In what way were your expectations met or exceeded? Were there any disappointments? Was there anything that surprised you? How different was your reading of the libretto from seeing/hearing the performance?
Please comment on this post with a couple of paragraphs’ response. You may address one or all of the above, or write something else about your experience.
17 responses so far ↓
1 dengelman // Oct 3, 2007 at 4:02 pm
To be honest, I was a little nervous before going to see the opera. I was afraid of being bored, and like I said in class, I’m not used to the whole “culture” scene of New York. Overall, I would say that the performance more or less met my expectations. I wasn’t expecting to be really drawn into the opera, and like I predicted, I wasn’t.
There were some scenes, though, that I actually really enjoyed, like the scenes where Cherubino was hiding behind the chair, or inside the cupboard. Those scenes were like a typical comedy of errors. I think that you would even see similar kinds of funny situations in contemporary culture, such as in movies, so it was interesting to see how something written so long ago, can still be funny today.
I also was impressed with the acting of the singers. I was wondering if they would focus on good acting and not just singing, and it seems like they certainly did. This really added to the experience for me, as I can’t say that I can really enjoy opera singing, but good acting is something that I can enjoy and appreciate.
So the big question that I asked myself before going was “will I want to go to an opera again?” Honestly, I really didn’t get “into it” enough for me to see myself going to an opera on my own free time. Maybe if the opera was some new, modern twist on something, then maybe I’d be willing to try it–but a classical, traditional opera? I can’t really say that it was for me, but I’m happy that I had the experience, and can at least say that I’ve tried it.
2 bbeacom // Oct 3, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Ok so let me first give props to Evan - because he blogged the opera before there was a blog on the opera!
I had mixed feelings about the Opera. I was expecting a big stage, with a drop background and talented people in costumes. However, we got much more. The set design was exquisite - almost as good as The Phantom of the Opera’s (hehe - they are both opera’s in some way right?) I could just image the intense artistic planning involved to make the world of Figaro come into our world.
However, some things were hard to sell. First I admit I wasn’t totally enwrapped in the performance because of the unnatural singing/talking dialogue. Despite the familiar music of Mozart and wonderful orchestra, I still felt that I couldn’t relate totally to these exaggerated lovers.
I appreciate the fusion of music, acting and singing. Although at points your mind swirls in frenzy on reading, listening and looking, it was all worth it in the end. The opera is in a genre in itself, because there is nothing like it. Would I ever go to another one? Maybe if we make an Opera about love or conflict relevant to modern times.
3 Stephen // Oct 3, 2007 at 9:46 pm
I thought the opera was good. The thing I loved most had to be the scenery. When the curtains first opened, I was just 0.0 WOWED. The angle of the lighting really made it look like daylight. I loved the angling of the buildings too. For example, in the last scene, the building was angled up toward the right side, putting emphasis on that side of the stage, where Figaro was hiding.
I was surprised that Rosina was Korean!!! In the first two acts, she looked white from far away. I never realized Asian people sang in Italian operas.
What i found most effective that was unlike concerts or dances is that the performers used a combination of voice, music and body to tell the story. For me, visuals are a means to enhance the music. I associate music with an image. I get more involved with the performance simply with the addition of the visual.
What I failed to notice was the crazy woman that everyone was talking about. Where was I when this happened?!?! I can’t believe i missed it. It’s hard to believe opera-goers are total jerks. I had imagined this opera house to be full of wealthy, fine-dining kind of people.
I found the count to be less threatening than we mentioned in class, simply because everytime he plotted something evil, he was foiled in his attempt. He was always like “Darn, foiled again” and that made it more comedy-like and less serious, therefore making him less of a menacing type of character.
4 nperez-hernandez // Oct 3, 2007 at 9:49 pm
First off, I just want to say that everybody looked so pretty last night!
Now, about the opera: I think it fulfilled most of my expectations and then some. I was afraid about the length of it, and whether it could capture my interest the entire time. I’d say that they succeeded, even though I nodded off twice (but it was because of sleep deprivation, honestly!). The costumes (especially Susanna’s) and sets were almost magical to look at, and like I said in class, the orchestra was so perfect that it almost sounded like it was coming from a CD.
Even though there was a disconnect for me because of the stylized singing, I appreciated the singers for acting out their arias and recitatives. It helped bring a human element to the show, something beyond the grand gestures and powerful singing.
Oh, and before I forget, much love to Marcellina and her over-the-top stage prescence - it was something akin to Mrs. Bennett from Pride and Prejudice, and just as great to watch.
And in closing, I defintely want to see more opera in the future - preferably a tragedy.
