Der Rosenkavalier
This was my first time watching an opera and I really was grateful to have seen such an involved work. The interaction between the different characters and singers definitely played an important role in how the audience viewed certain scenes as well as the emotions that were being conveyed. In the first scene, when the curtain rises on Octavian and Princess von Werdenberg, you can see their intimate yet secretive relationship because of how they are on the bed and very very close to each other. The secretness of their relationship is also portrayed when he is told to hide behind the bed and then he forgets his sword and then goes back to the bad and you can see worry in her face. Although, at the angle I was sitting, it was a bit difficult to view every move that was made by the characters, it was clear the conscious choices made by the singers played a role in conveying a particular mood or feeling to the audience.
Another scene where the interaction of the characters was important was when the Notary first entered along with a multitude of different characters. I thought that because of the many characters all having their own individual role in that scene in the context of the whole stage showed just how prestigious this family was. So many people in one room indicated that they were socialites and had many people attending to their tasks. This scene was almost an example of a lack of interaction between the characters that helped the audience to see the elite privileged life of the family we will be viewing for the remainder of the play.
I enjoyed watching the opera although we had very high seats. I think my first exposure to the opera was a very good one and the subtitles that were provided to the audience greatly helped me to understand the opera scene by scene.
