Macaulay Seminar One at Brooklyn College

I think that the first thing to say is that overall, I genuinely enjoyed the opera. I thought that the singing was excellent and I really enjoyed the set design. I can’t really judge the story since it is not original to the opera, but on a side note, “A Midsummer’s Night Dream”, I think, is an excellent story.

This was my first “modern” opera in that it has been written and created in the past fifty years, as opposed to all the operas that I have seen that are usually more than a hundred years old. It was also the first opera that I saw that was in English, a traditionally uncommon feature of opera, where most arias are written in Italian or French. I was at first a little uncomfortable ( that’s a horrible word to use in this situation but I can’t think of a better one) at listening to opera in English. Opera is more suited to for Romance languages, not only because they are beautiful (English is also very beautiful, I just think we cant notice it because we are raised speaking it), but because they have a certain beat to them, a musical flow, that is noticeable when a speaker of the language is talking plainly, but becomes especially beautiful when it is sung. This uncomfortable feeling eventually wore away when I remembered that there are many successful and beautiful operas sung in Russian and German, which can be more brutal languages than English. I was not disappointed by the English after I heard the opera, but I noticed that many words and phrases had to be stretched in order to fill into the tempo set by the music and that is most pleasing, something that arise from English’s lack of a musical beat.

I pointed this out in class and I think it is kind of silly, but it seems that it is sad to waste such beautiful voices on a comedy. The opera singers have the voices of gods and heroes and they use them to make ass jokes. I don’t want to be pretentious and say that opera must be serious and proud. Many great operas are comedies ( The Barber of Seville being my favorite example) and many great opera comedies are ruined by making them too serious or tragic (Russian opera houses being notable offenders). These are just personal feelings and I don’t agree with them myself but they are just thought and even more, a cloaked homage to the great opera singers that we saw that night.

One thing that was definitely lacking was the music. It lacked all of the grandness of opera music and instead strove to be a movie theme and even failed at that, becoming more so just background music. Opera is about showcasing voices, I agree, but movies are about showcasing acting, and yet we are inclined to judge harshly a movie where actors are walking around a cardboard set and surrounded by fifth-grader recorder music. Similarly opera is comprised of many different factors: the singing, the set, the costumes, the acting, and the music. And while I’m willing to yield on acting and set and costume (though none of those were particularly lacking and I thought the acting was just right) I feel music is second only to the singing and many great operas are remembered solely by their music ( we can all hum “Habanera” or “The Ride of the Valkyries” but very few of us actually know the words to these arias). One can argue that since this is a comedy, grand opera music would make it too serious and spoil it, but there is a difference between good opera music and grand opera music, just as there is a difference between good opera and grand opera. The Barber of Seville is a comedy and so is The Magic Flute but both contain good opera music that is decidedly light, yet strong in its delivery, and containing the Italian notes that prevent it from becoming to serious. Les Huguenots is grand opera with grand opera music that transports the listener through all the tragic events of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. If this opera had good opera music then I would have lay off, but the fact that this opera contained hardly any true music, I felt that it took significantly away from this opera.

But, like I said, overall I enjoyed this opera.

I was unexpectedly blown away by the opera experience that we shared together last Tuesday night. Aside from being amazed by an emotionally charged, passion infused performance, I was also pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere in the Metropolitan Opera house throughout the entire night.

After meeting up with everyone by the fountain I took a few minutes to observe my surroundings. Everywhere I looked people were classily dressed. There was a relaxed atmosphere, and most people had smiles on their faces as they entered the building. The opera house’s deep red carpeting, spiral staircases, ornate chandeliers, and on-display costumes all contributed to the classy feel of the night.

I was expecting the actual performance to be dull and confusing. I couldn’t follow the synopsis the first few times I read it, so I wasn’t looking forward to hearing people sing it out for four hours. However, once the lights dimmed and the curtains were drawn back, I was immediately sucked into the opera. Time flew by, and for the duration of the opera I sat upright in my seat anticipating all of the performers’ next moves.

Although I had an excellent experience and will probably go back to watch a few more operas, there were some things that disappointed me. I don’t know why, but I was expecting the opera to be kind of like a musical so I was let down by its relative simplicity. The plot was a bit confusing to follow, and the scenery was a little too abstract for my liking (even though it did do its and draw more attention to the performers).  However, my biggest complaint is that I didn’t get to see a fat lady sing!

Going back to a show at Lincoln Center was amazing, especially because it was something different, something that I probably would have not gone on my own to see.

Many people seemed to have enjoyed it, but in all honesty, it did not exceed my expectations. This is not a bad thing or good thing at the same time. In reality, there’s always a stereotype for any kind of music/performance, and for opera, some characterize it as boring and hard to understand. Unfortunately, I have to agree after going to see this. HOWEVER, I am glad that I was able to experience this firsthand. I am glad that I don’t have to wonder anymore about opera (haha). I am not saying I didn’t enjoy myself or the performance, but I am saying that the opera isn’t for me.

As per the performance, set, composer, etc., I thought they were incredible. It was humorous and the colors really went well with the whole idea. I was very impressed with the child actors/singers and some of the music was just great!

After the opera ended, I kind of kept my comments to myself because I know there are many that really enjoyed it. It’s interesting that this art form is still alive, and although it isn’t my favorite, I am also glad that it’s still around.

Going to the Metropolitan Opera was one of the events that I was particularly excited about for this class. I really like opera, and I really like Shakespeare, so I figured the combination would be something I would really enjoy.

Although the sets were interesting and very original, and the singing was of course amazing, I found the production as a whole a bit underwhelming. There weren’t many tunes in the opera that were particularly memorable. The music never made me go “wow.” Even though opera is not exactly supposed to be catchy like a pop song, there are opera tunes that definitely stick in your head and make you go “wow.”

A problem I had with the opera that I didn’t think about before seeing it was that since A Midsummer Night’s Dream isn’t meant to be an opera, the singing of it sometimes felt awkward and forced. Not only that, but it lost the iambic beat that Shakespeare’s writing has to it. For me, that’s one of the best parts about Shakespeare’s writing–that there is a rhythm and it’s rather consistent. With opera, this was lost completely. Singing his words in a slow manner or with extended syllables made the dialogue lose so much of its cleverness and spice. After all, Shakespeare plays aren’t just the words themselves; they’re the way they are said.

I’ve never had the opportunity to attend an Opera. This has been my first Opera and I can certainly admit that it was by far the greatest experience.

On Tuesday night, the night of the Opera, I had much to do. I had an essay due, a midterm the following day, and a lot of reading and studying. I didn’t know if I would be able to make it to the Opera. I was conflicted, should I focus on my school-work or take advantage of the opportunity to attend an Opera? Clearly, I chose the Opera.

I was stunned by the look of the Metropolitan Opera House. It was an extremely elegant environment. There were beautiful chandeliers hanging high up, red-carpeted stairs, fancy dressed people, etc. I did not expect the night to turn out as it did.

I sat still and let the story, the sights, the humor, and the music pass through me. I didn’t let anything distract me. I left my phone vibrating, left my friends waiting. I felt that if I missed even a second of the show, I would be lost, not knowing what was happing. I enjoyed the story, the singing, and the humor the most. The singing was extraordinary and the humor in the story kept me laughing. The orchestra was great. I felt that the style of music fit exactly with the plot, the characters personality, and their moods. I was fascinated by the stage production and design. The stage kept moving, introducing a new chapter or scene in the play. It was a phenomenal experience!

The night of the Opera was beyond my expectations. It was outstanding and certainly a night to remember!