Tourist Guide

I had not expected to genuinely like Rigoletto. My past experience of seeing an opera had not been fulfilling mostly due to the lack of background knowledge of what opera is all about. Also the popular belief that opera is for the elderly elite, made me dread the day of Rigoletto. But as soon as the curtains opened, I was hooked. The scenery was massive and very believable. The amounts of people on stage also left me in awe, since I only expected a couple of characters to be on stage for the entire performance. I enjoyed the singing, especially of the men. Something about the power and tone of the voice is soothing and enjoyable to listen to. On the other hand the singing of the only 2 women in the opera, were high pitched, which would often get on my nerves. Nonetheless, their singing was beautiful. I admire opera’s for that quality. It’s unique to the American culture to listen to the tone of the voice to decipher the meaning or emotion. We tend to do that subconsciously, but still hang on to the words for meaning.

The plot of the opera was cliché enough to understand fully. Although it was simple enough, it held many themes and questions for the individual to figure out and think about. For example, I found an interesting conflict between the sexes. Despite there only being 2 women in the entire plot, those 2 women were the complete opposites of one another. Gilda was the pure, innocent and untouched woman shut off by her father or perhaps society and its’ pressures and flaws. Then there is Maddalena, who is seducing men for her brother to assassinate, and in result make a business. She represents the soiled version of a woman that uses her body for money. Although they are different, both are depicted as foolish and irrationally emotional beings. Despite their struggles, society looks down upon them.

Attending this opera allowed me to form a more educated view of the arts in general. Although some of the previous prejudices still seem to be true, I was able to appreciate a form of art I would have never thought twice about.

CLICK HERE to listen to “la donna e mobile” by Rigoletto

On September 29^th, 2010, I attended the Metropolitan Opera’s 827^th performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto. This was the first time I have ever seen an opera, and I must say, the experience was surprisingly interesting and immersive. For me, opera has always been associated with a negative stigma of disinterest and boredom. Attending this performance made me realize my error and learn to appreciate a new form of art.

At the start of the performance, the first details to catch my attention were the stunning beauty of the live orchestra and the intricate details of the stage scenery. The music itself helped ease the viewer into the mood and melody of the opera, allowing people to become more emotionally attached and aware of the performance. The stage seemed very natural and realistic, with countless details that ensured that the setting of the play was authentic to the time Rigoletto was first written.

When the performers first began singing, I was instantly enthralled in the depth and power of their voices. Not only were the able to consistently hit impossibly high notes, but they projected their voices very well, ensuring that everyone in the opera house would be able to hear their performance. As the opera progressed, I began to realize that opera was a very interesting blend of both musical and theatrical performance.

Although I enjoyed the new experience of opera in the general sense, it was somewhat difficult to suspend disbelief in regards to the plot of the performance. Rigoletto is based on very clichéd, familiar themes of love and pride. Throughout the opera, I found myself criticizing several events for the simple reason that they seemed too unlikely to ever occur in the real world. These included Gilda’s act of sacrificing herself so that her womanizing, deceitful lover, the Duke of Mantua may live, and the noble’s kidnapping of Rigoletto’s daughter, Gilda, to simply play a joke on him. These events were too idealistic in nature and by being so blatantly unreal and impossible in nature, made me lose interest in the overall performance. I am the kind of viewer who wants to be able to connect a performance to the real world, which Rigoletto definitely did not allow me to do.

Attending the performance of Rigoletto made me appreciate the world of opera and establish my own, personal opinion in regards to this form of art. The performance was one that I think may be appreciated and even enjoyed by both, the opera newcomer and the hardened critic alike.

Like many other students in the class, Rigoletto was my first opera experience. Before watching Rigoletto, I have always imagined operas to be boring and tedious, but this changed once I stepped into the Metropolitan Opera. My mind was blown away by the glamour of the place. When the opera began, my amazement stepped to the next level. As each character came out one by one, I could not help, but notice the wondrous colors of their costumes. The variety of colors of their costumes brought the play to life.

The story of Rigoletto was simple – a father trying to protect his daughter, but ended up causing her death. Although the storyline was not very original, the singers portrayed it perfectly. They displayed their emotions through the vibratos and the pitches of their voices. One scene that remains vivid in my memories was when Rigoletto, played by Lado Ataneli, discovered that he took part in the kidnapping of his own daughter. As the other people laughed at him, Rigoletto showed his grief through his singing. Although the scene might seem unbelievable in real life, the orchestra, along with Lado Ataneli’s singing, made it seem realistic. Another character that I liked was Gilda, played by Christine Schafer. Although critics claimed that Schafer failed to make an impact on the show, and that the orchestra often drowned out her voice, I felt that she depicted her character perfectly. Her small voice helped her portray Gilda as more innocent and naïve.

The opera was a magnificent experience, but there were parts of the opera that I disliked as well. At  some parts, I felt that the scene was dragged on, making it tiring to watch. An example is the death of Gilda. The scene can be accomplished within ten minutes, but in the opera, it took twice the amount of time. It felt as if they kept repeating what they were saying. Despite this, there were still many aspects of the opera that I enjoyed, such as the set and the costumes. It amazed me how the opera singers were able to project their voices with such strong power, that no devices were necessary to spread it to the whole auditorium. This was truly a great experience.

I recently had the pleasure of attending Rigoletto at the Metropolitan Opera. Like most of the other students in my class, Rigoletto was the first opera I’ve ever attended. Coming into the show, I had nothing good to say about operas. However, by the time I left, my perception of opera as a form of entertainment had completely changed.

