Opera, “Don Giovanni”, Mozart, I was so familiar with these words without even knowing exactly what or who they really are because they are just so famous and classic. That was the reason I was longing for the night of November 7 since I got the syllabus, and my experience with “Don Giovanni” started long before and after that night.

Just as a habit, I read the synopsis of “Don Giovanni” before I got the reading packet. (Thanks to my mother to help me develop this habit since the first time I went to see a ballet performance. Also as a habit, I read all the synopsis in Chinese.) Because of curiosity, I watched the first scene of the first Act of the opera online. This video was the 1954 Salzburg Festival version with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (sounds familiar, but not exactly the same cast). After attending the opera, I felt obligated to finish the entire video. As a result, I kept comparing the two performances, although I am not justified in doing so, because there are large differences between a video and a live performance.

There was always something good and something bad about a performance. The good aspect of this new production was its stage effect, which was truly fascinated. While I would like the set of Commendatore’s garden to be different from the set of the street, the overall design has realistically reflected the architectural style of the time period the story took place. I especially liked the villagers’ party scene, with the large empty space in the middle, a few rural houses on two sides and the bright golden light that suggested sunset. The set and lighting created a very charming atmosphere for this scene. The cemetery scene was a little funny. When I looked at the marble statues, I thought they were Japanese samurais, because the stage was dark and the statues were short. My favorite scene was when Don Giovanni was dragged to hell. The way Don Giovanni disappeared from stage has accurately reflected the concept of going down to hell. The fire effect was excellent in symbolizing the destruction of an evil life. The costumes were relatively unimpressive. They were too modern and casual. I couldn’t distinguish between Don Giovanni and Leporello’s costumes, since they wore similar white shirts and capes. Donna Elvira wore a blue dress (if I remembered correctly) which made her look like a country girl. I don’t remember what Zerlina wore. Donna Anna’s black dress and Don Ottavio’s black suit were set by the story, so nothing really special. Despite of these flaws, the non-performance elements were very well-done.

I was a little disappointed at the performing part of the opera. The main elements of the opera were music and songs. From where I sat, I felt the music was so flat. It couldn’t bring me into the mood of the opera. Moreover, the singers had too many unnecessary movements. Why did Don Giovanni lie next to the Commendatore after he killed him? Did Zerlina and Masetto have to roll around the ground to show their love? Why did Donna Elvira need to kneel on the ground to sing her fine aria? While these body movements were very expressive for dancers, singers shouldn’t have too many deliberate movements. First, singers couldn’t concentrate on singing while they moved intentionally. Second, singers need to use lots of their strength in singing. Moving around too often would take away their strength which would lower the quality of their singing. People just can’t dance while they sing especially in opera. Lastly, singers should express their mood and emotions through their voices. Sadly, in this opera, I couldn’t hear much of the singers’ emotions. For example, when Donna Elvira sang her aria, she used her body to express herself rather than her singing. Compared to the video I saw, Donna Elvira was so concentrated on singing that all her gestures and movements became so natural. After all, opera is opera. If the singers can concentrate more on “singing” the emotions than “dancing”, I think the performance would be more appealing.

To be honest, I was really satisfied with this new production of “Don Giovanni”. I was glad that it didn’t become too fancy. A classic should always remain classic. No matter how producers innovated on their productions, the centuries old opera should have the taste of the centuries old classic.

No need to say, the experience in the Metropolitan Opera House was certainly a fantasy. I fell deeply in love with it. The opera house provides high quality artistic enjoyments to people from different classes. The seats in the family circle are affordable to most people, though I would like to have better seat the next time I attend an opera. The opera house itself has its own glamour to attract people. The red velvet wall, golden light, revolving stairs with red carpet, how can all of these be an urban nightmare? Moreover, the Metropolitan Opera House and many other art institutions in New York City are doing very well in helping people to be more aware about arts. Only people would group themselves in different class, books would not, and so as arts. (After attending the opera, I truly think I should find a way to escape the nightmare of my life.)

So my next plan to the Metropolitan Opera House: the American Ballet Theatre spring season, “Onegin”, a Russian and ballet version of “Don Giovanni”.

