of water and went to bed.

 

When it comes to 9/11, that short moment was the only thing that is still in my mind. Who would have thought that I would immigrate to America three years later? When I immigrated to America and started school here, every year they would talk to the class about the 9/11 and I would just sit there and blank out because not only did I have no idea what it was, it did not affect me at all. However, when I read about it and saw some clips, I realized how tragic this event was and how it changed not only America, but the entire world.

Reactions to Man on Wire

Damn. If I had the talent to walk on wire/cable at even 10 floors above ground level, I wouldn’t be here composing this post right now.

Philippe Petit is probably one of those guys where you just don’t have the correct adjective to describe him. Crazy? Brave? Idiotic? Heroic? To perfectly plot this whole event, and not get caught is definitely an incredible feat. I mean, he wasn’t at the 10th floor, the 20th floor, but the 110th floor. What could’ve possibly been going through his mind?

What I probably most liked about the documentary was the fact that it seemed to made me feel like I was in the moment, especially when they were describing how they almost got caught and stuff. If Petit’s timing was not correct, August 7th, 1974 might’ve just been another ordinary day for all of us, and the prisons might just have an extra guy in there.

However, in exchange for his fame and glory, Petit lost his friends, lost the love of his life, lost everything he had had before August 7th, all because of the 45 mins on the top of the World Trade Center towers. I mean, I don’t know if that’s worth it.

~Christopher Chong

Man on the Wire – Reaction

I am not a fan of documentaries. I just dislike them. Man on the Wire was a unique case. I actually enjoyed the documentary about Philippe Petit and his whole crew.

I have heard of stories about people who have walked across many dangerous places via tightrope, but I have never heard of Philippe Petit and his story of walking across the Twin Towers via tightrope.

I found it quite amazing that he would have the concentration and the balance to actually achieve all that. I can barely keep my balance on a 2×4! I respect Philippe for doing whatever he wanted to achieve his dream of walking the tightrope 110 stories high. This does raise many questions though.

One of the biggest issues I have with Philippe’s story is the issue with money. I don’t understand how Philippe could even go back and forth from America and Paris ever so often. Where does he get his money to do so? I thought he was only a street performer. Either he hustled a lot of money while doing so, or he acquired his funds elsewhere.

The biggest question that I would have loved to ask Philippe and his crew is this: What did you guys do after the event? I have absolutely no idea how one would feel when a dream is achieved. Where would you go afterwards? What would you do? Will there be anything else in life that will ever feel better than when the dream was achieved?

I am so curious as to what the crew did after the heist was over. Is the ending like the usual ending to a dream? Was it a sad awakening to reality?

My reaction to “Man on Wire”

It occurs to me that Phillipe really enjoys walking on cables.

He says it’s “illegal but not hurtful” but he was said to have done it because it was like a bank robbery.

Also, when he was taken down from Notre Dame he snatched an officer’s watch.

To me, the art here lies in his fine control of his body’s position down to the hands.

On Man on a Wire

 Man on a Wire was a incredible documentary! In fact, at some points in the movie, I totally forgot that I was a watching a documentary. Some scenes were so intense, engaging, and emotional, that it might as well have been a drama. The documentary gave us a deep look into the walker, Philippe Petit. Through the interviews, and through various home-videos, we were able to realize the type of person he is. He is a dreamer, a man who is incredibly passionate about his hopes and goals. I believe that is one lesson that one should take away from watching this documentary. While I would not advise going about and breaking the law, I believe each and every one of us should have a goal or passion in life.

I truly admired the cinematography of the documentary. The mixture of black and white footage with colored footage was visually engaging and pleasing. Old footage from France and New York, provided me with a sense of what the world was like in the late 70s. Seeing footage of Petit, from his early days of tightrope walking through his grand display at the Twin Towers, caused me to feel as if i knew him his entire life. I felt as if  I grew along side him. The various interviews with all those involved with the Twin Towers project were able to provide me with multiple point of views, while still maintaining the theme that it may take a team in order to achieve one person’s dream.

One part of the movie that stood out to me was the end. I could not help but find disgust with Petit, as he allowed short lived fame to interfere with those who supported him along the way, with his friends. I felt sympathy for the one man (John I cannot remember his last name), who cried during the interview. We discussed that he cried twice for possibly two distinct reasons. The first may have been for the sheer beauty of Petit’s act, and the second may have been for losing Petit as a dear friend.

 

Just watched Man On Wire….

..and all I have to say is: Wow. Just wow. That movie was absolutely brilliant. From beginning to end, “Man On Wire” held my attention. I was absolutely smitten with Petit’s rebellious view of his high-wire walk and the notion of “illegal but not inherently wicked or harmful.” As I said in my previous post about Let the Great World Spin, the walker, who is Phillipe Petit, truly lived. He was not bound by the laws imposed on him by society; rather, he lived his life as he saw fit and was a source of immense inspiration to those who witnessed his feat. The sense of inspiration I got from this movie was absolutely incredible.

