The Arts in New York City

An Opera? Sounds boring. Well that’s what I first thought when I read it on the syllabus. However, I was so happy that we had the great opportunity to even go to such a wonderful Opera even though I got home at 1 am!

Walking down the streets to get to Lincoln Center, I was kind of tired but still excited to see what I would encounter that night. First off, Lincoln center was BEAUTIFUL at night and I was sad that I had never been to it before. “A place like this exists in NY?”; I thought to myself. Well, watching all the fancy people walk in and the beautiful chandeliers also made me feel very “cultured”. The atmosphere was very inviting.

I didn’t know how I would like the opera since it was in German and I have trouble enjoying things I cant understand even if there are subtitles. Yet, even though it was in German I felt like I could relate to the emotions of the performers and still enjoyed it even with subtitles.

I felt like the whole opera was not as traditional as I expected it to be (in a good way). In the first act, we get introduced to Hoffman, a guy we feel pity for as he is desperate for love. I think that this character is universal and relates to everyone that was watching the opera. Its like we feel obliged to watch and see where his love story goes. I definitely enjoyed the first act the most because I thought it was the most engaging and cheerful one. The costumes and set design were so uplifting that I felt drawn in even though we were all the way in the back. Furthermore, I liked the choreography of the different characters on stage although I would’ve liked more dancing throughout the whole opera. However, one thing that I was disturbed by was the almost naked women on stage! I felt that this was a bit TOO modern and VERY unnecessary. I wondered how the older audience felt about those costumes as well.

I felt like the second act was kind of gloomy and honestly it was hard for me to keep my eyes open. Its possible this is because it was getting later in the night but I was wide awake for the entirety of the first act so I’m not so sure. I loved the elegant dress that Antonia wore and her singing was very beautiful as well. I thought this act was on the more traditional side which I thought the opera needed to have some of so I did appreciate that. I think that a younger audience member such as myself would enjoy at least a little bit of traditional opera just because it’s classic. Personally, I don’t think that opera has to go too far from its more traditional form as Contes D’Hoffman showed. I felt like this opera had a perfect blend of traditional and modern opera to entertain all ages.

I don’t have the habit of sleeping that late so I must say during the third act, my eyes being forced to close. I did fight it, however, and thought the storyline overall was kind of crazy. This is actually a good thing because I wanted to know what would happen next in Hoffman’s unpredictable life. One thing that I think would help young adults appreciate the opera more is if it were at earlier times! That was one of the biggest problems I had with the show; it was way too late for me. I also feel like if opera directors publicized more it would help young people to explore opera. I never saw an opera ad or even heard of one and feel like the advertisers need to do a better job. If it wasn’t for Arts in NYC, I would’ve missed out on such a wonderful piece as many of my fellow teens already have.

Ok so my Tuesday starts with an 8:00 lecture class, staying in school the whole day, and  not knowing how I will stay awake for Contes D’ Hoffman.  I was not only awake, but I was engaged the entire time; despite the fact that I was awake for eighteen hours straight I can not reflect on this opera with any angst.  It was definitely a great way to start off and remember my first opera experience.

I want to start off with the background story of the production.  You would think when someone does a production taken from the 1800s that it would immediately be boring. In fact it was not, I think that the storyline of Offenbach’s work can be used for years to come.  How someone falls in love for a person and it usually goes wrong, I mean how many times do we see this on the TV screen.  I think that operas that show productions along this line will achieve their goal of drawing the younger audience.  We are always interested  in plots that involve this subject because it keeps us alert.  I think this was one of the reasons that this opera would be good for a young audience.  It would draw the youth and narrow the age gap of the audience so that it is not just the “graying” Americans that view great works.  I think that the story line was a huge factor that allowed me to stay attentive for three and a half hours.

So I understood the story line and another thing I noticed immediately was the stage setting.  I know critics have discussed heavily about the importance of stage setting in an overall production.  Based on readings, I wondered what would critics think of this stage, whether it was too distracting or just right.  Even though the stage was elaborate and decorative, I still was able to concentrate on the opera.  The curtains were very ornamented and fluffy in a way as well. I felt that the stages for the opera needed to be large because it was fitting to  the large theater.  The elements of the stage were also very detailed such as the tavern  The tavern displayed a very realistic appearance, one that I would imagine in a movie. These elements were fascinating and what amazed me is how fast the transitions of settings were made. Some occurred while singing was done which amazed me at how efficient and quick each setting was made contributing to the flow of the opera.