Hey everyone, it’s a me Don Giovanni here today (parody of it’s a me Mario, of course!) Now back to the opera experience, the grandeur of the opera theater and the spectacular display of the red velvet coloring that seemed ubiquitous greatly impressed me. While I was outside of the opera building, I really enjoyed viewing the lighted-up staircases, the water fountain in the center, and all the beautiful lights that produced an incandescent environment. With such intricately resplendent style that the opera boasted, it’s no surprise why all the affluent individuals were enticed to view the opera. I also enjoyed the seemingly everlasting walk up the staircase to get into the opera theater (such good exercise!) Once inside, I was astonished by how enormous the theater was and our seats were so far away that it made everything seem microscopic (yes, just like in biology class).

All in all, the fact that us young viewers were so far apart from the characters detracted from the opera experience. For example, with the young audience being what seemed like miles away from the actors, it was impossible (unless, binoculars were utilized) to scrutinize the expressions of the characters and difficult to perceive who was actually singing or even what was going on. Moreover, at some point the opera turned into a vapid performance for me, because of the continuous singing and cliched theme. I was surprised that these actors can sing for that long, even with high-pitched voices (my the talent they possess). At first, I thought the opera would involve some exciting plot, but instead it portrayed a rather hackneyed plot of a man cheating on a woman, a whole lot of women, I should say. For me, like most people, the highlight of the opera was the incredible fire scene. That made my night. I was waiting anxiously for the moment when Don Giovanni would get punished for his sins, and indeed he got what I call an “epic punishment.” Honestly, at some point of the opera I almost fell asleep, thinking when the torture would be over. I mean the actors did a superb job singing and acting, but singing for 3 hours is definitely not my thing (that too in a different language!).

Next, I would like to discuss the setting and costumes of the characters. I felt that the setting was appropriate for opera because it fit well with the costumes the actors were wearing and the plot of the play. I really like how the houses split in the middle to reveal a new setting. From what I could make out (due to the distance away I was from the actors), the costumes suited the opera and were rather elaborately designed. I loved the mob holding the torches and the fire effects were like seeing the Fourth of July (well not really, but still fun!) In addition, as all the plays I’ve viewed, the characters seemed very involved into their role and performed wonderfully, in my opinion. However, I despised the fact that Elvira still forgave Don Giovanni after all he had done to he. I mean woman, come to your senses! Overall, I always like it when characters are really passionate about what they do and loved the fancy area I was in.

I feel that the opera was a nightmare in the aspect that Don Giovanni was betraying all these innocent women, but a fantasy, like Mehreen said, in the magnificent environment we were in with all the rich people. I just liked how there was so much color and fanciness, even though like the Anthony Caro exhibit, I felt alienated by the rich-looking people. Essentially, the opera illustrates to us the splendid region of New York and the many talented people that are part of it. Mainly, I don’t think the opera was appealing to a young opera viewer myself because I was surrounded by a group of people I wouldn’t normally be with and that it was in a different language. Continuously looking at the subtitles and then back to the play was annoying; I just wish the opera was in English. Yes, I admired the talent of these characters singing in such high voices, but the opera is not for me. I’m just glad I had the opportunity to experience the opera because it generated a new insight of the arts for me.

I remember Professor Healey say how you can either hate or love the opera. There is no in between with an opera. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the opera experience. I expected myself to fall asleep at least once throughout, but gladly I didn’t. I can’t say the reason I stayed awake was because Don Giovanni was such an amazing opera. It was more than that. I loved the singing aspect of the opera which is what makes an opera unique from any other form of storytelling I’m familiar with. I was amazed at how high some of the notes were and how successfully the actors hit them. The set of the opera was a little dull but I found it really cool how they would move and be appropriate for the specific scenes. The costumes were also a little dull in color but somewhat appropriate for the peasants they were supposed to be.

The opera was very enjoyable even though I had some difficulty understanding what was going on. I could not see the faces of the actors. I could not tell who was singing. I could not differentiate between the characters. Having to go back and forth from watching the stage to reading the subtitles was a little annoying. I would try to read all the subtitles in one glance so I wouldn’t miss anything important. Gladly, I didn’t miss much so it wasn’t so inconvenient for me. But overall, I think the opera experience was beautiful.