The ending, however, was also a tad depressing; Petit’s dream was not achieved without sacrifice and that sacrifice came in the form of his friendships and his relationship. Petit’s sole focus throughout this endeavor was to fulfill his dream; he didn’t show any regard for what his friends or even his girlfriend wanted to do with their lives. His friends lived his dream and did their utmost to help him. This is especially seen in Jean-Louis, who stayed by Petit’s side even when all hope seemed lost and when Albert had abandoned him. It was sad to find out that they fell apart after the event, especially after such a show of love and dedication. Petit’s disregard for his companions is also shown in his treatment of Annie; as soon as he is released from prison, Petit sees it fit to cheat on her, because of his celebrity. I felt that was rather cruel of him, especially since she had dedicated her life to him.

All in all,  a great movie about a truly legendary feat but with the moral that there is no achievement without sacrifice.

A Reflection On The Book

During our discussion this past Monday, there was a general consensus around the table that “Let The Great World Spin” was a book very much concerned with death and how different people perceive death differently. While each of the main chapters (especially in the first book) deal with death (J.A Corrigan’s death, Jazzlyn’s death, Joshua being killed in ‘Nam, Tillie’s hinted-at suicide), the “walker sections” in between the books provide a stark contrast.

The walker’s dream of walking across the Twin Towers on a tightrope, and what some might perceive as his recklessness with his life, is not born of a desire to die, but of his desire to express the thrill of living The insane amount of effort the walker puts into the completion of his goal and his eventual accomplishment of it express the purest form of living there is. While he was practicing, and when he eventually performed the feat, the walker was free; free of all the shackles of an everyday life, free of all worries, and, perhaps most importantly, free of any fear of dying. In those 45 minutes on the wire, in the skies of New York City, he was truly alive.

It was this stark contrast of life/death that really fascinated me about the book and why the walker sections were particularly exciting for me to read. And with that, I leave you all with a quote that I feel applies to the walker.

Man on Wire- Reaction

I knew about Philippe Petit walking between the Twin Towers from reading the children’s book, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein back in 3rd grade. But after reading Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann, I was again immensely curious to see how this man accomplished his walk on a wire between the Twin Towers. I was specifically interested on how he managed to tie his cable between the towers. I don’t know why but I imagined that this was a one-man feat, which made it seem even more amazing to me. Contrary to my original thought, this was hardly a one-man feat. Philippe had all his friends on board to help him accomplish his dream, and at some point in the movie I really began to see why the feat had a deeper impact, more than the media had portrayed it to be.

The amount of time, money, and risk Philippe was taking with his relationships and physical body was crazy to think about. All of his friends were postponing their own lives and journey to join Philippe. They supported him and really cared about him, but I couldn’t see an inkling of concern Philippe had for his friends. To blatantly put it, he was quite selfish. When each of his friends were interviewed, his best friend Jean-Louis constantly spoke about Philippe’s safety and their relationship. But Philippe was so caught up describing how he accomplished sneaking past the guards, anchoring his cables and the excitement of it all. He was blind to see that it wasn’t just as simple as getting the job done, but there were major consequences bound to happen. What shocked me the most was when Philippe abandoned his friends after his walk and put them on hold when all this time they had put their lives on hold for his. It really was amazing to see the behind story and all the effort Philippe and his friends put into this once in a lifetime show, but heartbreaking to see what it was actually worth.

Photograph from September 11th-Wislawa Szymborska

This poem is describing the infamous photo of an unidentified man who jumped from the Twin Towers before they collapsed. What hits a chord is the third stanza that says:

“Each is still complete

with a particular face

and blood well-hidden.”

I just can’t imagine what a body looks like after falling that many stories. Szymborska is describing the body that is falling using what it looks like after it has hit the ground. She uses the negative to create an image of both the before and after-math of the jump. The 4th stanza elongates the time frame of the jump and really puts into perspective how long it took for the man to fall,

“There’s enough time

for hair to come loose,

for keys and coins

to fall from pockets.”

I can’t imagine what the man is thinking to himself, his death was definitely not a swift one, there must have been so many thoughts racing through his mind. The poet also exudes hopeless and wishes she could have done more. Szymborska wants to leave the ending unsaid for these jumpers, she only wants to describe this flight. Szymborska wants to keep them in flight, to keep their memories alive. Flight is usually used to describe a plane ready for take-off, but not in this case. The jumpers are in flight, however, it is a descending flight to their deaths, and the use is not describing a plane but rather a person. The plane in this scenario has ended its flight but the person is just in the midst of theirs.

 

Let the Great World Spin Reflection

In class we talked about how this novel relates to death and how different people can deal with it very differently. The chapter that I feel best demonstrates how differently people can react to death is “A Fear of Love”.

The two main characters, Lara and Blaine, react drastically differently from each other, despite being very similar individuals. Lara struggles to forget about the events that led to them killing two people. Whereas, Blaine quickly rationalizes his part in the accident by explaining that it was Corrigan’s fault because he did not know how to drive.

It is not surprising to see contrasting reactions to death; however, I find it interesting because both Lara and Blaine are so similar. They are both artists and enjoyed the party lifestyle with many drugs and few concerns. Yet, their reactions to death were complete opposites, which show how influential death can be and how difficult it is to come to terms with. At the end of the chapter we can even see that it is driving the couple apart, as each cannot understand the other’s response.