5 eleung // Oct 4, 2007 at 11:25 am
Well, now that there is an official blog post, I’ll comment even further. Like David said, the opera seemed to focus a lot on acting, rather than singing. So if anyone wasn’t drawn into the singing, the acting made up for it. I absolutely love the power of the human voice, so it’s fantastic to observe the way these singers use their diaphragm instead of their vocal cords. In the moments of silence in between the melody, I wanted to keep listening. Just as a side note, I wonder if any of you know what the range of your voice is…I think someone told me I was a tenor.
My expectations? Fulfilled. I wondered how comedy could come off as funny. I guess with a faster pace and the way the characters carry themselves, an opera can be comical. Cherubino was absolutely awesome. At first, I could not help but notice that an actress was acting as Cherubino, but I eventually forgot about that aspect. Good acting. Also, I did not expect to be captured by the set. The crookedness and slant of the set definitely drew me in. In my first opera, I would not have noticed if the set was tilted in any way because I had tier seats. So, our seats were awesome!
The one part of the comedy that I found hilarious was how the conflicts unfolded in the countess’ bedroom. It was as if all privacy and secrets–everyone’s–was exposed there from Cherubino to the Count.
So I give two haha’s for Le Nozze di Figaro.
6 Lindsey Freer // Oct 4, 2007 at 12:09 pm
The NYTimes had some very positive things to say about the production. Read their review here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/arts/music/04figa.html
7 Jacky Ng // Oct 4, 2007 at 11:44 pm
I walked into the opera house with low expectations and came out of the opera house throughly overjoyed at how good it was. It seems that my prejudices against opera were struck down in one night. Now I’m raring to go see another one.
People were all talking about how I would fall asleep during the play. I even expected to fall asleep myself! Yet, a brilliant and beautiful stage set and a talented and energetic cast and orchestra managed to keep my attention the entire time. Sorry to whoever lost money on a bet involving me falling asleep. Blame it on the peple who made this opera - the pacing was flawless, with serious moments strung around bits of comedy, and that was what kept me from dreamland the whole time.
Although I loved the acting and the music thoroughly, what really caught my attention was the set. The way the lighting imitated natural sunlight, the way the backdrop reproduced an entire room, and the technological marvel of a spinning set really gave me a new way to look at the things that go on backstage.
So. When’s the next opera gonna be?
8 Samema // Oct 5, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Well I have never been to a opera before so I did not really know what to except. I have to say that my vision of the opera was a fat lady in a puffy dress singing in a high pitch so that champagne glass can break. But to my surprise I have to say that the acting exceeded my expectations. Because from experience I can say singers are not good actors and visa versa. And this is quite unusual when you have both. It requires I would believe extraordinary amount of talent.
I was most surprised by the fact that the voices were naturally that loud. I thought that they used microphones. And the opera house was huge. I mean even though we had good seats, I am pretty sure that the people that had the balcony seats heard the voices as clearly as ours. And the translations are a great idea. But I can understand why the patrons of the museum were angry. You do not really have to understand the words in order to understand the story. The opera is sung for the music and not really the story. If you really want to see a good story the opera is not a good place to go. Go to Broadway.
I was looking through the list of singers and was surprised to see that not all of them were Italian. But the Countess was actually Korean!
Like Evan said this is an official blog for me even though I blogged earlier.
I hope we can go to another opera :).. this time maybe on a friday
9 cchandrabos // Oct 6, 2007 at 3:45 pm
This was my first opera ever! I was more nervous than anything at first. I didn’t know how I was going to understand what they were singing or whether Id be able to stand people singing in high pitched voices for three hours. But once I was in the theater I was actually excited. The fact that it was a comedy made the opera experience a lot of fun. I think what fascinated me the most was the conductor (aside from the fact he was gorgeous) and the the stage. It is just beyond me how the gestures could coordinate such beautiful music. I actually think the favorite part of the opera was the opening music. It was a totally different experience from hearing it on a CD in class, from when I heard it live. At times I felt like I was so immersed in the actors that I would forget there was even an orchestra below the stage.
The stage was absolutely amazing. I like the fact that it looked so real and grand, the way an aristocratic house would like I suppose. And about the house being slanted. My explanation was real simple. I just thought that perhaps while I was skimming the text, I might have missed the fact that the house was on the side of a hill. I don’t know. My imagination is crazier than most. Also, I think that maybe they turned the stage and made it tilted because towards the end of the opera most people are sleeping. So as a way to wake the up and hold their attention, ya know.
The singers were awesome too. I thought that Suzanna, as giddy as she as, played her role well. Even more amazing is the fact that she was an understudy.