I feel a little differently about Don Giovanni, the opera itself. I loved the story of the opera. I was very happy when Don Giovanni got what he deserved considering how much I despise man-whores and cheaters. That being said, the opera was not as enjoyable. The second act was so slow and went on and on compared to the first. The first one was more exciting and didn’t drag on. I understand that Elvira was hurt because she loved Don Giovanni yet confused because he betrayed her. I understand that. I do. But was it really necessary for her to sing about it for such an extensive period of time?

Honestly, I don’t believe the opera was very successful in appealing to young viewers. Tickets to the opera are just too expensive for me to go frequently. I enjoyed the opera and the singing. The Metropolitan Opera is truly beautiful as velvet is everywhere but it’s just not possible for me to attend on a regular basis or even an irregular one. Also, the people who do watch operas every other day don’t expect to see a younger audience. While waiting in line for the bathroom, I got a few dirty looks from some of the older women. I don’t think most young people want to torture themselves by watching a three-hour long performance in a different language, but there are those that enjoy operas, such as myself.  I consider the opera to be a New York fantasy because everybody gets all dressed up in their most expensive outfit and jewels. People buy the expensive drinks and mingle with the other well-dressed people. If you attend an opera, you are kind of considered part of the high-class and that’s what people want. They want to associate with the rich and it confirms their dreams to be successful and know they’ve accomplished it.

Top of the morning ladies and gents! Unless of course you are reading this in the evening in which case bottom of the evening! In the next few paragraphs I will unravel the true meaning and magic of the opera and formulate opinions on whether it appeals to the youth of NYC and most importantly, if it represents NY as a nightmare/fantasy.

Critic Checklist

Wacky/gripping intro

Review of the plot and story

Review of the costume, set, and music

Does it appeal to the younger generation?

NY nightmare/fantasy

 There is always something special about your first _____. It always resonates in your mind, you know? Like the first time I ate a peach, my first day in college, the first time I called 911 by accident, the first time I prank called someone, the first time I got attacked by a squirrel, etc. Now, I was really excited to attend the opera because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Unfortunately, my first opera wasn’t as magical as I imagined in my head (I hate it when that happens).

Like Natasha, I believed the plot of the opera just seemed like a really bad soap opera. To be fair the story was quite interesting. As A-Lo (Alyssa) stated, there really is something eye-catching about a story of a man-whore. There were also a lot of moments where I giggled at the lines or the scenes. I will say the translator machine was a lifesaver as well as a distraction. There were times where I was bored and decided let’s read this in German! It was quite entertaining. Anyways, I feel the opera was unnecessarily too long; some of the songs could have been taken out. Honestly, how many times do we have to hear these woman singing, “oh my wretched heart…. I want vengeance.” -__-

I LOVED the set; it was incredibly intricate and just awesome. The fact that they were able to move those big block things to match so many different scenes and situations can only be explained by magic. The music was beautiful, hands-down the best part of the performance. It really complimented the story and set. The best part of the set was the FIRE! It was the greatest thing ever and I don’t think anyone expected it. Who would expect flamethrowers in an opera?!

For freshmen to the opera I don’t think Don Giovanni appealed to that many younglings. I can speak to myself and say it didn’t do a great job for me personally. It didn’t ruin the opera for me in general however, I didn’t find it that appealing…except for the fire of course. Also, I feel like the youth would have found the circus outside the MET much more appealing. ^_^

Lastly, it’s really hard for me to say because we haven’t been able to discuss this theme as much however, I would say the opera represents NYC as fantasy (despite the nightmarish hell-fire on the stage). Honestly, I had such a grand vision in my head of how the opera would be. You always see such high-class individuals attending operas. In movies and shows there is always such grandeur when it comes to the opera. I myself envisioned attending the opera with a top hat, monocle, and cane, if that doesn’t say dream I don’t know what does.

I’m kind of torn about my experience with Don Giovanni.  Even in the weeks leading up to it I was of two different minds—up until about last Friday or so, I was completely dreading it and I was sure I would loathe it.  To be fair to the opera, though, that was partially because my roommate is an opera singer and is Always.  Playing.  Opera.  Music.  But I digress; I’m not here to talk about my roommate problems!  I’m here to talk about opera problems!

