Monthly Archives: November 2012

Assignment for November 21 and November 28

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November 21-No Class-Paper 2 Due by e-mail

Since many of you will be with the subject of your caretaker study over the holiday weekend,  please record your care taker (3 minutes) talking about what his/her desires are for you in college (or in life if that is what they prefer).

Assignment for November 28

  • Watch a part of Mozart Documentary on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVwxFvjU5vk&feature=relmfu
  • Read Mozart’s Don Giovanni (the Dover Opera Libretto Series) (Paperback) libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte (available at Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore, 939 Lexington Avenue, between 68th and 69th Street)
  • Guest lecturer Alexandra Cohn suggested things to think about when reading the libretto:
  • 1. Do you think of Don Giovanni as a comedy or a tragedy?  2. Think about class differences as reflected in the libretto, if at all (We will be listening to some clips to see if those differences   are reflected in the music)  3. Think about the relationships between the various “couples” as reflected in the   language of the libretto:               Donna Elmira and Don Giovanni             Donna Anna and Octavo        Zerlina and Master    Don Giovanni and Leporello    Donna Anna and her father    Don Giovanni and The Commendatory
  •  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1OEGPxqrcY   Vladimir Jurowski on Don Giovanni (in modern dress)
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZIzJzY3N04&feature=relmfu  Gerald Finley on Don Giovanni (modern dress)

There are many avenues (library, internet, etc) for you to listen to the opera or parts of the opera.  Cohn continues with the following suggestions when listening to the music:

When listening to the opera, give some thought to how the music enhances (or not) the story? What does the music say about the story, the characters and their relationships?  After all, thats what makes the difference between a play and an opera, or even a musical which has text and then musical interludes.  What is the difference in an opera where the entire thing is sung/accompanied by music?

The following are some famous sections of the opera.  Do not limit your listening research to the following four.  Expand your listening!

November 28 – Roosevelt House

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Dear Art Explorers,

It is Mozart week.  We will meet at the Roosevelt House and are lucky to have guest lecturer Alexander Cohn visit our seminar to talk about Mozart’s Don Giovanni.  You must come to class prepared for her lecturer which includes having read  Don Giovanni  libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte,  viewing the videos listed under the assignments tab, prepared answers to the questions provided by Ms. Cohn and on your own become familiar with the music of Don Giovanni. 

Please look at Next Week’s Assignments Tab.

“The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.” 

― Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

 

Assignment for November 14

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Assignment for November 14

  • Send thesis statement for approval no later than Friday November 9th to both Donna dnuchizono@mindspring.com and Jessica jesshamm@gmail.com.
  • Prepare first page of Paper 2 to be turned in on November 14.
  • Start to finish Paper 2 as they are due on Wednesday, November 21.  (I suggest that you do not wait till the last minute)
  • Prepare draft of your Final Presentation to be viewed by the class on November 14 at Macaulay Cabaret Space.
  • Go to the Metropolitan Museum (1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street) and view Jacques-Louis David – Death of Socrates (1787).  Browse the museum and compare works of art of the same time period.

November 7-Meet at Roosevelt House

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Dear Art Explorers,

I hope that all of you are able to return to somewhat of a normal routine and life.  My heart goes out to all that suffered much during the hurricane.  

We will meet at the Roosevelt House and continue with October 31 assignment.  (Please see Next Week’s Assignment tab)

  • Age of Enlightenment conference.  
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Jacques-Louis David 
  • Bring in the first paragraph of Final Paper to read in class (should contain thesis statement.
I do look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday, November 7.
donna

 

 

 

House/Divided

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The Builder’s Association production of a House/Divided created a parallel between the financial crisis of the present day and the Great Depression of the past. They took the two events and intertwined them with each other, allowing the audience to see the similarities between the two events. During the shifts in time, the large house in the middle of the stage was used as a way to bring the audience back to the period of the Great Depression. It even became see-through, so that viewers would be able to see clearly what was happening. A large digital screen was used as well, with different screens popping up as the performers were chatting into the computer screens. In short, House/Divided was so rich with media that it became a little suffocating; in fact, it overshadowed the performers to the point where I don’t remember any of the performers.

After this performance, I lean more towards Phelan’s view. Live performances feel more real when it isn’t cluttered with media and technology. However, I don’t completely agree with Phelan, nor do I completely agree with Auslander’s view. There are certain times though, where media can truly enhance the performance – in that aspect, yes, I do agree with Auslander. However, there has to be a certain balance between enhancing the performance and completely consuming it. In this instance, I feel like House/Divided was consumed by the media that was supposed to enhance it. Like the woman who strongly disliked the production in the discussion after the show, I feel like there wasn’t enough of an emotional aspect to the performance. To me, it was more informative rather than anything else. I didn’t feel the wrath that I felt while reading the book; I just felt a bit blank and confused. Without media in this performance though, I feel like it would have been a bit harder to understand, and a bit harder to transition between the different time periods. In this case, media aids in this performance, but as I stated before, House/Divided really did clutter the performance with media.