That’s all I have to say. The experience truely surpassed all my expectation and fears. I think I would consider seeing another opera in my lifetime.
10 wschaefer // Oct 7, 2007 at 8:03 pm
i’d echo what most other people said, so it seems a bit redundant to say the same things again. but it did make me realise perhaps why the tickets are so expensive, and why opera singers are so greatly admired. thank you very much for the experience, i’ll remember it always. and roberth’s suit was amazing, shame about some of mary’s photos.
does anyone else wonder how the opera singers sound when talking normally?
11 ppuliyampet // Oct 8, 2007 at 7:24 pm
How do opera singers sound when talking normally? I realize that opera sprung from an art form meant to dazzle the eyes of the rich, but, are the many costume changes necessary? The countess’ dress in the finale blinded me. In short, I was not very impressed by the excess of the countess’ costumes.
The set, however, was amazing! The lighting was magical and, many times, I had to think twice to remember that I was still in an opera house.
Unlike the many in our class who were reprimanded for breaking the etiquette of the opera house, I had to sit through the opera behind a couple that was a bit too friendly.
Overall, I had fun and I would love to thank Prof. Drabik for the experience.
Now… to put my student ID to use for some rush tickets.
12 fahmad // Oct 8, 2007 at 8:08 pm
I know this is a bit late (I was in studio all weekend for architecture!), lol, but I really need to express my feelings about this event!
Lets start with the good. The acting was phenomonal; not just the facial expressions, but the body language and tone of voice were great! The singing was even more phenomenal.. how some of them held those notes and then switched from low to high notes so easily truly surpasses shock.. I think everyone mentioned the set. I didn’t even realize it was turned at an angle towards us, until I saw the floorboards and then I was shocked. When the curtains first opened, I was just so stunned, or as someone else put it, 0_0. My mouth was literally open.. it looked soooo 3D! The details were highly realistic, and the daylight seemed so genuine! Props to the conductor for guiding the musicians and actors beautifully. I was in band in hs so I guess it was kind of natural for me to be glancing at the conductor many times.
Ok, the bad. (Not too many, but I did feel there were some flaws)
I have to agree with what Evan mentioned in class. I did feel as if some of the songs in the beginning weren’t really songs, but more of what was dialogue. The first scene did not capture my attention as much as the next. However, that’s not to say it wasn’t a good scene. It could have used some improvement, that’s all. I do think the method they used to carry out the first scene was great, however. Also, I have to agree with Emily, that Suzanna did overact. She seemed to be putting too much “umph” into whatever she was doing. However, now knowing that it was her debut for this play makes me reprimand her much less, and give her a thumbs up!
Oh, and of course, the title doesn’t have much to do with anything, I just thought I would have a different title since of course everyone has a post on this. But yeah, getting yelled at by that lady was harsh. lol. And realizing that she was staring at Billy, and not even watching the play just makes the whole situation seem funnier. Lol.
13 ztasneem // Oct 8, 2007 at 9:38 pm
(I apologize in advance for any repetitive responses)
Like many of my fellow classmates, La Nozze di Figaro was also my first opera. And it didn’t disappoint. Definitely worth staying out until 12
When the curtains opened, I was blown away by the set. The detail was amazing and I loved the staircase and the multi-layers of the room. I would have never had envisioned that while reading the libretto. Now, I wish I had a room like that.
I think someone above me mentioned that they didn’t like the costume changes or something along that line? I would have to disagree with you. I thought the costumes made the opera seem for real, along with the set. The last scene would have to be my favorite costume-wise, solely because of the Countessa. When she walked out with that beautiful white, glittery gown on, I was absolutely in awe. She looked really beautiful and that gown must have cost a lot of money to make (putting those $100 tickets to use).
Overall, a great experience that I wouldn’t mind repeating.
p.s. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY WISHES AND THE SONG ON TUESDAY
14 jettikkalayil // Oct 9, 2007 at 9:07 am
Being that this was my first opera, I didn’t really know what to expect. From parodies I have seen on TV, I thought opera was about large people trying to hit very high or very low notes, but I was deeply mistaken. Operas, like Le Nozze di Figaro, are mediums through which people express a story through music and song. The M&M lady actually opened my eyes to this (even though she was a little stuck up); an operagoer might not go just to see the plot of the story. Most operagoers already know the whole plot and maybe even the lines by heart. The M&M lady even said that the plot of Le Nozze di Figaro was “stupid,” but I don’t believe that to be true. She came there to listen to the musicians because she is a huge fan of Mozart; she believed “Mozart was genius.” Probably makes some sense why she got so irritated by candy wrappers (which were like 10 seats away from her; I didn’t even notice anything). On a happier note, my expectations were truly exceeded by the actual performance; this was probably because we saw a comic-opera.