My main complaint about opera is that it’s just not accessible to everyday people, and not just because it’s the strange combination of a poorly told story with beautiful music.  I mean, Mamma Mia is a story poorly told through Abba songs, but you don’t need to know Abba to at least like what you’re seeing (not that I think Abba music is beautiful in any way, but you know what I mean).  We actually needed to prepare to see Don Giovanni—I kind of think that theater shouldn’t require you to read the summary of the performance beforehand in order to understand what’s going on.  If you could go on Wikipedia and read the summary for free and understand more than someone who read no summary and paid over $100 to see the actual performance, I would say that we have a problem.

Now, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the performance—for the most part, I did.  I definitely enjoyed the first act and invested a lot of energy in reading all the subtitles and watching the performers, but I was kind of burned out by the time the second act rolled around.  I found myself studying the shading on the doors of the set rather than paying attention to what was going on with the story.  I thought the singers were all very good, particularly the young lady who played the peasant girl whose name started with a Z…but that brings me to another problem—the characters themselves!  Their names are barely mentioned more than three times throughout the entire opera!  Sure, Giovanni and Anna are easy enough to remember, but I found myself forgetting the more complicated names almost as soon as they were sung (or flashed across my little screen).  I also found it impossible to tell Giovanni and Leporello apart from where we were sitting, because you couldn’t tell who was singing and their costumes were too similar.  One of them should have had a more distinct costume, for the sake of the people sitting where we were.  I didn’t have a problem with any of the other costumes, though; in fact, I really, really liked the peasants’ costumes.  Their earth tones coordinated beautifully with the set, which used the same palette of colors (even though, as I think Alyssa pointed out, they might have been a bit too fancy for peasants).  While I’m mentioning the set, I also thought that was beautiful and creative.  Whoever designed it had a great idea to make it be able to move and easily create different scenes.

Now comes the answer to the big question—was Don Giovanni successful in appealing to a younger generation of operagoers?  Honestly, I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I would have to say that the answer is no.  Even though I enjoyed the whole experience of doing something only rich people do (Kayde and I had a discussion on that monstrous line to the bathroom about how we had never seen so much velvet), and I also enjoyed the beautiful singing and exquisite score, I honestly don’t think I would ever pay to see another opera on my own just for the heck of it.  It’s just too expensive and too lengthy for me to become a frequent operagoer.  Even my roommate, who lives and dies by opera, told me it’s impossible for her to go as often as she would like because she just can’t afford it.

To answer the final question, I would say that the Metropolitan Opera definitely represents that fantasy side of New York (although I get the feeling that Eric would classify it as a nightmare).  I completely agree with Sylvia’s comparison of the New York of the opera to the New York of Manhattan—I could definitely see Woody Allen and Diane Keaton having a pseudointellectual conversation about Don Giovanni.  I kind of feel like right now would be a good moment to make a pun about fantasy/nightmare and Giovanni getting sucked into hell, but I think I’ve finally run out of steam.  Kind of like Don Giovanni itself.

But wait– BOOM! FIRE! SMOKE! I’M GETTING SUCKED INTO OPERA HELLLLLLL!

…sorry, did I just wake you up from your nap?

Believe it or not, I did actually spend six dollars on a brownie. Was it worth it? Absolutely. It may have been the best brownie I’ve ever had. Sprinkled with powdered sugar and filled with large chocolate chips I could not have asked for anything better. ALRIGHT. I feel much better now that I got that out of the way.

Back to the Opera. I’m seriously still borderline considering whether or not I enjoyed my time there. The first act had me genuinely interested in what Don Giovanni had done and where it would lead him. There’s something about cheating man-whores that had my eyes open for at least 85% of the first act. The convenience of the subtitles was something I could not have done without. I tried for a little to just focus on the stage and try to understand through their actions what was going on, but I invariably failed. As soon as the curtain actually opened I was impressed with the set. It was so intricate! The way the windows all opened and the building itself could be split apart and used as a plaza. I won’t lie, I was impressed. Unfortunately, I stopped being impressed with the first act there. The costumes were dim and I kept confusing Don Giovanni and Leporello (I think that’s his name). When the common people were dancing around because of an engagement, I didn’t think their costumes constituted the poor. I felt that the Leporello was part of that crowd but his clothes were significantly more fitting.

