Stephanie Solanki, 10/3/12

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Yesterday’s seminar was a class trip to the Metropolitan Opera House. I was very excited to go because I love opera music, and I love music and shows in general. This was my favorite opera. I was very happy to see with with the class.

My thoughts on the opera is that the show was spectacular. It was very beautifully done. The set was immense and amazing. I couldn’t believe that they could completely change it the way they did during the 20 minute intermissions. I thought the opera house was beautiful. The acoustics were absolutely amazing in it. I noticed how it was tall and narrow and not wide, like Dr. Kahan said it would be. This was to enhance the sound, and it worked because I was able to hear perfectly from the topmost row. I loved hearing the voices; I wished the woman who played Liu would sing to me forever. I loved the orchestra, as well. It’s so thorough of them to include Chinese or Asian instruments in the music to go with the setting of the opera. Everyone was incredibly talented, even the background singers and dancers.

I loved the art and the music of the opera, but the story seemed a little shallow to me. It was a happy love story, but I think the tragedy of Liu and Calaf’s father could have easily been avoided if the princess had gotten over her pride.

Overall, my first opera experience was fantastic. I loved it so much that I really want to go back and see another.

Opera – Turandot 10/3/12

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Yesterday’s seminar class took place at the opera and our class went to the Metropolitan Opera House, better known as the Met, to see the show Turandot. Briefly, it is about a princess who resides in China that will only marry a man if he answers her three impossible riddles correctly. If they fail to complete the task, it will result in them getting beheaded. I think the climax of this opera was when Turandot realizes that the male race isn’t such a dictating figurehead, but rather can embody sympathetic and caring qualities as well. To be perfectly honest, my immediate reaction when I found out that we would be going to an opera weren’t positive or uplifting. But, gratefully, that all changed once the first act begun. I was overwhelmed with the distinct range of voices, possessing such control and ease. Reading along with the subtitles that were in front of the seats benefited my understanding significantly.

However, I think some parts in the opera were a little ambiguous and I didn’t comprehend the entire scene as much as I should’ve. Therefore, I asked for clarification from Professor Monte.  One example of this was when the three riddles became a vital part in the opera. I was able to figure out the first two of them, but the last riddle wasn’t being processed in my head, and I restored to asking my neighboring students for assistance. During the intermissions, my friends and I were aimlessly walking around the Met, and were able to hear bits and pieces of random conversations and implemente this newfound knowledge to get a better understanding of the opera as a whole. Everyone in the Opera House was remarkably pleasant and answered all of my questions completely.

I was flabbergasted when I first saw the scenery on the stage as it related to the overall tone of the particular scene. I think that as the audience you are able to tell a lot about the colors and the setting itself as it compares to the plot transitions. The props and items used in the construction of the stage setting were so detailed and picturesque that I was able to feel as if I was on the stage participating in the play Turandot. All in all, I had a wonderful time at the opera, and my outlook has been altered drastically because I have come to the conclusion that these types of shows aren’t prosaic and monotonous but uplifting and inspiring!

10/1/12

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In today’s seminar, I learned a lot about something I honestly never thought I would understand: Opera. Not to sound immature or uneducated, but the thought of people yelling long words at each other in different languages wasn’t anything I thought I could understand. However, today’s class really shined a light on to what the art of opera is really about and what it consists of.

We began the class by speaking about the different ranges of voice for men. The lowest range for a man is bass, but a long time ago, young men would castrate themselves (ouch) for the sake of being able to sing higher. These young men literally devoted their entire lives to singing opera, and I find this dedication, although somewhat psychotic, to be respectable nevertheless. Next, we learned the two types of opera singing: Recitativo and Aria. Recitativo is moderately paced dialogue, usually used to explain part of the story or keep it rolling along. Aria, however, is when the singer is able to have his or her “time to shine” and show off what they can really do with their voice. I was especially impressed by opera singing after I was able to understand Aria. Most people, including myself, would hear opera singing and immediately just think of a man in a fluffy costume yelling FIGAROOOOOOOO for as long as he could. After learning the emotional passion that is contained in the aria, as well as the incredible strain the singers must put on their voices to maintain high notes with no amplification, I was definitely able to appreciate the opera much more.