The one thing that surprised me the most was the detail of the set. It was amazing, and the rotation of the set in the last scene was even more remarkable. The costumes hit my eyes like sunrays did for Meursault, but not out of pain, but out of stark appreciation for detail. The costumes were true to the time period of the play, and did help portray the old traditions of this period in time. The lighting was what really caught my attention. How in the world did they show sunlight so perfectly? It almost felt like the windows were truly pointed outside letting rays of sunlight rush forth at night.
There was definitely a huge difference in reading the libretto and watching the actual performance. The libretto doesn’t portray the actual emotions of the characters like the opera performers do. Every expression of pain, joy, and sadness can be read from the movements of the performers, unlike the libretto where we have to envision everything.
The only disappointment was that I felt like I was reading the screen in front of me, and missing much of the actually acting. I wonder if later in the future they would use holographic projectors to project the words in front of you (you can turn them off if you don’t like it). Maybe I am asking too much of them. Overall it was a great experience for my first opera outing.
15 Ruby // Oct 9, 2007 at 8:42 pm
This is perhaps the best opera experience I ever had. Before I went to the opera, I was more or less afraid that I would be dozing off during the opera (from past experience) However, Le Nozze di Figaro turned out to be splendid, with all the comical lines and impressive set. It really did surpass my expectation of an opera.
In the beginning, I was immediately drawn to the fantastic set on stage. For a moment, I really wanted to try walking up those spiral stairs. The production group also did a good job in terms of lighting. The light in the room is so realistic. For a moment, I could feel the balmy air around me just because of the light. Near the end, the set turned and the house became slanted; I thought that was quite creative and it achieved the goal of capturing the audience’s attention.
From reading the libretto, I thought Cherubino would be played by a male, until I realized it was actually a woman playing Cherubino. I personally like the character, Cherubino( always getting on the Count’s nerve). The scene in which Marcellina embraced Figaro as her baby boy was one of the scenes I thought was quite funny. I think reading the lines and watching the acting at the same time enhance the effect of a comical opera, than just by reading the libretto. I must say the actors and actresses have managed both acting and singing very well.
I noticed a lot of people feel that their attentions focus on the singing and acting on stage that they forgot about the orchestra below the stage. I remember my high school teacher once told me the audience are supposed to applaud after the orchestra finish performing for each scene, not when the actor or actress finish singing. Sometimes, audience applauds even though the orchestra is still playing. Also, the crimson curtain is now replaced by a screen. I personally feel that the crimson curtain is more classical but I guess there may be a reason for such change.
I think everyone, including me, had an awesome time during the opera. Thanks to the Arts in New York City course and our professor, who chose this opera for us.
16 mperez // Oct 9, 2007 at 11:02 pm
La Nozze di Figaro was actually a better experience than I thought iit would be. The orchestra played really well and I was very interested in seeing how the conductor worked with them. When they opened the curtains I was immediately drawn to the titled stage and the incredible lighting that looked like actual sunlight.
When I heard the people sing, I was very impressed, especially since they had no microphones and it was all just human projection. I really enjoed the solos because the actors were able to display their vocal range.
Another thing that took me by surprise was the rotating stage and the titled scenery near the end. It seemed all very modern to me. It did not seem like a classic opera would do such a thing. I especially enjoyed when the chorus all sang together because the harmony was so great.
Overall, I really enjoyed the night. Well, maybe except for that lady that bothered half our class.
17 El MR // Oct 10, 2007 at 1:29 am
well at first i thought that at the opera everyone would be dressed very nice and that people would be respectful. i was kind of disappointed when i saw that most of the people ran out as soon as the performance was done. teh performance was elegant but in an old fashioned way. by this i mean the costumes that the singers/actors used. whe i was heading there i expected to see a guy singing his part with a tux and a girl with night dress but they were not only singers but also actors. this made everything much more interesting and amazing.
Listening to the performance was more of a magical event, but reading the libretto was more of a way of realizing what the performance was about. it gave meaning to everything but having read or not the libretto it would have been enought to know what was going on at the opera. overall it was a new positive aspect of life that i got the opportunity to experience and i liked it.
And i would just like to add that i enjoyed figaro’s performance, i thought that he was a good singer and a good actor. Susanna was excellent for that performance being amongst her first. the countess has a wonderful voice and i could really feel what the count was trying to do and how he was feeling.
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