Category Archives: music

Tosca Review

 

Tosca was the first opera I ever saw and I have mixed feelings about it. We had seats that were close to the stage which kept me paying attention since I could see the actors’ emotions. Following the plot was fairly simple once I remembered to turn on the translations, but I do think it alters the experience. I find that translating art, in this case lyrics, from one language to another changes the meaning. The emotions are lost in translation and English has a lot of filler words which distract from the point. Regardless, at least I was able to follow along with the show.

The sets were really beautiful throughout out the show. The first set was supposed to be the Church of Sant’Andrea della Valle. I thought that the huge painting was a nice visual element to look at since most of the stage was empty. The second set was Scarpia’s apartment which looked just like I envision a classical Italian apartment; lots of reds, dark colors, and a painting. The hidden door on the right side of the stage was really cool since it shown extremely bright when it was open. It was a clever idea to have it look so icy since it was a torture room. The final scene was supposed to be the Battlements of the Castel Sant’ Angelo. The building  on stage gave a realistic depth to the stage. All the set designs were enriching to the context of the play and set the mood for the scenes.

The actors in Tosca were super talented and must be dedicated to their careers. the notes that they are able to reach can only be reached with a lot of practice. Each actor commanded the stage with their voice even though the stage was big enough to swallow them. Tosca has a simple storyline but the delivery of the actors made the show. Although they were a bit overly dramatic for me, it is the opera afterall.

The One and Only Tosca

Tosca, the name is so simple but the opera behind it is so complex. The opera was situated in none other than Lincoln Center. It looked great outside too, but I underestimated how big it was inside. The opera hall was huge and grand, with rows of balconies lining away all to the top to the ceiling. The chandeliers were quite pretty, but the amazing part was that they moved. They retracted back into the ceiling when the opera started.

Giving a very brisk outline about the opera, I thought Tosca was something I had never seen before. Granted I never saw an opera before, but this was unlike any production I had ever seen. The orchestra meshed really well with the singing from the cast; it resonated and mirrored the setting around the characters or what the characters were actually singing. A great example of this is the motif that occurs with Angoletti; it was distinguishable, frantic, and a panicky tune that played whenever Angoletti appeared onstage or was even mentioned. The cast was great as well; they performed their lines flawlessly. Tosca, in particular, did a great job of portraying a jealous yet devoted diva to Cavaradossi.

In the end, I was stunned by the performance. There was nothing in my life that could measure up to this opera. It’s so much of a surreal experience when you are actually at the opera, as opposed to watching it via video. The applause was well deserved at the end; I clapped enthusiastically  throughout the cast’s as well as the conductor’s bows. I also clapped for the orchestra, who silently left the stage without bowing. It’s a shame, because they really did a great work with the music in Tosca. I walked away from the Lincoln Center into the cold and brisk night, but inside, I was bubbling with excitement of the drama that can only happen in Tosca.20131211_223916

Creative Subway Performers

As I walked down into the Time Square subway station I noticed a group of performers playing music. Now although this might be a common sight for a lot of us, what I noticed about this group of performers was that they had a complete set up of musical instruments with around five people that were constantly transitioning between classical and modern hip hop and rnb music. For a couple of seconds you would hear classical music mainly being played on the piano only to have the base and saxophone jump in changing it straight into melodies that belonged to trending hip hop and rnb songs like Macklemore’s thrift shop and One Republic’s Counting Stars. At first I thought there must be another performer that I’m not seeing right now but to my amazement it was all coming from this one set of guys. I thought it was really creative in the way they did that and managed to capture the attention of everyone in an unorthodox way. Rather than being loud, in the middle of everything or something else along those lines, these performers caught my attention because they were unique.

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Tosca

The Opera, Tosca by Puccini was one to remember. First Opera I ever attended, one of the last days of my first college semester, and all on the day of my birthday. Going into the Opera while knowing that it was going to be a performance that would last around three hours, I became a bit skeptical and honestly was afraid that I might doze off and become uninterested. Thankfully however it became one of the best performances I ever attended. It was nice to see that even if the entire performance was an opera they were still able to add a bit of humor into all of it and give it a nice story. Being in Italian, I originally thought that I would be constantly looking at the screen with the English translations and thus fail to see what the performers were doing but considering that it took them quite a while to fully say each sentence, it all worked out nicely. Of course I don’t mean this in a bad way, I honestly felt that the performers did a fantastic job in executing their roles.

Presentation and location are both also major contributing factors in regards to shows like the Tosca as well. Both of these aspects were spot on, from the Lincoln center with its very classy and professional ambiance and general aura to the manner in which they conducted everything. Events like these are not only limited to the performance but rather the entire experience that you get from attending it. By having a very orderly and professional way of organizing the event, and treating the guests regardless of who they are with respect really made me appreciate the entire experience even more. Small details like the ones that I had mentioned are what make people willing to pay such large amounts for the tickets.