One element of the opera that I felt was needed to draw any young audience and myself to the work were the performers.  To be honest if the performers were your stereotypical fat lady singing, as a young audience I might not of given this opera a chance at all.  The performers were relatively young and alive which made me interested and kept me awake. I think the young performers were key because when I watch a young  performer I am interested because of the energy they have.  I was amazed at how they sang in French and how they knew the language so well.  The opera being sung in French kept me awake as well because the songs possess a rhythm because of the language.  This made songs such as Kleinzach very catchy and interesting.  They did not just do a usual “park and bark”, but spoke and sung with passion as if they were truly that character.  The character that played Hoffman sung with grief and anguish which made his role captivating and one to remember.

Lastly the costumes were also a very interesting way of expressing the storyline.  For instance, Hoffman’s costumes were always centered around black which emphasizes the constant grief he feels throughout the entire opera.  Another example is Giuletta’s costume which is a long deep dark red which can emphasize how seductive she is as a courtesan.  Ever since “The Taxi Driver”, I have been trying to analyze productions more carefully which is what I did for this production.  It made me intuitive towards the piece and overall enjoy my first opera experience all the more.

As part of a young audience, I first looked on the opera with such negativity.  I wanted the day to end so I could go home.  This opera appealed to me for so many reasons such as an interesting plot. The songs were not drawn out but just right and memorable. Overall my opera experience was eventful but definitely worth it.

Klick-klack…frick-frack! reverberated through my mind on my way home from The Metropolitan Opera.  As my first-time ever viewing an opera, I was a bit nervous about what to expect.  I  felt like I wouldn’t belong because I wasn’t as rich and royal as those who go to the opera often.  I expected a lot of dramatic old women carrying Chanel handbags and old men with top hats and Armani suits, and even though there were a few, the majority of the people there were ordinary people, like you and I.  I’d have to say that my favorite part about the opera was just looking at everyone around me.  I noticed a couple who was there on a date, and it seemed as if we were the only college students there–yay for Macaulay!

On my way out of the subway at 7:30 pm, I struggled to find Columbus Avenue, so I decided to follow the well-dressed people, assuming that they were headed in the same direction as me.  When I got there, I saw a huge bright, white building with lights everywhere and a lovely fountain in the middle.  I’ve always been a sucker for pretty fountains so I stopped for a moment and made sure to take a picture of the amazing landscape.  Once we all entered the opera, I couldn’t help but notice the huge gold curtain which was draped beautifully and every time it opened, I couldn’t help but think how cool it would be to have curtains like those in my house.

Before the opera began, we were given playbills that contained some really cool stuff like ads, upcoming events at the Met, and synopses of the acts, as well as those who donated to the opera and the actors.  At first, I wanted to read the synopses of the acts so that I would have an idea about what exactly was happening before I watched the opera, but I changed my mind because I wanted to see how well I would actually understand what was going on, given that there would be subtitles.

As I sat there watching the performance of Contes D’Hoffman, I found myself lost in the spectacular scenery, catchy songs, and intricate costumes that the subtitles were, for me, a plus.  I’m used to watching Bollywood films with subtitles so, it just felt normal for me.  The only thing I was really worried about was how I was going to stay away for three hours and forty minutes since I had been at school all day from 8:00 am.  Luckily, the opera was so amazing that I didn’t put my head down once, for fear on missing out on something great.

My favorite scene was definitely the prologue and act one because of all of the dancing, and the Kleinzach routine.  Olympia’s costume and the other robots’ costumes were gorgeous, innocent, and really added to the quirkiness of this act and their “father,” the scientist.  It almost felt like I was watching a scene from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory because of the long swirly pole on stage along with the lights and colors.  I thought this act was the most fun because it made the audience laugh at the Kleinzach routine, and Olympia’s singing every time her “battery” ran out and she needed to be tuned up again.  It was also entertaining because of the ballet dancing which was exceptional.  I also like the umbrellas with the eyes on it because they were really cute and they added to the funny nature of this act.