Opera, like any other type of music, can also be about anything. Giovanni’s Catalog Aria tells a very lighthearted and humorous story about a promiscuous man who’s had relations with practically everyone in town. So, contrary to my previous beliefs, opera really isn’t just people in fluffy costumes singing gibberish in angry languages. The emotional element, as well as the physical demand, have definitely changed my opinion about opera.

 

Turandot: 10/3/12

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On Wednesday, October 3, our Seminar experience was to take a trip to see the opera at The Metropolitan Opera House.  Professor Kahan and Professor Monte took all of us to go see Turandot, composed by Giacomo Puccini, which is being performed at the Met during the months of September, October, and November.  Turandot tells the story of a Chinese princess who refuses to allow any man to marry her, for she fears being dominated by another human being.  She has devised a system over the years to prevent any man from marrying her.  When a suitor appears, seemingly with the intention to “woo” her and marry her, he is first met with three riddles to solve.  If he can solve these riddles, then he may have the honor of courting and marrying Turandot.  However, if he does not, Turandot has him beheaded.  She has devised such riddles that she knows can be solved by nobody, therefore, she will never have to marry anyone and can be independent, responsible only for herself for her entire life.  Her best-laid plan, however, is shaken with the appearance of Calaf, who remains “the Unknown Prince” until the very end of the opera. He is able to solve all three riddles and thus forces Turandot to face her fears of marrying and being eternally bound to a man.  Ultimately, he is able to convince Turandot that his purpose is no to dominate or conquer her, but to love her.  Her “icy wall” melts, and she learns not only how to love someone else, but that there are people who are genuinely good people, who want to love her, if only she would let them and trust them.  The theme of learning how to love and trust gives way to a happy and gratifying ending.

Turandot was my first opera, and it was definitely an amazing experience.  At first, we were in the last rows of the highest section; the sound was as clearly defined as if you were in floor seats, but while the view was incredible, there were still parts of the stage that were not clearly visible.  During the first intermission, Professor Kahan told us that she was going to scout out seats in the first few rows on the floor level.  I decided to go with her….and I was so glad I did.  I was able to get a seat in the 3rd row…I had not only a perfect view of the stage, actors, costumes, and sets, but the orchestra was right below me.  So I was at my first opera…in the 3rd row…seeing an outstanding performance.

The only part of the opera that disappointed me was the performance of “Nessun Dorma“.  After seeing the videos of Luciano Pavarotti performing this piece, it seems that other performances dim in comparison.  Tonight’s performance of “Nessun Dorma” did not really match that of Pavarotti.  However, I did very much enjoy the piece performed by Liu before she takes her own life.

All in all, the opera was definitely a more than satisfying performance.  I was very excited to go to the opera and I was not disappointed.  Two weeks from now, we will be attending the Broadway production of The Heiress and I am looking forward to another amazing performance.

Opera, 10/1

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Up until this seminar class, I was not looking forward to the opera.  Dressing up and heading all the way to Manhattan to watch something I have no interest in felt displeasing. Fortunately, due to the several YouTube videos we watched during the class, heading to the opera seems like a trip worth taking.

I went to multiple musicals in my life, ranging from the disney musicals to the Phantom of the Opera.  The only musical that I thoroughly enjoyed was the The Lion King and in all honesty, the rest were a bore.  Since most of the shows I have seen lacked my interest, my past experience contributed to my disinterest of operas. I did consider the fact that musicals and operas were two different art forms but since I never took an in depth look at opera before, I sort of meshed the two as a single genre.

To my surprise, the opera videos we watched in class were simply fun to watch.  The performance from The Marriage of Figaro was by far my favorite since it made me laugh.  I actually never thought of operas as comedies, in fact, I had the notion that all operas were just melodramatic performances.  I am not sure why I had this outlook on the art form,  maybe because of the term, Soap Opera.  Melodrama is the first thing I think of when it comes to Soap Operas.

Thanks to youtube and this class, my thoughts towards opera changed. I never figured that operas would be fun to watch, I assumed they were boring melodramatic performances.  It is nice to expect a good time Wednesday night and I am sure I will be seeing more operas in the near future.

 

10/1

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Today was a good introduction to what the opera is going to be like Wednesday night. In this class we learned a lot about different types of opera singers by watching different clips of well-known operas. To be honest, I wasn’t very excited about going to see the opera prior to this class because I had never seen them before, and I imagined them to be very boring because there would only be singing. Now that I have more of an idea on what opera is all about from seeing different opera clips, I am excited to see Turandot this Wednesday.

