It was definitely a magical night. The sets and inhumanly, beautiful voices captivated me.
Looking back, there was this extremely apparent build up to the exuberant feeling I felt when the show ended. At first when the opera began, I had to adjust to reading the translation and paying attention to the story and the scenes and the voices. Les Contes D’Hoffman was a lot to take in. But by the second act I found my rhythm. I think that is maybe why I connected most to the second act. I was adjusted to what was going on around me, and my eyes and ears were able to work harmoniously to appreciate the sound and sights taking place. I also really enjoyed the performance by the woman who played Antonia. I have a thing for subtleties and that is what her performance and the whole second act were about. In deep contrast to act I, act II was a simple set and it created eerie and melancholy feeling for the audience. I love simplistic feel of the screens with delicately branched trees on them, and the fabric on the ground that created the illusion of snow. The scenes in act II put an emphasis on silhouettes. For instance, there was the black outline of the horse and carriage and the haunting images of people pacing behind the tree, both so beautiful. There were moments when Antonia’s voice and the music flowing from the ground beneath her were so in sync. I cannot even describe the feeling I had during those moments. It was completely out of body.
The last scene, when Hoffman and his muse were back in the bar, and the muse is wearing her brightly nude gown again, really brought the entire production together. The harmony and sadness of that moment was intensely apparent. I forgot the exact words, but they were singing something about how basically you can learn from sorrows and failed love. The muse tells Hoffman to extract genius from his sorrows. This concept of life experiences and troubles breeding enlightenment has recently been floating in my head and following me around. In philosophy, I read a quote by John Dewey where he says, “Experience is primarily a process of undergoing: a process of standing something; of suffering and passion, of affection…The organism has to endure, to undergo, the consequences of its own actions.” And along with all the joy and grandeur of this opera I really felt this underlying theme. This idea also reminds me of the character Tobin writing “The Metal Children” as a relief for his broken heart. Something else I have taken from this opera is that lots of beer in a German pub is the real solution to life’s complexities. 🙂 (Just kidding…)
When I was younger my parents would always take my family to Broadway shows. We would all put on cute outfits and drive into the city. The feeling I felt in a Broadway theatre was anticipation and excitement. Sitting in a plush seat in a large, ornately decorated theatre can do that to you.
But Tuesday night the Metropolitan Opera gave me a completely new feeling. I could literally taste the energy in the air. It was like a million different particles were zooming around the theatre waiting for the show to begin. Looking around at the audience, I had this realization that I was part of something great. It is not just the performance that creates an overall experience; it is the audience as well.
Unlike when I was a kid, sitting in Lincoln Center among an older crowd of opera patrons made me like I was part of history. It actually really brought me back in time. I know this idea is a little over the top, but there were actual moments where I felt like I was an actress in a period piece. The decorated theatre, the box seats, audience members with gold binoculars, to me it was all part of an elaborate historical set.
To people who go to operas all the time this feeling may seem absurd. But to me, part of the enchantment of the performance was the place it took me to. America today is not classy and grand like the opera is. Our society has shifted from that grandeur and is now focused on technology and celebrity and making everything bigger and better.
Perhaps that is what makes the Opera so pertinent and important for younger generations. It is a taste of the culture and atmosphere of the past. It is a way for us to experience and hold on to a tradition that seems so out of place in America today. It is simply magical.