Intermission. I think I had the most fun of all during the intermission. I happily enjoyed my brownie and didn’t wait for 20 minutes on line for the ladie’s room. In fact, I was able to people watch. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many condescending stares in my life. I was waiting on line for food just like them, so I’m not quite sure what I did wrong. I even got cut on line but a woman with her nose so high in the air it’s possible she didn’t even see me. Rather than getting frustrated, I laughed. It was quite enjoyable seeing these people thinking they were better than me. I could’ve told them that I was there for free and didn’t pay a ridiculously outrageous price to not understand a thing the actors were saying BUT I held that bit in. (:

Back to the Opera. I will admit that I slept through most of act two. Prof. Healey should be able to vouch for this considering my head almost slipped onto her a shoulder an obscene amount of times. My attention was finally caught when flames spewed from the stage floor. Wow, kinnnnnda cool if you ask me.

I do think that the opera was affective in attracting a younger audience. I could’ve thoroughly enjoyed it if I had an energy drink before I came. I think that I may need to see more operas to truly form an opinion, but in all honesty I think it was quite an interesting show (minus the second act). Referring to the second question on whether this relates to “NY: Fantasy or Nightmare,” I couldn’t form an opinion. The story itself had no connection to anything we’ve been reading or watching in class. Taking into consideration the silly amount of money I would’ve spent on a ticket otherwise, I’d say the opera is a nightmare. The company isn’t exactly welcoming and the view is sort of horrible. From afar it may seem a fantasy of the rich and famous, but it really isn’t worth it.

First off, WOW!! The voices of those singers were giving me chills all throughout the performance.  As a lover of the style of song, I was blown away.

Now let me say I had many reservations about the experience as a whole. I absolutely loved the opera house, with its velvet walls and handrails, its well-lit atrium, and its especially stunning chandeliers. I’m all for dressing up and going out, so this was really fun for me.

Now on the issue of the show.  Honestly, I thought the plot was really boring, a story I’ve heard before.  An insensitive, heartless “player” of a man goes around deceiving people and eventually his awful deeds catch up to him.  I was so disgusted by the things he was saying and how careless he was toward everyone else.  And his former lover, Elvira I think her name was, who both hated and loved him at the same time was getting on my nerves.  I mean, come on, he’s cheated on you LITERALLY a thousand times and you still love him? I wanted to slap her; she was really making me angry.

Having the subtitles there was not the most convenient because even though it allowed me to understand what was going on, I could only look at them or the stage because of the way they were placed.  Also, the placement of our seats was not the most enjoyable.  I found it very hard to follow the story when I couldn’t see who was singing.  As for their costumes and the set, I cannot say much; I could barely see their color.  It frustrated me that I could not look at the actors’ faces, to see if they were emoting what they were singing or if they looked like they were doing this for the money.  Soon enough, I gave up on my frustration and directed my focus to the singing and the orchestra.

I don’t think this opera was successful with any of the young viewers because it didn’t engage them enough.  If the sound were louder so that it may completely encompass the audience, it would have eliminated a lot of distractions.  If there were brighter colors and more lighting, then maybe I could have actually seen what was going on down there.  Maybe they do that because overwhelming the senses would be too much to handle for the older people? I don’t know, but I was not into it at all. There was little movement besides walking around (except in the two dancing scenes), which tends to get boring. (*Side Note: Their not jumping around is quite understandable because the difficulty of how they’re singing requires much energy from the body.  They cannot take away from the virtuosity of the singing to make room for movements.) If this performance were compared to a Broadway show, Broadway would most definitely get the young viewers and it probably does.  There is more to engage with in a show on Broadway; everything is louder in terms of sound, color, costumes, people, and storyline.  Everything is made to pop at the audience and allow them to relate.  But how is a teen going to relate to 18^th or 19^th century living? The cultural context is not there, so I, for one, was completely isolated from it.