First, we watched Don Giovanni. It was a light-hearted comedy about a noble man named Don Giovanni being very promiscuous and he was not afraid to show it. It says a lot about how society viewed men of higher class who are promiscuous during the time period of the opera. I enjoyed this clip of the opera a lot because of the light-hearted feeling of the music, and the comedy of the scene. The music blended very well with the singer’s voice, and the singer’s acting was good which made it entertaining.

Later on we watched a clip from La Traviata that was sung by Beverly Sills. I didn’t like this scene because although she had a very good voice and the music was nice, it had very bad acting in it. It would have been very difficult to follow this scene without subtitles. The singer is saying how she has very conflicting feeling about falling in love. However, you get the feeling that she is happy instead of conflicted about her love because of her facial expressions and how she has very up beat movements.

Finally, we watched three clips of one of the most famous opera arias of all time, Nessun Dorma, from Turandot, sung by Pavarotti. Unlike the previous two clips, there was no acting involved, and the singer was stationary the entire time. However, I enjoyed the clips. I had no idea that Opera singers were not in their prime until their forties, and I was very impressed by Pavarotti because of his age and the longevity of his career. His last performance was during the 2006 winter Olympics, which is an extraordinary accomplishment.

Ariana Z. 10/1/12 Opera

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Following today’s seminar, I must say that my excitement for attending the Opera this Wednesday has grown. Rather than simply attending the Opera “cold turkey” and without any prior knowledge or analysis, I am thankful that this seminar allows us to truly look into the art form of the Opera and learn the great passion and talent it takes to be an opera singer. Prior to the class, for example, I had been exposed to Pavarotti through school, my parents or other moments of passing by. I had not, however, truly understood how spectacular he was or how different an opera singer’s career is compared to a career in tennis, for example.

Professor Kahan explained that in 1981 he had just entered his “prime” at the age of 45, when you compare that age to tennis player Andy Roddick, who at age 30 retired from his tennis career, one can see how it is quite a contrast. When we analyzed the three clips of Pavarotti singing “Nessun Dorma” in 1981,1998 and then in 2006, it was amazing to hear that even at the age of 70 he could compete with his prior riveting performances. In 1998, when he was 63 years old, he was by far at his prime. Unlike his 1981 performance which was also breathtaking, in the second clip one could see that he was truly in his element and definitely looked like he was in complete control of his voice.

I must say, however, despite it being his best performance of the three we watched, my favorite performance would have to be at the 2006 Winter Olympics. At seventy years old, to even be able to stand in a crowd so large and have the physical capacity to perform, blew me away. Also, to hear the tenderness of his voice and the true passion and pride he had in his country was one of a kind. It surpassed the fact that this performance lacked the longevity of the notes. In fact, despite the minimized use of technique, one also saw his passion displayed as (unlike his last performances) he moved his hands more and truly expressed his emotions across his face. I could only imagine how amazing it must have been to be a spectator that night in 2006. And though Wednesday’s performance of “Nessun Dorma” may have high expectations after listening to Pavarotti, I am sure that being in the presence of any talented tenor will truly be a treat.

Opera 10/1/12

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To be perfectly honest, before this class today, I knew little to nothing about opera and all that it entails. From the beginning of the class until the end, it was an entire learning experience for me. For starters, I quickly grasped the fact that the four most influential opera composers included: Mozart, Verdi, Wagner, and Puccini. The lowest voice for a man is the bass and through the evolution of opera, which began nearly four hundred years ago, it became a combination of the artistic approach and the concept of “showing off” in the way that the audience wants to hear those high notes. For example, Mozart wrote dozen of operas and particularly, four of them are famous, each of them ridiculing the aristocracy.  I find that rather comical because I think it takes a great deal of skill to use a form of art to make fun of the upper class so eloquently and gracefully. There are two types of sung music. The first one is recitative, which by definition is a music narration because the notes go along with the particular voice. The other is an aria, which is the main part of music, and the singer expresses one emotion, thought, or idea. The main tune of the opera is sung twice and the second time, the singer adds more notes as a way of showing off.  We listened to an aria by Don Giovanni, and it was a funny drama consisting of comedy mostly about the idea of rape and was discussed in a light-hearted manner. After that, we began to listen to Barbiere Di Siviglia by Rossini. This particular piece has a baritone, which is voice above the bass. Also, synonymous to the work performed by Mozart, Rossini was a stand up to the aristocracy to Pre-French Revolution literary movement. In good aria, I learned that the singer says one idea or notion but repeats it in numerous different ways. Another thing, I became accustomed to in this class was, a librettist, which works with the composer, has to understand how voice works, and build a character/plot. In opera, all Shakespearean poetry turns in kinds of arias, and little synopses are given about what Shakespeare wrote.

