To the Cognoscenti
Though the plot of The Marriage of Figaro seems trivial and superficial, a simple story about bored, unfaithful lovers playing tricks on one another, it was, in fact, subversive and revolutionary in its time. Mozart, as many artists, did sense winds of change in society, changes in the relationships between servant and master, man and woman, but that Napoleon went as far as to call it the basis of the French Revolution seems absurd. Other themes of the opera- sex, tyranny, class- are of course relevant today, but it is not so much the story or the message that does not impress me.
The Marriage of Figaro was not my first opera, nor, I fear, my last. I am sure that opera will enjoy a long full life, as society esteems opera well beyond its worth. Again, it is not that the actual stories have no values or morals, it is that the art form itself is overvalued. While an opera is no more than an ornate Broadway musical, people call it a “high art.” It is considered entertainment for the elite, performance for the privileged, when it is on par with almost every other sort of entertainment. People look forward to openings, memorize songs in languages they do not understand, and talk of the opera as an otherworldly delight. I understand that some people do actually enjoy the singing sopranos, the trilling, the arias; they appreciate this niche vocal ability, whereas I find the sound grating on my ears. The sensory experience of the opera is unpleasant and undesirable to me. I consider the singing to be exaggerated and overdone, much like the rest of the performance. The acting, the costumes- everything is excessive; opera is overdone, overdressed, over-performed, and over-appreciated. Even the sparkle of the costumes is ridiculous. The only “high” aspect of this art form is the pitch of the singing.
Of course, one could argue the same for any art form- that it’s too much, or too little, but as with all other art forms, some people like it, some pretend to, and some do not.
–Jaimie