Alongside being an opera where the vocalists were absolutely amazing, I also have to give a lot of the credit to the conductor and the orchestra. They controlled the tempo of the entire performance and were able to give it added emotion through use of multiple musical techniques such as crescendo, vibrato, and an overall grasp over tempo. In regards to the organization of the performance I also really enjoyed the fact that they gave intermissions where they allowed the audience to stand up and grab some fresh air while utilizing the time to create completely different stage set-ups. In doing so I personally felt I was able to come back each time refreshed ready to watch the performance rather than looking back at my watch constantly waiting for it to end.

Overall this performance was one that I very much enjoyed and will truly remember. From the laughs I had during the performance to the ones I had during the intermissions, making the most out of an experience is what matters at the end of the day and I’m happy that I did. 

Music Has Theory Behind it?

Music really has a whole lot of depth behind then what it seems. Most people listen to music without really considering how it was formed, or why certain notes are placed in a certain way. I was one of those people, and even worse for me, I played music without understanding it. But in high school, I took an AP Music Theory class, which really helped me see music in a totally different light.

I’ll try to explain how there is some logic behind all types of music, from movie music, electronic music, popular music, virtually all kinds of music.

As some may know, there are 7 notes that are primarily used in music: C,D,E,F,G,A,B. After B is a C, and the process repeats and repeats. When a composer creates a song, he or she usually sets it in a key, which is a group of notes that belong to that specific key. An example of this is the C Major Key, which consists of C,D,E,F,G,A,B, or the F Major Key, which consists of F,G,A,B flat (the note a half step below B), C,D,E.

The I (one) chord, known as the tonic,  is created by three notes that start with the first degree of the key, all with 3 half steps in between each note. So for the C major key, the I chord is C,E,G, and for the F major key, the I chord is F,A,C. The tonic chord is usually known as the chord of resolution and grounding.

The V (five chord), known as the dominant, is created by three notes that start with the fifth degree of the key, with each note having three half steps in between. So for C major key, the V chord is G,B,D, and for the F major key, the V chord is D,F,A. The dominant chord is usually know as the chord of tension and drama.

Most composers create music that revolve between the I and V chord, between the resolution and the tension. That’s how the basis of music is formed! I’d love to tell you more about different kind of chords and such, but I’d end up writing an essay or a book by that point.

GRiZ the Wiz

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Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure to see a DJ from Detroit perform at Terminal 5. His stage name is GRiZ. Unlike the rest of the people I’ve seen, what made GRiZ stand out was his saxophone playing skills. While he was up there on stage mixing, he was playing the saxophone at the same time. The sax is his secret weapon in standing out amongst the myriad of EDM artists popping up all over the nation.
Before going in, I did not know that he played the saxophone. When he took it out in the middle of his set, I was confused as to what he was going to do with it. Then right when he started to actually play the sax, I was blown away. The soothing, jazzy sounds of the sax complemented the hard beats of his electronic set. It was incredible that he was able to do such a thing. His saxophone playing was effortless, and his ability to switch back and forth without messing up made it even better.

Roseland Ballroom

One of my favorite venues for concerts is the Roseland Ballroom situated in Midtown on West 52nd street. However, this may no longer be the case as it is rumored to be closing next year April. This was said to hear because it has been around for nearly a century and has been host to many great artists like: Sting, Beyonce, and deadmau5. The historic Roseland Ballroom is famous for its chill atmosphere and great space. This year I’ve frequented many concert venues and Roseland has always been my favorite. It boasts high ceilings and great ventilation, so that even in the most crowded spaces, it would not feel stuffy. Having held events for so many different generations in New York City, from the 1920s flappers era to now, it is unfortunate to see such a historic place go.

My Review on “Fun Home”

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This past Wednesday, we went to see “Fun Home” at the Public Theater. (The first picture above was taken from my phone camera, sorry about the horrible quality!) I absolutely loved how director Sam Gold creatively made Bechdel’s graphic novel come to life, literally! I loved loved loved it! He excellently weaved together a beautiful musical. I admired how adult Alison stood over at the sidelines and gave her comments to the audience. It made it so entertaining to watch.

I also love the tone and overall atmosphere that the actors and stage had. The costumes and settings were exactly as I pictured it in the graphic novel, except better! The stage was very detailed and interesting. I love how the turnstile on the stage added to the effect of different settings weaving together. The musical definitely was a different experience compared to when I read the book. When I was reading the book it was really depressing to read, but when I was in the Public Theater, I felt excited to learn what was next despite the fact I knew what would happen next!

Watching this musical made me feel like a kid again! I wonder what Alison Bechdel would think if she saw this. I wonder if it would be up to her standards. Would she like it or not? Also, I wonder what the older audience members were thinking about when they saw this. Did they see the deep meaning behind this musical compared to us who read the book? I wonder how long it took for the children on set to rehearse, they feel so confident and strong on stage. I’m curious about how the kids on set feel when they hear cursing or see partial nudity when they’re on stage.

I asked a few of you guys what you thought and most of you thought it was amazing compared to the book because the musical bought Bechdel’s autobiography to life. Did you guys find any flaws in this? I thought it was exceptionally perfect! What else do you guys think about this musical?