The first thing I noticed about the show was how incredible the set was. It looked completely realistic and it made me very aware of the performance. As the performers began to come out, I immediately noticed their costumes. Each and every costume was completely realistic, and really helped engage the viewers. The music, costumes, and set made me feel completely immersed into the show.

Shortly after, the performers began singing. When I heard how loud and how clear they were singing, I was completely blown away. Although our seats were in the back middle, I was able to hear them perfectly. The power and clarity in their voices could be heard no matter where you were on the stage. Although I had seen some short opera clips on the computer, it wasn’t until I went to a live show that I was able to finally appreciate the skill it must take to be able to project your voice so loudly and powerfully. The more I watched the show, the more I realized that opera was much more entertaining than I had first thought.

As the plot progressed, I started paying attention to the story as opposed to paying attention to details on the stage. As I read the subtitles, I couldn’t help but start feeling as though the story was simply moving forward too slowly. Although the singing was magnificent, the plot simply took too long to move forward. Simple actions took far too long to happen, and I slowly began losing concentration and started to get bored of the plot. Additionally, I noticed that the plot seemed very unrealistic at times. The opera portrayed people as really foolish, and I just didn’t see that opera being realistic in the slightest sense.

Although the opera was unrealistic at many times, I still found it enjoyable to watch. I found myself appreciating many aspects of art and theatre that I had never even considered in the past. Additionally, it was nice to form my own views on opera instead of taking someone else’s word for it. I’m not sure if I’d watch another opera voluntarily, but I’m glad that I can say that I’ve actually attended an opera.

A preview of all the different operas from the MET’s Fall 2010 lineup.

I came into the opera not really knowing what to expect.  Sure, I heard samples of the opera from the class prior to going to the opera, but in most cases, the experience of being at a performance is much different from hearing it on the computer.  Immediately upon entering the building, I felt rather out of place.  The theatre was almost completely occupied by sharply-dressed upperclassmen, and I simply felt like a fish out of the water.  The other people in the theatre appeared as though they just came back from a trip to London.  I, on the other hand, looked like I just woke up from the wrong side of the bed.

But that’s all beside the point.  What I was just about to see unfold in front of me was one of the most well-known operas in the world.  In the first scene of the opera, we’re given a look into a medieval-era party.  People are dancing, singing, and drinking all kinds of things that probably aren’t very good for you.  And then, amongst all the merriment, we get a couple of robust men, the epitomes of masculinity, singing at the top of their lungs about something in Italian (there were translations on a monitor on the back of the chair in front of me but I didn’t notice it until halfway through the opera).  The singing itself was absolutely extraordinary.  Only those who are well-versed in opera would be critical of the way the singers expressed their emotions through their vocals.  After the first intermission, which was rather long, one of the male actors came out and told the audience that despite himself having a cold, he would continue singing in the opera.  I felt a bit ambivalent towards that announcement;  although I felt it was admirable for him to go on, admitting that you have a cold is like asking for sympathy from the audience.

What I found most amazing about the opera was the way the singers multitasked with singing and acting.  The singing was spectacular, the acting was adequate.  And on top of the well-done vocals, the background and sets themselves were stunning.  Everything felt so real, from Rigoletto’s house to the front of the palace, the details were impeccably polished.  The only true gripe about the opera would be the scope of it all.  The opera itself could’ve been much more concise (if I were to write a summary of what happened on paper, it would probably only amount to five or six lines of text).  The intermissions themselves were a bit lengthy to the extent that I, personally, began to feel indifferent to the opera towards the end of the show and just wanted to leave before midnight.  But in general, these minor issues don’t undermine the beautiful performances by the lead singers, and (don’t we forget!) the orchestra.  Especially considering that this is the debut for many of the characters, “Rigoletto” is well worth the time and money.

Last Thursday’s October 14th performance of Rigoletto was an eye opener. I have always had preconceived notions that the opera is boring and dull. The lack of dialogue and outdated style has always been unappealing to me. But watching Rigoletto changed all of that. The first thing that caught my eye was the gorgeous scenery. The backdrop gave everything such a realistic feel throughout the entire performance.

Having a previous understanding of what the opera was about, made it much more enjoyable. Instead of trying to figure out what was going on, I was able to appreciate the talent and voices of the performers. It amazed me that they could all project their voices so well in an opera house as large as the Met. Although at times, I found it difficult to hear Gilda when she was not singing extremely high notes. The emotion that the singers sang with added to the excitement of the performance. It also helped move the plot along and made it easier to follow. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the opera actually had some humorous parts to it, contrary to my assumptions that it was mainly boring.

The music itself was quite remarkable. Whatever emotion was being played out on stage was audible through the music. It helped heighten tension, convey fear, and intensify love, during all three arias, adding tremendously to the overall performance. I did not fully understand why the orchestra conductor needed a five-minute applause before each aria. Isn’t just one enough? This also occurred with the singers, who came out and took a bow after each aria, and received a five-minute applause. This made it seem like they thought they deserved the recognition and only added to the pretentious name the opera has for itself. Why one bow at the end, with all the performers could not suffice, I am unsure.

Right before the first intermission, someone came out and made an announcement that George Gagnidze who played Rigoletto, was recovering from a cold. This is the same announcement that was made during the opening night performance. It sounds like a pretty long recovery if you ask me. I did not hear anything wrong with Gagnidze performance, but I am sure that other more avid operagoers started nitpicking after the first intermission.

Rigoletto really helped me develop a stronger appreciation for the opera and all the hard work that goes into it. I will no longer place it at the bottom of the entertainment totem pole.

By: Rebecca Glikman