Going to the opera for the first time last week was quite a strange experience, whether it be for the fact that we had to watch a performance from such as elevated height (which I actually quite liked) or the fact that I actually ended up enjoying an event that I was not looking forward to. The largest fear i had towards going to the opera was obviously falling asleep, yet there was more than enough interesting things that occurred that caught my attention. Whether it be the extravagent sets or the clothing, I was definitely interested. However, the thing that caught my attention during the whole performance the most was the music of Carmen, especially the individual arias performed by the singers. Down below, I’m going to talk a little about some of my favorite musical moments from Carmen.
Habanera – Carmen
Definitely the most recognizable aria from the opera, the reasons behind the popularity of the habanera is quite clear. The whole of the habanera is followed by an immediately recognizable set of cello notes from which the whole aria is based around, whether it be the backing chorus behind Carmen or the phrasing of the words that Carmen sings. However, the highlight of the aria is quite clearly Carmen, whose repeated verses show off the seductive nature of her character and balance perfectly with the backing of the chorus, who repeat important phrases at louder volumes and different tones.
Toreador – Escamillo
While the backing to the Toreador song is also very recognizable, the backing rhythm is based more around violins during quite parts when simply Toreador is singing, while the percussion instruments join in when ever the chorus chimes in. The intention of this aria in relation to Escamillo’s character is to show him off as a majestic, brave character, and to show him of being of higher stature than anyone around him. All in all, while the aria does it’s job quite well and is easily recognizable, it definitely pales in comparison to the habanera.
Je Dis Que Rien – Micaela
The last aria of Carmen is quite unique in that unlike the previous two solos, this one by Michael neither has an easily recognizable rhythm nor the backing of a chorus, being a true solo. Furthermore, this aria only receives musical backing from a piano, rather than any string instruments, allowing for a larger focus on the singing of Micaela. It is quite clear, even without understanding the words, that Micaela is singing about her love of Jose. However, the aria suffers from the lack of a easily recognizable rhythm, as it prevents listeners from easily remembering the aria in the same why you would remember the habanera or the toreador song.
Last weekend I visited the National Museum of the American Indian.
As I was walking around, I noticed many different sculptures and artifacts that represent the history and culture of Indian tribes. However, one particular piece that was appealing to me was this sculpture of the maize goddess, known as Mexica Chicomecoatl, which also means “seven snakes”. I found it interesting that a female figure was given such great significance. Once I approached it and took a closer look, I noted that this sculpture was standing upright, and the goddess seemed to have a very determined, confident expression. I was really amazed at how clearly the features were depicted, given that this sculpture was made at the period between AD 1325–1521.
Noting that the goddess is holding two ears of corn in each hand led me to think that corn must have been a very important crop among the people who worshipped the goddess. I later learned that this female spirit of corn was one of the most respected deities among the farmers of Central Mexico. Many similar carved sculptures of her were produced, and while some of them were used for family worship in rural communities, others, such as this one, were placed in a temple.
It is truly captivating to see how such a beautiful piece of art was created as a result of spiritual beliefs. The fact that the sculpture is made out of stone makes it appear strong and firm as opposed to delicate and vulnerable. It was quite impressive to look at this complex sculpture and all its tiny details while knowing that it was made so many centuries ago. This single piece of art in fact unravels a great history of creative people who were able to portray important themes in the form of art, which we are lucky enough to be exposed to today.
Bebo Valdes, a pioneer in Cuban music and important individual in the spread of Latin jazz across the United States, passed away a year ago on March 22. His influence on jazz however was quite strange, given the limited amount of times he even went to America. The spread of his influence shows how the power of popular producers and record labels can allow for the spread of one’s music. The reality is that you do not have to be popular amongst everyone to be influential. You simply have to be popular amongst everyone who goes on to become popular to become influential.
A clear example of Bebo spreading his influence during his limited trips to the United States came in 1950, when he had a couple of recording sessions with Nat King Cole. By the 1950’s, Cole was one of the most popular jazz musicians in the United States and was the leader and pianist of an extremely large jazz band. The interaction between this two great musicians perhaps was an important, but perhaps unnoticed event in jazz history and could have played a role in spreading the Cuban and Latin jazz that Bebo was responsible of making.
Going to the National Jazz Museum allowed for a pretty unique experience not just because it exposed me to jazz, a genre of music I do not actively seek out often, but also because it made more aware of the great but perhaps relatively little known musicians in jazz history, such as Charlie Parker or of course Bebo Valdes. After all, not everyone can be as well known or entrenched in pop music in Miles Davis. There needs to be pillars to music, a backbone that drives and pushes music forward. It was clear after our trip the museum that Bebo was definitely responsible for being one of the pillars of the house of jazz music and his influence can still be felt in music, whether it be Latin jazz or Cuban music.
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