The Arts in New York City
Don Giovanni was my first opera and it was very different than I expected it to be. First of all, the Metropolitan Opera House was absolutely beautiful. From the moment I saw it, I was astounded. The glowing stairs and the brightly lit glass windows really captured my attention. Elegantly dressed individuals surrounded the fountain. As I walked into the Opera House, I loved looking at the formal attire of everyone attending. Women dressed in stunning dresses and gowns accompanied by men in suits and tuxedos. When we walked inside, the first thing that caught my eye was the chandelier. To me, it looked like a huge snowflake. It was so glamorous with its sparkling crystals. The red carpet made me feel like I was some kind of superstar at an awards show. While finding our seats, I felt nauseous looking down because of how high up we were, but it was amazing to me how well we could see the stage from so far away. To my surprise, I was completely captivated from the moment the opera began. I thought the singing would be loud and uncomfortable to hear, but it was actually very enjoyable. I thought it was great that we were able to have the subtitles throughout the performance. Although I read the libretto beforehand, I wanted to know which parts we were up to. Every so often I would glance at the subtitles and immediately know what was happening. I didn’t think they were distracting, but instead helpful. I think I would have become uninterested after a while without the subtitles because I wouldn’t have known what was going on. I also think that the humor of the opera would be lost without the subtitles. If I hadn’t read in English what was said, I would just hear the crowd laughing and not know what the joke was about. The fact that I can understand some Italian made me enjoy the opera even more because I was attending an event that my grandparents did, and I could understand some of what was being said. I loved the scene where Leporello tells Donna Elvira all about Don Giovanni’s list of women. It was humorous and we really got to see Leporello’s character. My favorite part of the opera was when Don Giovanni was dragged to hell. It was so unexpected for me. I thought the set of the whole performance was pretty simple and the moment the stage opened and the fire came shooting up, I was speechless. I felt the heat from the stage and it was amazing to me how real it looked. I really enjoyed the opera and am glad that I was able to experience such a classy event.
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I agree with you. The opera was a very classy event filled with very classy people. You could definitely tell the less classy from the classy people based on the way people were dressed. Most people were in dresses or suits and ties, some people were even in tuxedos. Then, you stumble across someone in sweat pants, or baggy jeans, and you can see the gap between those who are classy and those who are classless. My favorite scene in the opera was Leporello’s Catalog Aria. It was one of the funniest parts of the opera and, like you said, it brings out Leporello’s character. Of course, the ending was fantastic. I also understand some Italian, but it was often difficult to hear what some of the people were saying as they were singing it very fast, so the Met Titles were a big help. Finally, I would like to thank you for pointing out that the chandelier resembled a big snowflake, because that reminds me the the joyous, festive occasion that is the Christmas season.
I can definitely identify with the nauseous feeling of being so high up! The subtitles definitely helped with the viewing of the opera, especially during the Catalog Aria – which turned out to be one of the funniest aspects of the play. It was also interesting that the screens that the subtitles had privacy screens – which let the spectator concentrate on their own screens, instead of seeing lights everywhere. It is interesting that you note that your knowledge of Italian assisted in your experience of the opera and it is really nice that your grandparents viewed Don Giovanni, too. That must have changed the experience for you, in a way. As I was the first in my family to ever see an opera, which made me appreciate it a little more. The event was also really classy, highlighting the experience of actually being at the Met. Really enjoyed your review!