As for the high life, I could definitely see them there.  I received many dirty looks from my fellow audience members; they were a mixture of surprise and disgust at my age and the fact that I was attending an opera.  During intermission, I went to use the restroom and some of the older ladies were completely and utterly horrified at the length of the line while I was just like, hey, you haven’t seen the lines at Splish-Splash, at least this one’s moving quickly.  I also got a particularly dirty look from a “gentleman” as I was trying to get to my seat and he had to stand so I could pass. Um, ok? I guess I’m not sophisticated enough to earn your chivalry? That part of the night was not fun.

To people that came “dressed to the nines” ready to buy drinks and mingle (on a Monday night?), this part of New York is a glittering fantasy; this is what they are used to, this is normal New York.  It mirrored Woody Allen’s stories in Manhattan perfectly and just like the movie, managed to disgust me.  Those of the highlife, like the founders of the Metropolitan Opera itself, get this image when someone says New York, the image of velvet walls and shiny stuff.  Most of the people I know, which apparently is middle class and below, get the image of hardship and toil.  For them enjoying New York is a walk through Times Square or window-shopping down 5^th Ave.  They can only merely glance and admire what those of “high” stature have at their fingertips everyday.  Our being at this opera showed perfectly the clash of higher and lower and it was really amusing to watch.

I’m going to start with a pretty controversial opinion: I actually enjoyed the opera. Were there times when it got repetitive? Sure. Was it a bit too long? You betcha! But overall, I had a great experience.

Walking into the theater was overwhelming. Gorgeous lighting fixtures were all over, the walls were velvet, and everyone was so well dressed. But in a way, that was part of the excitement. You got to feel like a part of the New York elite. Sure, we didn’t pay for our tickets, and we couldn’t afford the champagne, but no one else had to know that. We got to play the part of being cultured, upper class teens for a night.

Now I have to admit, the show wasn’t exactly “user friendly.” It was extremely hard to see the stage from where we were to begin with, but trying to read the subtitles simultaneously made it almost impossible. It was hard to tell who was speaking, and so it was hard to keep track of conversations, especially when there was a crowd of actors on stage.  I had no idea what the characters actually looked like until I was able to use binoculars. (Thanks Aamir!)

Despite the confusion, I still managed to follow the story. In fact, the whole time I was just thinking about the article we had read about modernizing operas. I had a clear vision of a movie coming out with the Don Giovanni plot applied to a high school setting. A “player” being haunted by one of his old conquests. Sure, there are some pieces I still have to work out (like Donna Anna’s father’s ghost) but I think it could be great. However I have a feeling the idea wouldn’t be met with excitement from the opera community.

It wasn’t just the plot that interested me though. While the set was not exactly vibrant, I thought the way it worked was extremely cool. I loved that two large structures were able to transform into so many settings. Oddly enough, the costumes were also pretty demure. Most outfits were neutral colors: tan, brown, beige, and the occasional white. For a show with people sitting so far away, I assumed the costumes would be more distinctive to help people keep the characters straight. This was partially true, as Donna Anna wore black and a veil, and Donna Elvira wore nicer, shinier clothing than the other women, but for the most part, the characters were hard to tell apart. Weirdly, the most insignificant characters, the women at Don Giovanni’s table in Act II, had the most interesting and intricate costumes. I guess they were able to have more color and pattern because they were more “promiscuous” characters.

While I really enjoyed the show, I don’t think it did a good job of appealing to a young audience. As we always hear, today’s youth have a rather short attention span making the three and a half hour show in a foreign language not a top choice of night activity. When I heard we were going to the opera, I was dreading it. I really thought it was going to be a waste of time. I think most teens are the same, and would not go to the opera if it wasn’t mandatory. Additionally, most teens do not have the money to spend on opera tickets. I think in order to sustain the art form financially, the opera has to attract the younger generation before the older one dies off. (sorry to be morbid) Perhaps offering free or discounted tickets and giving a quick synopsis of the story before the show (even in the program!) would help draw in the younger crowd.

I think the opera shows the “New York Fantasyland.” It’s what everyone dreams of. Dressing up in tuxes and ball gowns, drinking expensive champagne, mingling with other posh people. The reason people come to New York is to “make it,” to somehow make tons of money doing what they love. I think the opera has become the ultimate indicator of wealth, and so the sign that you’ve officially “made it.”