Time

Time is ageless. How? Well, think about it. Age is just a factor that helps us keep track of a living being’s lifespan. It doesn’t necessarily hold time’s powers. Time only moves forward; it is an entity in and of itself. Because time is it’s own entity, it doesn’t hold power over opera nor does it hold a drape of doddery over it. So all operas are open to interpretation and change. Opera cannot only be for the rich and older generations. Age is not a boundary for this generation only money and the impression of the opera keeps the younger generation away. But this is changing. The opera is starting to open up for the younger audience. It’s slowly donning a new wardrobe that will appeal to younger audiences. Opera has to adapt and, through peoples’ innovations, it can. One such opera is Les Contes D’Hoffmann.

Les Contes D’Hoffmann transports us into a different time period, but it still strikes us. The aura, air, and ambience of the stage and its actors envelope the audience. The stage is dim, but the actors and actresses bring out their voices. The singing is melodic, rhythmic, and memorable. The clothing accentuates the characters’ personalities. The background is simple, yet regal and superb. Nothing is taken for granted. Everything works together. It cannot be easily forgotten nor will the audience be dulled by this production.

The beginning is a slow spark that lights the gunpowder of the keg. The stage is empty, yet it is filled with people. Suddenly, a person talks, or rather, sings. At one point a doll-like figure (I believe to be Olympia) falls when the muse says something like, “I will break away your chains,” and this subtle fall alerted me to the entire stage. Our eyes cannot rest. They have to continuously be moving to capture the entire set. If they do rest, we risk missing a part of a whole. Also, if our eyes rest, they may rest too much and fall into a deep slumber. But, alas! there is no fear for our eyes and mind to delve into slumber because the next scene is in a harem (I believe) and, personally, I was surprised. I don’t think anyone would be sleeping or distracted by anything else if they saw the scene. All this changing and bright-colored costumes keeps the audience wanting more. We are drinking in the opera: the sounds, colors, and eye-catching wardrobe.

The second act is the simplest set of the opera with its tree backdrop, chair, and piano. All the silhouettes cast an ominous hue on the stage and crowd. The trees amplify it with their sharp, outstretching branches. There is no color. There is sound; there is movement. The constant motion of the actors and actresses makes up for the simplistic setting. Nothing is overpowered by one aspect. This act moves swiftly and death befalls Hoffmann’s beloved. Time did not stop. It continues to move on. Dr. Miracle and Antonia’s mother exit – their silhouettes growing larger as they do so. It is grim. The spark has trickled down, but will be revived.

The last act is gaudy and lecherous because of the outfits and performance. The spark is rekindled and stage filled with props and more people. This act has less movement yet there is a quarrel between Giuletta’s lovers: Hoffmann and Schlémil, but it is sudden and swift. The entire stage was consumed with people. There was even a gondola. The props were strewn all over, but they had a place that brought everything together. Even that partial stone wall didn’t seem out of the ordinary. The people brought the set together. It was dark yet it was lively. The act finished suddenly and it moved onto the epilogue.

In the prologue, Hoffmann sang about Kleinzach and again it ends with Kleinzach. This lively song makes everything seems young again. It made me feel like a young child listening to nursery rhymes. But this simple, fun song completes the spark that doesn’t go out with a bang. It slowly fizzles out into the dark keg never reaching its destination. Instead, Hoffmann will have his muse and find a different way to get there.

Time didn’t affect this piece. Current impressions of the opera will. The mindset of the current generation has to change. Opera is not only for the regal, rich, and silver – it has become an event for everyone. People of all ages take advantage of the summer HD festival because they want to watch an opera and it’s free. That’s another factor that needs to change: the price. It can be difficult to afford a good seat. Some things may have to change in order to bring in a new audience. It’s not that they don’t want to watch, it’s that they can’t watch. Because an opera is long, doesn’t mean that people will sit to watch it. People sit for hours watching reruns or marathons on TV. It’s, I believe, the mindset of today’s current generation. I feel that the majority is closed-minded so much that they cannot even see themselves doing things that happened only a century ago. Maybe it’s that or maybe it’s a different reason. Time changes everything, but it cannot choose what it changes.