This was my second opera viewing and my second trip to the Metropolitan Opera. The opera house itself is just as glamorous as I remember, if not more. The only other time I had been to an opera was in the 5th grade as part of a class trip; it is needless to say that this experience was quite different. The two things I am very thankful for this time around are Mark Ringer and the English subtitles. Overall, I enjoyed our opera visit.
Mark Ringer’s visit was a whole separate pleasure. He has a very alive personality and is very knowledgeable on the music and inspiration behind Cosi Fan Tutte. His small dance numbers were also fairly memorable and had me giggling even during the actual opera when the tunes he was moving to were played. He warmed us up to the opera and helped make the experience easier to enjoy. When he played several of the ballots in class, I was able to focus more on the orchestra; while at the opera, I was more captivated by the powerful voices of the singers. I tried to catch how the music develops the characters, as Mr. Ringer had said, but had trouble finding that clear of a connection. Regardless, his visit was helpful and entertaining.
The other opera I had seen was Hamlet, but I found Cosi Fan Tutte more enjoyable. Cosi Fan Tutte is less serious and much more comical. The jokes were simple, but clever and effective. Some of the actions of the actors were also funny, and could be enjoyed without even reading the subtitles. I found the music to be more in the background than I expected. The voices of the performers were so strong that the music just faded, at times, in comparison. It is amazing that a single voice can soar through an entire auditorium without a microphone more powerfully than a full orchestra of instruments. Not only were the voices of the performers incredible, their acting was also very memorable. My favorite character is Despina. She contributed to the majority of the comedy and her solo ballots were pleasant to listen to.
I enjoyed the outfits wore the characters as well and in a way, they were reminiscent of the baroque dancing we had seen at the start of the semester. Cosi Fan Tutte was a good end to the performances we viewed in this course. I now feel that a lot of art forms are not so out of my reach as I had originally thought. Thanks to Mark Ringer, I was much less intimidated by the performance, having learned the background.