Soon, we listened to aria from Othello by Verdi that is composed of a dramatic baritone in which the top of the voice is used more and it relates better with the character. Unknown by me, the King of the High Seas is the composer Pavarotti, and women in opera have for some strange reason a high death rate. Finally, there are many more voices for women than men, such as: alto, mezzo-soprano, soprano, dramatic, lyrical, spinto, light lyric soprano, coloratura, and finally soubrette. All of these are used frequently in operas composed by women. Today’s class was quite influential and I am satisfied that it came before our trip to the opera because now I will be able to apply this new knowledge to the opera itself. I have a new liking for this particular art form mainly because of the intricacy behind the various voices as well as the overall persona embodied by the men and women on stage.

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10.1.12

Today, we spoke about opera and the different types of voices for men and women. I thought it was pretty interesting to find out that opera was created around the early 1600s by combining drama and music. I was a bit disappointed when Professor Kahan didn’t include my favorite composer, Rossini, in her “Four Greats” but I was particularly happy when we spoke about him for a few minutes. Being a horn player, I’ve unfortunately come to brush off listening to Mozart (his four horn concertos are drilled into any horn player so, it can be a not so nice reminder when Mozart comes on the radio) and I feel terrible for not recognizing that he was a great opera composer.

Learning some of the opera vocabulary is making me more comfortable in talking about operas. I’ve always been afraid to speak about operas because I thought I might come off as unintelligent about the subject and therefore too inferior to speak about it. Now that I know some of the vocabulary, I’m becoming more comfortable and embracing this opera loving side of me. In my high school music program, we had to go to a school broadcasting live performance of the Met once a semester. I remember Carmen, obviously, even though I saw it almost two years ago. At the time I thought I was too young to find enjoyment in the operas but now that I’m older I know that was really silly of me.

I’m so excited to see the opera, and even the dressed up audience members, that I listened to the opening night of Turandot on Saturday on my satellite radio. I didn’t have the time to listen to it all and I didn’t have English subtitles but I had tremendous respect for what goes into the opera.

– Amber G

~Opera ~ Naomi 10/1/12~

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On my way home from today’s seminar class I had to turn off the radio in the car because nothing on Z100 or Fresh FM could compete to the music which I had just spent that last hour and forty minutes listening to. Today in seminar, we listened to opera.

When I was five years old, my aunt gave me a VHS tape of the movie version of Rigoletto (1993) and it soon became one of my favorite movies to watch. Although this version was not entirely set to music and the libretto was in English, this was my first introduction to opera and ever since that time this particular form of music has reminded me of my childhood. Despite this early introduction to opera, I soon became more interested with the world of musical theater, which I suppose isn’t too far out of the realm of opera.  However, today I was excited to get reacquainted with the opera and listen to Pavarotti perform Nessun Dorma. I had heard Nessun Dorma performed many times before today’s class yet each time I hear it lifts me out of my skin. The notes soar with the music in a way that captivates me like no other form of music does.

In addition to listening to clips from famous operas we also discussed some of the technical aspects of opera.  I found this part of the class particularly interesting, because although I was fond of opera I never thought too much about the technique that went into such things as writing the libretto of an opera.  A librettist must convey the plot, allow the performer to show off their vocal skills, provide the listener a pleasant melody while also making sure that the text is not too difficult for the singer to say while holding high notes.  In addition to the difficult work of a librettist, I also found the various voice parts interesting. I was aware of the three male registers, (tenor, baritone and bass) and I was aware of (contralto, mezzo soprano, and soprano) yet I was unaware of the many different levels of the female vocal range.

After today’s class I am excited to attend my first opera this coming Wednesday.

~Naomi~