Overall, my favorite actress was Hoffman’s second love, Antonia, because her voice was beyond amazing.  I didn’t even know a sound like that could come out of a human being.  Her voice was flawless and she controlled it very well.  I didn’t mind that Antonia did a lot of the so-called “park and bark” because her voice was so astonishing that I just wanted to focus on that alone.

Hoffman also did a great job at his part in the opera and I was amazed that he was able to sing for so long with a short amount of breaks, so kudos to him for that.  Overall, the costumes were very fitting for this particular show.  Antonia’s dress was beautiful and flowing, which showed the looseness of her voice.  Giuletta’s dress was very form-fitting to show off her figure which also went very well with the character she was trying to play.

After the opera was over, I was so surprised at the time, 11:40 pm!  Even though the train ride home for me consisted of construction, a shuttle bus, and two hours of commuting, the opera was totally worth it.  I would definitely go back to see another opera, whether Macaulay funds it or not because I have to admit, that I liked it more than the Little Foxes we saw  a few weeks ago.  I think that if young people my age had the chance to experience opera, it would be appealing to them, but since operas are so expensive, it’s hard for schools to fund them.  We all thought that operas are snoozefests but now our minds have been changed and we can’t wait to go again.  However next time, I want to be just as dressed up as the older folk sitting in the front row–gown, binoculars, high-heels, and all!

Overall, I really enjoyed Contes D’Hoffman.  It was the first opera I’ve been to and it was amazing.  It totally contradicted any preconceived notions I had about opera.  I pictured opera as being on an empty, brown stage, with a fat woman standing in the middle screaming at the top of her lungs while the audience snored.  The Metropolitan Opera could not have been further from what I pictured.  The theater was just beautiful- I loved how the room was so big and bright and the chandeliers that beautifully hung overhead magically disappeared into the ceiling when the opera started.  I especially loved that massive gold curtain.  My favorite part of the opera may have been every time when the curtain opened.  The color and draping was just really pretty.

The performance itself was a major contrast from how I imagined it.  The stage was as far from the blah brown table I imagined it to be.  I loved the spectacle of it all- everything was big and bright and completely over the top.  I loved the old-fashioned ball gowns some women were wearing as well as the funny crowns the robots wore.  The first act was the easiest to follow, but that might have been because we read it in our Series packet.  It was just confusing how one minute the robot was dancing and singing and the next second someone brought her on stage in pieces, because I never saw her go off stage.  I think that might have been because in what we read there was only one robot talked about, but in the opera there were many identical robots.

I also liked how crazy and unbelievable the plot was.  At some points I found myself thinking “this is so stupid, there’s no way that could happen”, but most of the time I liked it because it was just so out there, like a completely different world.  Like Alice in Wonderland, they create these crazy plots that don’t make sense, but I love them anyway.

I thought the best singer was the second woman, Antonia.  At times in the second act I just closed my eyes and listened to the music.  While my initial reason for closing my eyes was because I was tired, once they were closed I was better able to appreciate the singing and music because I wasn’t distracted by the spectacle I enjoyed so much.

I think the reason the opera doesn’t appeal to people our age is because they, like me, have all these preconceived notions of how boring and awful the opera will be.  Another reason they might not like it is because it is sung in a different language.  That didn’t bother me because a) I don’t think I would have understood even if they sung it in English and b) I had a lot of fun putting on Spanish subtitles and seeing how much I could understand.  And even though I didn’t understand all the words, I understood enough to get the general idea of what was going on.

I was also really excited to catch an actor doing the “park and bark”, so I kept looking out for that and whispering loudly to my neighbors “oh look! I think they’re doing the park and bark.”

Overall I had a good time and wouldn’t even mind going again.  It was a really exciting night out.  The only thing I would say is that I feel the opera was a bit too long- three and a half hours and two intermissions!!  Are there always two intermissions so the actors can rest their voices, or was it only for this performance to break up the 3 stories of the 3 women?

Oh and can I just say my favorite part might have been finding the people dressed in ball gowns to come see the opera??  They got so fancy in gowns and fur coats and so elegant, while we, or at least I, was so not.  It was fun taking pictures of them for the photojournal.