During Thursday’s opera, we went to see Tosca. Although I always believed that watching someone sing for two hours would not be very entertaining, I was proven wrong. Partially because of the added story line which came along with the opera, I can successfully say that I found it enjoyable. The only critiques I have is that the seats were literally almost touching the ceiling. There is a plus to this, in that I was able to clearly see what was going on. If I were sitting at the very bottom, I would not see as much, and the set would seem less elaborate. The other critique I have towards this opera is that it was in Italian. Sure, the screen below provided translations, but I found it hard to choose whether to look at the stage or at that screen. Furthermore, you were not able to adjust the screen angle whatsoever, making it somewhat difficult to read. Ironically, there were also Italian subtitles, because as seen when Amanda Hick sang for the class, it is at times difficult to understand something, even though it is in your language. As for the things I especially liked, the detail was one of them. From the blood on the door, to the water and sink on the set in the very beginning, these seemingly trivial details totaled up to make the play more realistic. A line in particular which I liked in the play was when Tosca killed Scorpio and said, “…you are now choking on the blood of those you have killed…” Because of this line, a greater emotional effect was transferred to the viewer. Finally, although I had a feeling Mario might die in the end, I did not expect Tosca to jump off the cliff. If an additional act was to be added to the opera, I would want it to be her revenge plot against the secret police.
Attached below are pictures of some of the major parts of the play.
- Ben K
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