Expressions of Time: New York City Arts

Those in attendance at the performance of Cosi Fan Tutte at the Metropolitan Opera were presented with bad news upon entering the Opera House and receiving their programs.

“In this evening’s performance of Cosi fan tutte, the role of Ferrando will be sung by Bruce Sledge, replacing Pavol Breslik, who is ill.”

Yet Sledge, who has performed in both the Metropolitan and City Operas, filled in without a hitch, adding to the wondrous performance of the Mozart opera, a triumphant performance of both sight and sound.

November 9^th, it was a rather cold and dark night, yet it was perfect timing for watching Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte at the Metropolitan Opera. As I walked upon the steps of the Metropolitan Opera’s entrance, I was amazed by the schedule of performances for the next week lit up on the ledge of the steps. I felt a cold breeze as I passed by the water fountain as it spurted out massive amounts of water into the air. As I walked closer and closer to the Met Opera, I came to the realization of how huge the building was in comparison to my small body and I was in awe. When I entered the building, I was in admiration of the beauty that was presented before me. I saw a long red velvet carpet, crystal chandeliers and polished wood columns, that all seem to unite the beauty of the building’s interior. I also had wonderment for the beauty of the gowns that the female opera attendees had worn. Many had on long, silky gowns that one would see only on a runway or at a movie premier; there were also a few individuals who stood out, such as a women in traditional Japanese kimonos. As I was seated, I was surprised by the translators that were available, because I believed I would have had to sit through three hours of listening to Italian singing without having the least bit of understanding. The performance commenced.

When the orchestra began to play, the sweet sounds of strings and woodwinds had mellowed my soul; I was at peace. The scenery was also an aspect of the opera to admire, as it was well crafted and the ability to move building across the stage was astounding. The colors reflected what one would see in reality of a beach or of a home. Aside from the scenery and the orchestra, the singers had stolen my heart; I fell in love with their voices and their characterizations. Don Alfonso reminded me of Iago from William Shakespeare’s Othello with his conniving, sly ways; the commitment of Fiordiligi to Guglielmo created a spot of sympathy for her in my heart. I felt pity for Ferrando as Dorabella was not as committed to him as her sister was to Guglielmo, and to me, Dorabella was deserving of dislike for her lack of commitment. The character that won my heart the most was Despina, as it was her humor and breaking down of the fourth wall that created a strong connection for me to her. The opera was brilliantly devised in plot, although the second act was a tad too long and in terms of reality, the events would have finished earlier if it were not for the constant singing. The length of the second act was compensated by the on-pitch, clear, melodious notes of the music and singers. However, one aspect of the opera that I did not appreciate as a feminist was the underlying sexist tones created by all the male characters.

The events of the play only occur because men are not trusting of their women. Don Alfonso is the epitome of a male chauvinist, insisting that he knows how women are, believing that they are evil creatures whose hearts do not remain loyal. Don Alfonso insists that he will school Guglielmo and Ferrando in the ways of women; essentially creating opportunity for a psychological sex education class. If it were not for Don Alfonso, Guglielmo and Ferrando’s persistence, the women would not have cheated on their men. Dorabella and Fiordiligi would have not been swayed by “the Arabs” if the men only trusted them and their loyalty. Don Alfonso only teaches the men that if you are extremely persistent, you can sway any woman, single or taken. Other than the sexism presented by the men, Despina is to be admired for her non-traditional take on womanhood, essentially thinking like a male but maintaining her femininity.

As the singers took their bows, I was overjoyed at having lived through my first opera. The night was well spent. I cannot wait for future performances at the Metropolitan Opera!

From the time the curtain rises to the actors’ final bows, chances are that very few members of the audience have stopped to think about the time and effort put towards a performance, of both actor and stagehand alike. On November 9^th, 2010, I had the opportunity to see Cosí Fan Tutte at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. All the elements of the performance—from the singers’ enthralling voices and the rapturous music of Mozart, to the artistic beauty of the scenery—combined to make the opera a truly amazing experience. Looking back on that night, I now realize that I was unaware of the small details and people behind the scenes that worked together to make Cosí Fan Tutte a successful opera.

On November 10^th, 2010, the day after my night at the opera, I had the opportunity to tour the Metropolitan Opera House with a group of my classmates. Being able to see the behind-the-scenes workings of the opera house allowed me to discover how intricate the process of putting together such a performance is. The first stop of the tour was the theatre itself, where the scenery for that night’s upcoming opera was being assembled by stagehands. It was strange to see the large stage cluttered with massive pieces of scenery, knowing that only the night before a performance had taken place on the exact same stage. Backstage, the view was even more striking; the stage appeared enormous, even more so than if you were seated in one of the many red velvet seats. Workers milled back and forth on the stage, talking into their headsets, with tool belts hanging from their waists.

After touring the stage, we were led to the to the art department, which I found to be the most fascinating of all the floors we visited. The first of the two rooms we toured housed a variety of props and pieces of scenery, from ornate jewelry, to gilded busts, to life-size replicas of paintings. Beside one of the work benches was a rack of elaborate costumes to be dyed or aged with paint. According to the tour guide, it was important for each member of the art department not only to have artistic skill, but also to be knowledgeable in the time periods these props represented. Time was not only taken to create these props, but also to research their histories. The second room of the art department housed the area where large pieces of set were constructed from wood. Workers, armed with electric saws, stood at large tables, cutting away at enormous sheets of wood that would eventually become the scenery the audience would admire during an opera.

In addition, we had the opportunity to tour the costume and wig department. Racks of various costumes, from elaborate royal capes to simple overcoats, lined the sides of the room. Countless rolls and boxes of fabric were perched on shelves hung from the walls. You could hear the constant humming of a sewing machine, or the hiss of a steam iron. It was amazing to see both finished costumes with ornate details and those in-progress. In the wig room, wigs of all colors and styles lined shelves across the walls. The tour guide commented that for some of the wigs, it was necessary to thread individual hairs into a headpiece one-by-one. To me, it was difficult to believe that such painstaking time and effort could be put into a single aspect of a costume.

My experience touring the Metropolitan Opera House truly opened my eyes to the work and countless hours that go into making an opera as elaborate as Cosí Fan Tutte. When you find yourself sitting opposite the stage in one of those red seats, you never truly grasp a sense of the small details and behind-the-scenes processes that contribute to the performance, whether it be costume and wig design or set assembly. Being able to witness firsthand the hidden aspects of creating an opera gave me a greater appreciation not only for the main actors on stage, but also the people working backstage to make such a large production successful.