The Arts in New York City
As I entered the Metropolitan Opera House, I was immediately stunned by everything that surrounded me. The magnificent chandeliers and red carpets made me feel as though I was a celebrity. Unlike the other events that we had attended, most people were more formally attired. Men were dressed in suits and ties, and many women wore dresses and heels. I definitely felt under dressed, considering that I had gone to the opera straight from school. As I began walking up the stairs…then some more stairs…then even more, I was soon reminded of my fear of heights. Nonetheless, I got used to sitting so high up and eagerly awaited for the performance to begin.
At first, it felt as though the music was overpowering the voices of the actors. I couldn’t help but think that if this performance would have been in English as opposed to Italian, it would not have been as enjoyable; the words would have been swallowed up by the music. However, since I couldn’t understand the words anyway, this circumstance did not affect my overall satisfaction. The entire opera, from start to finish, was truly awe-inspiring. I was especially fond of the joyful and uplifting scenes, such as the scene of Zerlina’s and Masetto’s wedding. Their wedding followed the scene in which Donna Elvira, upon hearing Leporello recite the list of Don Giovanni’s numerous lovers, had announced that she hoped to take revenge. I enjoyed the transition from the more sullen and gloomy scene to a more joyous one. The stage changed from being serious and dark to being jubilant and brightly lit. Boys and girls danced, Zerlina and Masetto joined them, and everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves.
As the performance continued, I kept looking at the subtitles from time to time in order to get the gist of what was going on. I didn’t find the subtitles distracting because I had already read the libretto beforehand and therefore, I only had to glance at them momentarily in order to understand what was happening. Prior to seeing the opera, I thought that Don Giovanni was more tragic than it was comedic. However, my opinion had changed after seeing the performance. It proved to be quite humorous and I even found myself chuckling during several of the scenes. I was completely astonished by the ending of this performance. I would never have expected that Don Giovanni would be surrounded by fire, or that the floor of the stage would open up as he was being dragged into Hell. I was able to feel the heat of the blazing fire from my seat, and I was completely amazed. This was undeniably the most unforgettable and best possible way to end off. Don Giovanni was the first opera that I had ever seen and it definitely left me with a good first impression. I gained an appreciation for operas, and I hope to see more in the future.
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You are absolutely correct in stating that the entirety of the opera was stupendous, from beginning to end. Like you, I also noted the catalogue aria and the finale as moments of particular magnificence, and your description of the wedding scene has given me a new appreciation of it. I can also understand your difficulty in understanding the words, and commend your decision to become intimately familiar with the libretto beforehand. But, if you had taken the time to become intimately familiar with a few Italian men instead, as I did with about a dozen Italian women, you would know the language and wouldn’t need the subtitles at all. In addition, I must disagree on your interpretation of the opera as a comedy, but only for personal reasons. The performance was surreal; at times it felt like I was watching scenes from my own life on stage. Seeing Don Giovanni refuse to apologize for his beliefs and actions at the end was inspirational and reassuring, but he still met a tragic end. It seems that the world then, and even now, isn’t ready to fully accept men like he and I.